Wolves take fan zone indoors for new season

Wolves are launching a fan zone inside an events venue, with the new pre-match site replacing their outdoor facility for supporters.

People will gather in Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton for guests including former footballers, live music, competitions and live football on a big screen before going to games at Molineux.

Moving indoors allowed the club to build on "the best elements of the previous Fanzone while offering a significantly enhanced" experience, Wolves said.

The offering for their 150th anniversary season will be available with free entry before every home game this season, beginning with Friday evening's opening Championship match against Blackburn Rovers.

Wolves said while the outdoor fan zone had given fans "memorable matchday experiences in recent seasons, its open-air nature has inevitably limited its appeal during periods of poor weather".

The city centre indoor venue, part of University of Wolverhampton at The Halls, was about a 10-minute walk from Molineux, with a similar time on foot away from Wolverhampton's railway and bus stations, the club added.

The Halls reopened in May 2023 after a £48m revamp and was renamed the following year as it partnered with the university.

Wolves said the move would offer "a significantly enhanced and more consistent experience throughout the season, with permanent bars and catering, seating, toilets [and] professional production facilities".

The fan zone will initially be open to Wolves supporters only, with no ticket required.

Doors will open at least three hours before kick-off at Molineux.

Wolves pointed out there were "no early live fixtures to show" in Wulfrun Hall "during the opening Fanzone events, so live football will be introduced later in the season".

No food or drink can be taken into the site, except where required for a medical condition, but they could be bought inside.

Fans were encouraged to avoid bringing a bag where possible, but if they needed to, only one per person no larger than A4 size was permitted, the club said.

All people and bags were subject to search on entry and visitors would pass through "the venue's intelligent security screening system".

A number of items were prohibited, Wolves said, including large umbrellas, professional cameras, selfie sticks and flags.

Wulfrun Hall has step-free access to its ground-floor area, while an accessible entrance is available for fans who require it.

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