'It's an embarrassing time to be a Wolves fan'

Fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers have admitted it's an "embarrassing time" to support the club but say the resignation of their executive chairman is "positive" news.

Kieran Newey, founder of Wolves fan group Old Gold Pack, said Jeff Shi stepping down on Friday was "important" as it showed fans' voices were being heard.

Mr Newey made the comments before Wolves' 0-2 defeat at home to Brentford on Saturday, leaving the club on just two points out of a possible 51 and rock bottom of the Premier League.

Ahead of the loss, fans continued protests against owners Fosun International, with Mr Newey saying although he "respected" those fans against the protests, he said "let us do it for you".

He said: "I completely respect that some people won't agree with protesting and they want to back the club and the team.

"We want to back the team, I love Wolverhampton Wanderers and I've been coming here since I was three or four years old.

"The most important thing is making sure Wolverhampton Wanderers perform."

Asked about the departure of Shi, the Wolves fan group founder said: "There's a lot more questions to be asked.

"If they're just going to replace Jeff Shi with another Fosun employee that doesn't necessarily know a lot about football, then we're just going to find ourselves back in the position that we've been in."

Mr Newey also called for more strenuous tests carried out by the FA and the Premier League before an individual or a consortium was able to purchase a club, including having a "basic understanding of football" to do so.

In a statement released on Friday, Shi said: "I took the keys to this chair with humility.

"Today, I step aside with a heart full of gratitude. It has been an honour and a privilege to work alongside our leadership team, players, coaches, staff and – above all – our fans.

"Together, we have transformed the club into a global force, battling at the highest level."

Shi has been replaced for an interim period by Nathan Shi - no relation to the former executive chairman - who has been working for owners Fosun since 2016.

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