Speedway crowds pack out Wolves stadium for emotional semi-final clash that could be city's last

Wolves announced there will be a 'Farewell to Monmore' exhibition meeting in October so the emotional goodbyes can wait for another month - Monday's meeting was about the pursuit of glory.

And sporting immortality. Wolves' quest to win the Premiership in the last race at their home of nearly 100 years before being turfed out by multi-million pound betting corporation Entain has captured the imagination of speedway fans across the world.

Entain told the Express & Star this week it will not add an extra night of greyhound racing next year, so Monmore Green Stadium will lie empty, in darkness, as thousands of speedway fans will be sitting at home wishing they could be standing next to friends and family as they have for decades.

However, the two-leg semi-final against familiar foes Sheffield Tigers has to be negotiated before any dreams of a bittersweet sporting fairytale can be contemplated.

Wolves wanted a dominating home victory to create an insurmountable second leg lead in the Steel City, and their riders grasped the nettle from the get-go.

The fans were at fever pitch from the start. The Turn One Crew got to the Monmore Green Stadium, no Wolves fan ever uses the prefix "Ladbrokes" or "Greyhound" when describing their spiritual home.

Ranging from six years old to 31, Willenhall's self-styled FCC pulled out every Wolves branded garment they could find to look the part to cheer on their heroes.

Dressed head-to-toe in Wolves apparel, Michael Kay, from Wilenhall, said: "Entain should never be even be used in the same breath as 'speedway' or 'Wolves'.

"Ever since they announced the eviction we have not bought a drink or anything from this stadium. I knew they wouldn't change their mind about ripping up a century of sporting memories."

He added: "We are the Turn One Crew and we will be cheering on the Wolves until that very last race. I think we are going to win the whole thing, it just seems like our destiny.

"They want us to fade away, but we are Wolves - we were always going to go out in a blaze of glory.

"Every speedway fan in the country besides Sheffield and Belle Vale fans wants us to win the Premiership."

Wolfpack Speedway Support Team secretary Alison Hartshorne said: "It's amazing to see so many people who have come up here to tonight to show their support for a sport that means so much to the people of Wolverhampton.

"Tonight could be the last league meeting. This is so sad, it's sinking in, it's starting to become real now.

"The Sheffield fans have been brilliant, they have been chanting about saving our club."

Sheffield Tigers fan Ken Wells said: "Any track closing is terrible. Not just for the club but for the whole sport. I really hope they find a new home soon."

Seventy-five-year-old Mike Partridge had to leave early because his friend who gives him a lift home could not get into the stadium.

He said: "It is a disgrace, they have locked fans who have been coming down since the 1960s out, there is space in the stadium. I've got to get to back to my care home in Kingswinford on my own now."

Despite intense negotiations with nearby tracks and desperate searches for temporary homes, the tick-tock of the unstoppable march of time was too fast for Wolves to find a way to compete in 2024.

Wolves promoter Chris Van Straaten has already announced the historic club will not fulfil any fixtures next season and the spectre of what was seen as one of the most stable speedway clubs in the country being cast into an eternal homeless wilderness like once bitter rivals Cradley Heathens is now a reality.

But Wolves fans have more important things to worry about at the moment: a possible forlorn future will take care of itself.

Right now the current crop of brave riders, who, when they pull on their Wolves jersey, represent generations of hopes, dreams, tragedies and unforgettable memories of bygone teams, have a job to do - qualify for the final.

After tonight's performance, they will be favourites to get to the final, and with oblivion on the horizon they know they are for a fleeting moment the favourite second team of almost every speedway rider, fan and employee in the world.

As usual between Sheffield and Wolves the scores were close and everything is to play for on Thursday with Tigers leading 50 - 40.