A Wolverhampton pub with a troubled past, but a bright present as a matchday venue and plans for the future

It can be hard for a pub which has had a troubled past to shake that off and become a place people can trust to enjoy a warm welcome, a cold pint, a hot meal and feel comfortable and safe.

If the public perception of such a pub is one of a place that feels unwelcoming or unsafe or carries a bad reputation, then it can be hard to turn that image on its head and become a place full of good cheer and good beer.

The Leaping Wolf on Waterloo Road in Wolverhampton is a good example of how to turn around a troubled pub, having been saved from oblivion in 2014 and turned into a prime location for Wolves games, being set right opposite Molineux Stadium.

Originally built as a private residence called Kettering Villa, in 1865, it became the Red Roofs Hotel in the 1940s then, after the hotel closed in 1982, it was opened as the Goalpost by Shrewsbury and Wem Ales. 

It was renamed Lounge 107 in 2004, but in 2014, it was threatened with demolition for a petrol station for ASDA opposite. 

However, the planning application was refused and it remained open until July 2018 then, after being closed for six months, it underwent a complete refurbishment costing around £350,000 and reopened at the end of 2018. 

Owned by Punch Pubs, it has been run for the last two years by Nathan Davies and Daniel Williams, with operations manager Daniel saying that when they first came in, they could see the potential for the place because of its proximity to Molineux, but also as a pub outside of matchdays.

He said: "When we were asked by Punch to take over, we came in and could definitely see the potential because it's not just matchdays where this pub is rammed, but there's also conferences at Molineux and people shopping and, also, the students who live down the road.

"When we took over, a lot of people who aren't business partners and don't drink here said that we'd only ever be busy on matchdays, but I think that we can be busy anyway, just so long as we put things on and do things which are interactive.

"What people can expect when they walk in here is friendly service, a clean and warm pub and everything that a pub should be, from good drink to sports on TV."

The pub has a warm feeling on entry and is a place for both drinkers and dog-lovers, with water bowls on the floor for dogs to satisfy their thirst.

In terms of drinks, the pub has a decent selection of regular and premium lagers, including Carling, Cruzcampo, Heineken and Birra Moretti, as well as pub standards such as John Smiths, Fosters and Strongbow.

Mr Williams said the average price of a pint was £2.65, which actually made it one of the cheapest pubs in Wolverhampton to drink in, with a single spirit costing £1.99 and a double £1 extra, plus a range of cocktails and other special drinks to try.

He also said the pub did a good food selection which was based on being simple and which had something for anyone.

He said: "We do food each day until 7pm, with basic and simple things like fish and chips and chicken baskets.

"For me, the food needs to be simple and it needs to be chicken-based because of the community we live in, so it's a very British kitchen and we cater for the tastes of those in the local area."

Mr Williams said the pub was very much home to himself and Nathan, calling the staff and locals family.

He said: "It's got a great environment, it pays us a wage and we put on a great show when we have things like matchdays on, which can be our biggest thing.

"What I love about it is that I've got a degree in IT and I realised that I hated sitting in front of a computer all day, so I much prefer being able to talk to people and have a conversation and in a pub I love."