Several of the larger Midlands sides have scrapped their reserve sides for the coming season, opting to use the flourishing season-long loan market to blood younger players.
Wolves confirmed this afternoon their intention to cease their reserve side, joining Coventry and Leicester in pulling out of the Pontins reserve league, while Derby and Birmingham will not enter the league after losing their participation in the Premier reserves league.
Mick McCarthy told the Wolves official site: "As we will have at least 13 midweek fixtures throughout next season, we can pick and choose when to play reserve friendlies rather than being committed to fulfilling reserve League fixtures. The system seemed to work well the season before last so we decided to go back to it. And it also gives us more chance of getting our young professionals out on loan to gain experience."
The Bulls faced several sides in behind-closed-doors friendlies last season while Wolves loaned a string of players out over the period, including two to the Bulls, while the season before saw the first competitive involvement of goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey - now valued in the £5million range.
The loss of more reserve sides will only increase the number of younger players available on loan to the likes of the Bulls. Last season seven different sides loaned players to the Bulls with two of those dropping their reserve sides during the summer while dozens of other clubs have admitted they will cut their own playing staff in favour of utilizing the loan market this time round.