Well, we drink beer! We watch Wolves and we travel far and wide to do so. At times we have had approximately 85% of our members as season ticket holders at Molineux, coming together for the home games and traveling together or meeting up for away games. Our members are not at all confined to the Daventry area, indeed, we went through quite a change in philosophy during the infamous Bhatti era.
Previous to that time, we worked very hard in promoting Wolves locally to Daventry, incorporating Northamptonshire and Warwickshire too. However, this proved to be almost a waste of our energies and resources as the response was poor at best and dwindled to being non-existent during the three consecutive relegation seasons in the early eighties.
We then concentrated on the members we had and people we knew who did not need Wolves sold to them, but instead came to us by word of mouth and through friends of friends. This has proved to be the best way of getting the right members for the DDCWWFCSC. The members are spread throughout England: from Brighton and Cornwall in the South, London, Norfolk, quite a few in Sheffield, and the majority in and around the West Midlands.
Overseas there are others as well. President Richard Meacock lives in Canberra, Australia, Ralph Johnson lives in North Dakota USA, plus more in the states and five in Cyprus as well. Over the years we have had members in Canada, Holland, Republic of Ireland and Norway, and indeed would welcome anyone who wanted to join our ranks where ever they are from, to our way of doing things.
We have no desire to be the biggest club (that role is for other groups) and many are capable of fulfilling that role, such as the Hatherton. We do not organise much in the way of travel to games given the geographical spread of the membership and the practicalities of getting everyone in one place to travel together. Again, there are other groups much better equipped to provide that sort of service, i.e. the London Wolves and the Wolves own travel club.
We do, however, provide a very strong sense of community. A group of people with a common love of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and often real ale too, who attend matches, socialise with the other members, lift share, and help each other out.
The DDCWWFCSC has a block of seats in the Stan Cullis Stand at Molineux which has been over sixty, but again we were blighted by successive relegations under the previous owners and now there are approx 30 of us sitting together. Most of us sit together and have the capacity to invite others along as well (within the block of seats are eight guest seats to enable friends or relatives, other members, or sometimes strangers to join us for a particular match). These seats can only be pre-booked a week in advance by members for their own use or four days before for use by a non-member. The cost is just what you’d pay on the day which in the Premier League this season is either £27 or £30 per game dependant on which category of game it is.
Our biggest event of the calendar is our Annual Dinner and as you explore our web site more fully I’m sure you’ll find lots of photos and references to it. Most often held in October, it’s a formal occasion which becomes less formal as the night wears on. Usually consisting of a five course dinner ( it has been as many as seven courses, we value our food!), speeches, presentations, and dancing to either a disco or a band (sometimes both)! The 25th gathering (in 2000) and the 21st were both held in the Hayward Suite at Molineux, but the dinner usually is held in a hotel in the vicinity of Daventry and is probably the only thing we do near to Daventry these days.
During the close season we hold a summer barbecue for members and their families at the extortionate cost of £10 per family for as much as you can eat and drink! Well, until we run out! It is held in a small Shropshire village at Snelly’s mum’s house where we have the run of the grounds, swimming pool, etc. Some choose to camp so as to take full advantage of the facilities on offer and to enjoy other members company to the fullest.
We do organise travel to some games, but this is usually just for cup ties, play-off games, etc. However, when we do arrange a trip…we go to town! The cost usually includes not only the coach, but a pre-arranged meal in a suitable pub (real ale and decent food) at lunch time and a second meal somewhere else on the way home. When we go to this trouble, there’s always a good response from the members and the coach is usually full.
At the instigation of Lyn Lockley we also have a very successful social, where approx 60 or so members jump on a train for a pleasant pub crawl and social evening together. Train tickets paid by club funds – but not the beer!
To find us at Molineux, come along to the Great Western in Sun Street before any home game. Most of us are to be found in the conservatory in the rear of the pub and if you shout “Who wants a beer?” I’m sure you’ll track us down instantly!
