The earliest bird doesn’t always get the worm. Wait a while and you can still snare some squidgy, succulent and scrumptious morsels.
It’s round one to Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey in the battle to win back the Wolves fans.
Stale Solbakken’s appointment was a calculated risk by the Molineux powerbrokers.
Just 12,150 supporters had renewed their seats for next season, compared to 14,780 last year.
Wolves had sold 14,309 the season before that, and almost 14,700 for the club’s first tilt back in the Premier League.
Early Bird renewals had not been as low since 12,218 signed up for the 2006-07 campaign.
Timing is everything. It hardly helped that the Bird first chirped the day after the 5-1 defeat to Albion.
But with a Norwegian at the helm Wolves have found an additional 1,871 feathered friends to sit on their Molineux perches over the last three weeks. It means Wolves now have a far healthier 14,375 season ticket holders for the Championship.
Chief executive Moxey is clearly content at the decision to re-open the scheme.
“After careful consideration, the Board decided that there were a unique set of circumstances in play which meant it was, on balance, the right decision to re-open the scheme for this limited period,” he said.
“As a result 1,871 additional fans pledged their support for Championship football at Molineux next season. That in no way detracts from our gratitude to those supporters who had taken advantage of the Early Bird offer during the initial window without knowing which division we were going to finish up in.
“But all the feedback we have received in the past, and particularly via the Fans’ Parliament, is that there is a desire among Wolves supporters themselves to have as many of their number as possible inside Molineux cheering the team on.
“Re-opening the scheme again will increase the number of regular home supporters at Molineux which, in turn, will improve the atmosphere to help the team as we head into a challenging season.
“These additional season ticket holders will only add to that feeling, and hopefully we can all come together and ensure the team has every opportunity to make the most of our home advantage next season.”
Round one out of the way. Rounds two and three in the battle for supporter hearts will revolve around summer signings and the ability of the club to hold on to seasoned stars. Ding, ding!
