Wolves pub The Feathers ends up in hands of Wolverhampton University

The University of Wolverhampton said it will turn the building in Molineux Street into student facilities but as of yet it has not outlined the exact details.

The Feathers joins neighbouring The Wanderer in closing and could be joined by the old Goal Post pub should plans for it to be turned into a petrol station get approval.

If the Goal Post, now called Lounge 107, meets a day with the bulldozer, it will signal the end of any pubs immediately next to Molineux.

University vice-chancellor, Prof Geoff Layer said: "The Feathers is in a strategic position for the university, as it is close to many of our student facilities on City Campus. It is near the School of Creative Arts and Design and our health and wellbeing teaching facilities, as well as the site of our new £18 million business school building. This will allow us to be more innovative with our multi-million pound campus developments.

"The purchase of the George – formerly the Varsity – which is now home to our gateway information services, has been a huge success and we wanted to capitalise on the opportunity to further enhance the student experience."

News of The Feathers' purchase brings to an end speculation circulating over its future in the last few weeks.

In October 2013, it was taken over by Lisa Townley-Parkes, the daughter-in-law of Wolves goalkeeping legend Phil Parkes.

Mrs Townley-Parkes was joined by her father-in-law and his former Wolves teammates Mel Eves, Terry Wharton and ex-Coventry City star Dave Bennett at the launch.

But more than a year on and a poster promoting the university is now plastered on the front of The Feathers as work progresses on the six-storey business school next door. Once finished, it will include learning spaces, an IT suite, consulting rooms and a central social space and a café.

Councillor Zahid Shah, who represents St Peter's ward where the pub is, said: "It's sad The Feathers will be no more but it's the reality of the economic climate. I'm a Wolves fan myself and I know what it meant to the supporters but I think it needed to be busier when there wasn't a game being played. Supermarkets selling cheap alcohol don't help the pub industry and I think The Feathers is another victim of that.

"The plus side is that it's being developed by the university and I will be interested to see what will be made of it."

Last month, the demolition of The Wanderer, opposite The Feathers, was given the go-ahead by Wolverhampton City Council.

More than 2,000 people signed an online petition to save the pub which had been bought by Wolves and will eventually be knocked down to create additional match day parking.

The landmark building had been empty since 2013 and there had been hope it would remain as a pub. But despite pleas to save it Wolves announced it was to be flattened to create extra car parking.

Wolves had carried out a similar project on the site of the former Carillion offices on Waterloo Road which created around 140 car parking spaces. Asda's bid to turn Lounge 107 into a petrol station is still to be decided. Also a favourite pub among Wanderers' fans, the supermarket wants the station to work alongside its existing store in Jack Hayward Way.

The pub's manager, Mohammed Waris, who runs the business with his brother Raja Khan, said last month: "Punch Taverns, who we lease the building from, are saying Asda had approached them about buying the pub and that this planning application had gone in."

When news of The Goal Post broke, Ian Stringer, chairman of the Wolverhampton branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, said he would be taking the matter up with the branch's conservation officer.

"It's a crying shame, it's a thriving business," he said. "It always does very well. I just can't understand the minds of these big supermarkets, surely they can find somewhere else for a petrol station?"

He said Asda previously had a petrol station on its existing site but closed it.

Councillor John Rowley, who is also a member of the Campaign for Real Ale, said he was concerned about the loss of pubs across the city.

"The loss of well-used community pubs is something very much to be regretted," he said.

"I'm not one of those people who says we should save every pub, but there is no question some very well-used community pubs have been demolished or turned into supermarkets.

"Pubs that still perform a valuable community function should be defended."