Peter Karlsson: Keep Wolves in their Monmore home
Wolverhampton speedway great Peter Karlsson called on the owners of Monmore Green to ‘find another way’ to help keep the club at its home.
Betting giant Entain Group sparked fury this week when it announced it would not be renewing Wolves’ tenancy agreement beyond the end of this year.
It means the club is set to be homeless after nearly a century of racing at the venue.
And Monmore legend Karlsson, Wolves all-time record appearance holder and points scorer called on the gambling giant to find a away to keep speedway at Monmore Green, which has been the club’s home since 1928.
The 53-year-old Swede, who rode in an incredible 584 meetings for Wolves between 1990 and 2016, told of his shock at the bombshell news.
“I don’t think anyone could see it happening,” he said.
“I don’t know how definite the decision is, if it is possible to change. Hopefully it is.
“I feel sorry for the fans, mostly. They are there on a weekly basis and it means a lot to people.
“Decisions are there to change. Hopefully they (Entain) find it can be done another way.”
Karlsson feels the threat hanging over Wolves is bad for the sport as a whole, which has seen the likes of Cradley Heath and Coventry lose their homes and Peterborough currently experiencing a similar situation.
“I was at Monmore for Sam Masters’ testimonial recently and Monmore definitely feels like my second home,” added Karlsson. “At one stage in my career, I felt like I owned the place! It means a lot to me.
“But for the supporters, it means even more. As riders, it is our job.
“Wolverhampton have a big following and hopefully it can stay. It’s not good for the sport as a whole.
“The speedway is part of Wolverhampton. I won the league four times there and it does mean a lot.
“But for supporters, it is a huge loss. It isn’t a nice feeling for a lot of people.
“It is a hard decision to understand. Speedway does not take a lot of the stadium’s time and is not all year round.
“Hopefully, they can change their mind. You have to stay positive.”
More than 11,000 people have already signed an online petition, backed by the Express & Star, aimed at persuading Entain to change the decision.
