Wolves relegation 'may cut city spending by 20%'

Next season Wolves will be playing in the Championship for the first time since 2018 [Action Images/Reuters] Business leaders have predicted Wolves relegation from the Premier League could cut spending in the city by a fifth. West Ham's draw at Crystal Palace on Monday confirmed the club's eight‑year stay in the league was over . While it came as a devastating blow to fans, local shops, pubs and taxis might begin to feel the pinch from a lack of global attention, Professor John Bryson, of Birmingham Business School, warned.

"I would assume there could be a 20% reduction in the spend that the city has seen from matches. It all depends on what happens with visitor numbers travelling from a distance," he told BBC Radio WM. "For a city like Wolverhampton, its global reputation is partly linked to the success of football teams that are doing well, so if you're in the Premier League that really matters.

"If you drop out, there's no way you can spin this as a good news story. " Wolves' relegation "cannot be spun as a good news story", Bryson said [PA Media] Nuno Espirito Santo took Wolves to promotion in 2018 , as well as two successive seventh‑place finishes, a Europa League quarter‑final and an FA Cup semi‑final. He left after finishing 13th and, despite a 10th‑place finish under Bruno Lage in 2022, Wolves have slowly slipped further down the table each season - to 13th, 14th and then 16th last season.

Despite this, some hope remains for the city, and newcomers to the hospitality and nightlife scene have been highlighted for bringing visitors in on non‑match days. Sarah Moorhouse said a boost in the city's leisure scene would still attract visitors to the city [Black Country Chamber of Commerce] "It's a real shame that Wolves have gone down, but there are things to be cheerful about in the Black Country," said Sarah Moorhouse, chief executive of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce. "There have been some exciting new additions in the city centre – you've got P.