Wolves’ managing director Laurie Dalrymple has insisted that leaving Molineux is a “last resort” for the club after chairman Jeff Shi made the shock claim that the club could leave their stadium.
As reported by the Express and Star, the Midlands outfit are looking at plans on how to expand their current capacity, with development plotted to double the size of their south stand if they stay in the Premier League this season.
Speaking of which direction the club might go moving forward, Shi insisted that the shock possibility of leaving for a new stadium was on the table, telling the Express and Star: “By the end of the season we will make some crucial decisions on whether to expand the stadium or build a new stadium.”
However, Dalrymple has come back to state that while Wolves do have plans to expand, leaving Molineux would only come after all other avenues had been explored.
As quoted in a statement posted by journalist Tim Spiers on his personal Twitter account, he said: “Leaving Molineux would always be a last resort for us.
“Finding space around Molineux to reach our desired capacity may not be easy. However, out ambition remains focused on developing a stadium in the city centre that delivers attendances that could reach over 50,000.”
In response to this Laurie Dalrymple has today contacted the Express & Star to assure fans that leaving Molineux would be a last resort. #wwfc pic.twitter.com/sDcKbhlLZo
— Tim Spiers (@TimSpiers) August 5, 2018
Opinion
Are the board at Wolves even talking with each other at the moment? To have Shi state his comments on the future of Molineux, only for Dalrymple to come out and release a statement, suggests there may have been a miscommunication somewhere along the line, and now the managing director has had to address concerns that fans might have about leaving their traditional home. Of course, preparing for a future beyond the current campaign is a little premature, and even though they swept their way to the Championship title they cannot presume that they will be safe from the threat of relegation in the Premier League. For now, fans can be safe in the knowledge that they are set to stay at Molineux for some time, and that it is the long-term – potentially in the next decade – that the club would consider building a new stadium to end their stint at their current ground.