Shropshire Star

Matt Maher: Wolves chiefs in need of support more than ever

Maddening though it is, an undeniable truth in life is you often never truly appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone.

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Wolverhampton speedway

Or, in the case of Wolverhampton Speedway these past six months, at risk of losing it.

From the moment it became known back in April the club would no longer be welcome at Monmore Green, there has been a wave of support the like of which has rarely been seen since the sport’s heyday.

People who had not been to speedway for years suddenly felt the urge to return. Others went for the first time. Two of Wolves’ final three meetings saw hundreds locked out with the stadium at full capacity.

From a position of trying to encourage customers through the turnstiles, club bosses found themselves in the strange position of having to gently dissuade some from travelling, with fans now based as far away as Scotland having expressed an interest in getting one final Monmore fix.

If you needed proof Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands still has the appetite for speedway, you got it this summer.

The trouble, of course, is what happens now the gates of Monmore are closed to the sport?

For a long time, you could kid yourself it wasn’t really happening.

With the season in full swing and Wolves chasing the Premiership crown, everything felt so normal.