Wolves chairman Jeff Shi say sit is a time of "great adversity"

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has warned football fans not to "underestimate" coronavirus.

Shi said he had been in contact with friends, family and colleagues in China since the pandemic began in Wuhan.

He said it "has afforded me an acute awareness of the virus' threat and impact".

"I appeal to our supporters to follow our lead, and to stay as safe as possible during what will no doubt be a very testing time," Shi said.

Shi also said Wolves had shut down Molineux stadium as well as the club shop, ticket office and the Wolves foundation, the club's official charity.

The club made the move after it was announced on Friday that the Premier League was suspended until 3 April.

More than 132,500 people have now been diagnosed with coronavirus in 123 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It says Europe is now the epicentre for the virus, which originated in China.

""Please don't underestimate the threat of this virus, to you or those around you, and employ best practice to limit the spread, including good hygiene and proper social distancing, which are both key," Shi said in a note to supporters external-link .

"I write this note at a time of great adversity, not just for football, or for the country my family and I are honoured to now call our home, but for the population of the entire world that we share.

He added all staff who had been sent home "continue to be paid for the duration of the club's closure and this period of uncertainty".

"Please stay safe and don't take any risks," he added. "Look after yourselves and look after each other. We will get through this."