Will we meet again? Wolverhampton says goodbye to speedway
"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when," summed up the feelings of Wolves speedway fans on Monday night.
There were tears in the eyes of the crowd throughout the last ever speedway meeting at Monmore Green Stadium as stars from past and present raced for the We'll Meet Again Trophy.
The words of Vera Lynn's poignant wartime song could have been written for everyone who loves Wolves speedway, as 95 years of history came to an end at the Wolverhampton track.
Just like the September's last league meeting, the heartbreaking semi-final defeat to eventual league winners Sheffield, hundreds of fans were locked out due to another full house despite the club's new loyalty admission policy.
Fans young and old descended on Monmore Green for their last chance to experience the smells and sounds of a sporting tradition which will now just be a memory.
Reality had finally sunk in as fans who have stood next to each other for decades realised this would be their last Monday night together.
Leanne Gaunt, from the First Corner Crew - the Willenhall friends, aged from six to 31, who turn up every meeting decked out in old gold and black - summed up a lot of fans' feelings.
She said: "We all look forward to seeing each other on Monday nights. We want to keep in touch, so are planning nights bowling and other things which our kids can come to, but nothing will beat speedway."
The Ladbroke's Greyhound Stadium's owners, gambling corporation The Entain Group, dropped the bombshell they were evicting the speedway club at the start of this season.
Leanne said: "Entain have broken our kids' hearts, we will never forget, we stopped buying drinks and food at the venue as soon as they evicted us. Look how many people are here tonight, and they just do not care."
As well as the heartbreak the anger was palpable.
Entain's timing meant Wolves will not be able to race next season because there was not enough time to find a new venue.
Brian Davies said: "It's a total disgrace what the stadium owners have done, everyone in Wolves should boycott them and refuse them revenue, make it clear how angry we are."
Thousands of fans signed the Save Wolves Speedway online petition and speedway fans, riders and legends from across the world pleaded with Entain to reverse its decision or give the club a season's grace.
However the campaign to save a mainstay of Midlands sports fell on deaf ears.
Friends Dawn Pratt, 70, and Bev Warmer, 65, both from Lanesfield, have sat in same spot for more than 30 years, that came to an end tonight, as it did for so many devoted fans.
The Wolfpack Speedway Support Team were out in force as they are every meeting, collecting money to help secure the perilous future of the club. Their End of Season Awards is being held on Sunday, September 29.
The American girlfriend of Luke Becker, who showed his class by winning heat six, Los Angeles native Anissa Venegas, said: "The people of Wolverhampton have taken Luke and I to their hearts since his first ever race for Wolves.
"Too see so people enjoying speedway but knowing it is the club's last meeting at Monmore Green is heartbreaking."
On the track Parrys International Wolves took on a Wolves At Heart team and fans got to see club legends Peter Karlsson, Sam Ermolenko, Ronnie Correy and Adam Skornick in the flesh one last time.
Owner Chris Van Straaten marked a bitter-sweet milestone as the tapes went up for the last time at Monmore Green.
He said: "Tonight is exactly meeting one thousand which I have promoted here at Monmore since taking over as promoter in August 1986. That is an amazing statistical coincidence.
"Our thanks to you our supporters, many of whom have been alongside me since day one and whom without then it would not have been possible to reach that milestone figure of one thousands.
"Our Monday nights will never be the same lest for the foreseeable future."
'Porky' the commentator said: "I hope someone somewhere is looking at what they have done, and think what I have done? The saddest thing is, this stadium will be here next year, but speedway will not."
Aptly, the result of the meeting was a draw between the two Wolves teams. The final heat of the final meeting was won by Wolves young American star Luke Becker.
Speaking on track afterwards, he said: "There was a lot of emotion out there. What it so sad is I race in different countries and there are never as many young speedway fans than at Monmore Green. It is heartbreaking tonight seeing the tears in the children's eyes. It is so sad."
However, the truth is, the tears of a child do not have any value on a profit and loss spreadsheet of a multi-national betting company like Entain. So with a stroke of pen Entain's accountants signed the death sentence of the longest running track in British speedway.
Mascot Wolfie, 70-year-old Spike Burton, said: "Speedway at Monmore is history now, the wrong kind of history, it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. It is about profit, they know to the very penny how much they make renting out this place on a Monday night, and it probably is nothing compared to what they can make through gambling."
Among the fans at Monmore Green's last speedway meeting were Coventry, Birmingham and Cradley Heathens fans. Wolves and their one time Black Country rivals the Heathens now share a similar fate. When Dudley Wood stadium closed in 1995 every Cradley Heathens fan hoped a new home would be just around the corner, they have yet to find one.
After the adrenaline of the last race wore off the night took a more sombre turn as the reality of the night's proceeding dawned on everyone in the stadium.
Team manager Peter Adams and promoter Chris Van Straaten both spoke to the crowd, with both struggling to hold back the tears. Between them, the pair represent nearly 40 years of blood, sweat and tears given to ensure Wolves speedway club gave the fans something to cheer about. Peter Adams convinced Monmore Green to reopen for speedway in 1984 after a break of two years, and CVS took over the team in 1986. There was a heartfelt applause when CVS thanked his friend and colleague Peter for being the "driving force" behind the club for the last 40 years and "debt we all owe him".
However, the end of the road at Monmore Green just came too quickly.
Flanked by all the riders on the track, CVS said: "This has been an emotional night, I have seen a few tears on the terraces. Speedway is a true family sport, when I started there were youngsters who now have families of their own who are fans, and that is the beauty of speedway, its a family sport.
"If you had have told me this time last year, this would happen, I would not have believed you. I never dreamt this would happen. Its happened, they face the consequences. We now have to find a new home and these things take time, it wont be next season, but hopefully after that. This is a very sad occasion, and lets hope, that your dream, happens, that we will be all together again one day."
And with that, the staff and riders exited the arena to the sounds of Vera Lynn's instantly recognisable voice singing: "We'll meet again."
However, as they shuffled out the stadium for the last time, every Wolves fan has no idea where, or when, or if they will ever meet again.
