This One Pack Week, a light will be shone on Molineux Connects, who ensure no Wolves supporter should feel alone in their support of the Old Gold, or life in general.
Founded in 2022, Molineux Connects is a result of time and dedication from lifelong Old Gold supporters Patti Jaffe [PJ] and Christine Endean [CE], who have created a safe space on a matchday for supporters who may find attending alone challenging.
Both Patti and Christine have been following Wolves since the 1970s. Patti attended Molineux with friends as a youngster, and then her own children, before ending up solo. Christine visited Molineux with her partner for 14 years, but following a break-up found herself attending alone.
Therefore, Molineux Connects was born out of personal circumstances, but appeals to any supporter, regardless of gender or age for example, and for the past four years they’ve been making matchdays more enjoyable for isolated members of the pack.
Ahead of One Pack Week, Patti and Christine met at Molineux to reflect on their Molineux Connects journey to date, explain how others can get involved and their plans to expand further.
What is Molineux Connects?
PJ: “Molineux Connects is a fan-led initiative to connect supporters in a safe space on a matchday. The idea is that anybody who felt in any way slightly vulnerable or anxious about coming to football matches will feel more confident coming to the match. We've got a nice group that meet up on a regular basis. We meet up before a match in the Fan Zone, and there's a friendly face for people to talk to, somebody that over the weeks they'll recognise and that might make actually attending matches a lot more enjoyable and accessible for them.”
CE: “The idea really resonated with me, and as soon as Patti started talking about getting together with people that came on their own, it was like a whole new world, and Molineux Connects was born. We've got a little group of people that regularly meet up, and it's almost like family now, because we know them so well.”
How did it all begin?
PJ: “I've been really fortunate to be part of the Equality and Diversity Advisory Group here at Wolves, and when I joined them, my real aim was to key into the silent voices of the fans and support those who might not always find it as easy to access football on a matchday. The club were very supportive, and from that I reached out on social media to try to get the ball rolling. Christine was also part of the group, and she was really finding it difficult on a matchday on her own, and now she's turned into the matchday diva. I know other members who probably would have given up on football if it hadn't been for Molineux Connects.”
CE: “Patti talked about people being put off attending games because of coming on their own, women in particular, but I know there's a few men that also feel like that. It’s really powerful because it changes the whole matchday experience. On your own you feel a little bit uncomfortable, because there's nobody to share the experience with. Once you've got a little group, even if we don't sit together, you know there's people around the stadium that you know. It's really revolutionary to the whole matchday.”
Patti Jaffe
Using personal experiences
PJ: “I consider myself quite a confident individual, but even I have to think carefully about my journey to and from the match, and what I do when I get to Molineux. When I started to talk to other fans, I realised that there were plenty of women out there who felt the same way, but it wasn't gender-specific. There were men coming to matches, and maybe their mental health wasn't as robust as it had been, or maybe they’d lost a partner, sibling or best mate who they used to come to the match with and therefore being at Molineux was actually quite difficult for them, and I wanted to touch base with those people.”
CE: “I had a season ticket with my partner for about 13, 14 years, and when we split up, I was like, ‘What do I do now?’ I still wanted to come to games, but the idea of coming on my own was very daunting. I came alone for a number of years, and it always felt a bit strange coming on my own.”
All are welcome
PJ: “It is an eclectic group of individuals, all ages, and probably a 50/50 gender split, so there's no Molineux Connects type. It's just anybody who feels that sense of community and belonging would be important to them and they want to feel as though they've got somebody to touch base with on a matchday. I'm really pleased, because I think it's made a big difference to the people who've come along. We've got a WhatsApp group, and we talk most days, which for some of those people in the group has made a massive difference to their lives.”
CE: “I mix a lot with Punjabi Wolves, because I go to a lot of away days with them, and they've always been really good at making me feel safe and welcome. As part of the Equality and Advisory Group, I've mixed with the Wolves Disabled Supporters Association [Wolves DSA] , Girls in Old Gold and Always Wolves. You’re trying to encourage them so that nobody thinks they can’t go because they haven't got anybody to go with. It’s quite a sad thought to think that's a barrier for anybody.”
Patti Jaffe & Christine Endean
A home matchday with Molineux Connects
PJ: “It starts early morning with messages about meeting in the Fan Zone, and then we travel in from various different points. People come from Devon, Peterborough and some more local, and we meet an hour before the match and chat about the team news, what's happened in the week and also generally about life, which I think has been a really important part of the group. It makes the whole matchday experience more enjoyable.”
CE: “The first time is a big thing, to go up to a group that you don't know and to introduce yourself. You can bond very quickly with people that are Wolves fans, because you've always got that in common. You might disagree about the team, the manager or the tactics, but you always agree on your love for the club. There's always something to talk about when you're into football.”
Away games following Wolves
CE: “I love away days because you get to meet people and form very quick friendships with people. I know a lot of people now that I didn't know before, because on away days there's usually around 3,000 people and you're all together. Punjabi Wolves make you feel really welcome and part of their team. I've been with official Wolves as well, and they're the same, the stewards are really good, and they make sure that you're looked after. They usually put you with somebody else that's travelling alone. I went away to Grimsby and I saw a lady on her own, so I spoke to her and now we’re good friends. It makes you feel a bit more connected, knowing that people in the crowd know you and you're not the odd one out because you're on your own.”
Christine Endean
Beyond a matchday
PJ: “If we're watching a match because it's being televised, or if England have got a match, we're always discussing it, and I think that really helps. Molineux Connects can reach out to people who struggle to get in to a match. If you've got a good, cohesive connection and a community, it builds positivity in the fan base and on the pitch. I think that's vitally important.”
How does Molineux Connects expand?
PJ: “The aim is to raise awareness and get more people involved. I would like to have some good signage around Molineux, and something in the Fan Zone so people can see us. I'd like places around Molineux where people know they're likely to bump into like-minded people and feel as though they're in a safe and welcoming environment. I'd also like to see it extend to other clubs, because I think Connects is a really good way to build a general community for football. We have away supporters that find us in the Fan Zone and talk about it being really great if their club did something similar.”
CE: “It has grown, but it hasn't grown as much as we wanted it to, just because some people are a little bit reluctant to walk up to a group that they don't know. A lot of people like the idea, but it's just making that first step. I have connected with other fan groups and blown the trumpet for Molineux Connects. It makes a massive difference to people and stops you from feeling lonely. It does make us feel proud when we're in the Fan Zone and we've got people there because of Molineux Connects. It is a massive thing. Don't let there be any barriers to enjoying football and enjoying supporting the team.”
Any supporters who wishes to contract Molineux Connects can email molineuxconnects@gmail.com.
