Real stories

Helping Wolves fans affected by dementia to know they still belong

When Alison Littleford first considered attending a dementia support group with her husband at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, she felt hesitant.

Alison had been Frank’s main carer since his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in 2020. She was unsure the weekly group would help either of them, and worried the atmosphere might be depressing or gloomy.

However, once they started attending Molineux Memories – named after club’s stadium – she found it to be a lifeline. It led to a new group of friends and wider support network, as well as being an entertaining diversion.

‘We have something to look forward to every week,’ she says. ‘I know that, when we go there, we’re going to have a catch-up with friends and I am going to see the very supportive staff there.

I have made a lot of new friends and, while I don’t want our life to just be centred around dementia, it is great to be in a situation where we’re with people who just understand and get it.

‘They understand if someone with dementia behaves in a certain way or says certain things. It is just accepted, and that means we can just relax knowing that everyone there understands.’

Weekly activities

Molineux Memories is run by the Wolves Foundation, the charitable arm of Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves). It’s proven so popular with supporters like Frank – a lifelong fan and former season ticket holder – that it now holds two weekly sessions, each for around 30 people.

The foundation also organises activities such as football-based quizzes, visits to the club’s museum and talks with previous Wolves footballers via the Former Players Association.

Jasmin Patel, Senior Health Officer at the foundation, helps to run the weekly groups.

‘We try and tailor the sessions as much as possible to what the group say they’re interested in,’ she says, ‘as well as organising the activities around certain events.

‘So, for St George’s Day we will talk about the England team and previous England players and tournaments.

‘While it started as a group of supporters, it has expanded to include people with dementia in the wider Wolverhampton community – including fans of other football clubs like Aston Villa.

‘It might be the one time in a week that people go out together as a couple, or as father and son or father and daughter, and you really notice the impact it can have.

‘For example, when we have the music activities, it might be the first time the person with dementia has smiled in a long time.’

Match days

Molineux Memories attendees also sometimes see the Wolves Men’s or Women’s teams play. The club has made significant efforts to make matches accessible to fans affected by dementia, tailoring the experience to their needs.

This is partly down to the efforts of the late Wolves fan Cath Owen, who had dementia and continued attending the club’s games into her mid-90s. Cath worked closely with club staff to make the match day experience more dementia friendly.

Laura Wright, Disability Access Officer for Wolves FC, explains Cath’s legacy.

We recognise that dementia can affect different people very differently, but Cath really helped lay down the path for how we accommodate people.

‘Based on her feedback, we make sure they have the same seats every time. We put stickers on the seats so they can easily identify and find their way back to them. We give them the option of choosing their half-time food and drink in advance, so they don’t have to deal with the queues and crowds.

‘We have also developed a pack for carers with maps and directions to the main facilities, as well as making sure the stewards are aware of people with dementia, their carers and where they’re sitting.

‘It’s about taking a person-centred approach to our supporters with dementia.’

Something greater

Alison believes football clubs can play a vital role in reaching out to the growing number of people affected by dementia.

‘Football clubs are so central to the towns and cities where they’re based, and they have such a loyal base of supporters.

‘They can help give people with dementia a focus and make them feel like they still have something to contribute to their community.

It makes them feel like part of something greater, which is really important when they can often feel like they don’t have very much to offer.