Wolverhampton Wolves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wolverhampton Wolves
Club information
Track address	Monmore Green Stadium Wolverhampton
Country	England
Founded	1928/1951
Closed	2023
Team manager	Peter Adams
Club facts
Colours	Old Gold and Black
Track size	264 metres (288.7 yd)
Track record time	52.69
Track record date	29 August 2016
Track record holder	Niels Kristian Iversen
Major team honours
UK League Champions 1991, 1996, 2002 2009, 2016 KO Cup Winners 1996 Div 2 League Champions 1963 Midland Cup 1973

The Wolverhampton Wolves were a famous British motorcycle speedway team. They were based in Wolverhampton, England. The team raced at the Monmore Green Stadium for many years, from 1928 until 2023. The Wolves were very successful, winning the title of UK champions five times!

Discover the Wolves' History

Early Days: 1928–1930

Speedway racing, which was called "Dirt Track racing" back then, first happened at Monmore Green Stadium on May 30, 1928. The first race featuring a Wolverhampton team was on August 25, against Manchester. After a few more races in 1929 and 1930, speedway took a break in Wolverhampton for twenty years.

The 1950s: A New Start

After World War II, in 1948, speedway became super popular across the country. Many towns wanted to join in. So, the owners of Wolverhampton's stadium decided to rebuild the track. An Australian named Arthur Simcock helped make this happen.

On October 14, 1950, speedway officially returned! The team was founded again in 1951 and was called the Wolverhampton Wasps. They joined the 1951 Speedway National League Division Three.

In 1953, the Wasps joined forces with another team, the Cradley Heathens. This was exciting for Wolverhampton fans. At one race, so many people came that 12,000 fans filled the stadium, and many more tried to climb over the walls! However, this success didn't last long. The team had a tough start in 1954, and speedway stopped in Wolverhampton again that May.

The 1960s: The Wolves are Born

Speedway came back to Monmore Green in 1961. This time, the team was named the Wolverhampton Wolves. After two good seasons, they won their first big trophy in 1963, becoming champions of the 1963 Provincial Speedway League. The 1963 team had new riders like Maury Mattingley, Dave Hemus, and Rick France. They joined star riders Tommy Sweetman and Graham Warren to win the league by just two points!

In 1965, Wolverhampton joined the new British League, which was the top level of speedway. The team finished in the middle of the league for a few years, but then had two difficult seasons in 1968 and 1969.

The 1970s: Star Riders and Challenges

George Hunter with Gary Peterson

Finn Thomsen and Ole Olsen

Before the 1970 season, the Wolves signed Ole Olsen, a Danish champion and one of the best riders in the world. He made a huge difference, helping the Wolves improve. Ole Olsen also won the British League Riders' Championship in 1972.

In 1973, the Wolves won the Midland Cup. The next year, they reached the final again.

The 1975 season was a sad time for the team. A rider named Gary Peterson passed away during a race. After that season, Ole Olsen left the team. For the rest of the 1970s, the Wolves often finished in the lower half of the league. However, they did sign Hans Nielsen in 1978. Hans was only 18 but quickly became the team's top rider in 1978 and 1979.

The 1980s: Ups and Downs

Hans Nielsen continued to be amazing in 1980, but the team struggled. Costs were rising, so the team's owner, Mike Parker, decided to sell the riders and move the team down to a lower league for the 1981 National League season. A new owner, Dan McCormick, took over for 1981, but Mike Parker returned later. He couldn't put a team together, so the Wolves didn't race for two seasons.

Luckily, a new owner named Peter Adams brought the team back for the 1984 British League season. In 1986, the Wolves signed Sam Ermolenko. With Sam and other talented riders from Denmark and America, the team became very strong. They finished third in 1986 and second in 1989.

The 1990s: Champions Again!

Sudden Sam Ermolenko

The Wolves won their first top-league title in 1991, winning the 1991 British League season. Their American star, Sam Ermolenko, was a key player. He was the first rider to beat former Wolves star Hans Nielsen from the top of the rider averages in eight years! The team also had two more American riders, Ronnie Correy and Sam's younger brother Charles Ermolenko, plus Englishman Graham Jones. They beat Bradford to win the title.

The Wolves won the title again in 1996, during the 1996 Premier League speedway season. Ronnie Correy was the only rider left from the 1991 winning team. This time, two Swedish brothers, Peter Karlsson and Mikael Karlsson, helped the Wolves win. They both scored lots of points and were top riders.

The 2000s: More Trophies

The Wolverhampton Wolves became champions of the Sky Sports Elite League in 2002. They finished second in the regular season but won the play-off final against the Eastbourne Eagles. This was the Wolves' third championship in 11 years! The Swedish Karlsson brothers, Peter and Mikael, were super important to the team's success again. Two years later, in 2004, the Wolves reached the play-off final but lost.

In 2008, a company called Parry's International Travel made a deal with the team owner, Dave Parry (who used to be a Wolves rider!). The team was managed by Peter Adams and promoted by Chris Van Straaten. The decade ended with the Wolves finishing second in the league. Then, in 2009, they became champions again! They beat the Swindon Robins in the play-offs. Freddie Lindgren was the star of the 2009 team, with veteran Peter Karlsson and young 19-year-old rider Tai Woffinden also scoring many points.

The 2010s: A Fifth Championship

The Wolves lost another play-off final in 2010. In 2013, they finished third. But in 2016, they became champions of the United Kingdom for the fifth time! They beat the Belle Vue Aces, who had finished at the top of the league. Led by Tai Woffinden and Freddie Lindgren, the Wolves won the first race at home by 18 points (54-36). Belle Vue won the second race (50-42), but the Wolves still won overall by 10 points (96-86).

In 2017, the Wolves lost another play-off final in a very close race. They won the first race away from home (47–43) against Swindon. But they lost their home race (47–42). Even though they lost, the team's owner, Peter Adams, said that speedway was the real winner because it was such an exciting match.

The 2020s: The End of an Era

The speedway leagues were cancelled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, the team finished second and fourth but lost in the play-offs. In 2023, the owners of Monmore Green Stadium, Entain, announced that the stadium would only be used for greyhound racing in 2024. This meant the Wolverhampton Wolves team had to stop racing after the 2023 season.

Season Summary

Famous Riders

Many talented riders have raced for the Wolverhampton Wolves over the years. Here are some of the most notable ones:

Olympique Events

The Wolves team used to host a special event called the Olympique every year.