Stars turn out to salute a lifelong Wolves addict

Widow Rita Haycox – 80 on Wednesday and a supporter of the team watching matches both home and away for 72 years – was given the VIP treatment at Molineux on Saturday.

Such is Rita's love of Wolves that when her son Chris married his wife Sue, Rita insisted on having wedding photos taken outside Molineux.

On Saturday, the season ticket holder was ushered away from her normal seat in the Steve Bull stand and taken to an executive box where she was joined by members of her family to watch the crunch game with Millwall. Then a host of Wolves stars – including Jody Craddock and Steve Bull – popped in to say hello.

After the final whistle Rita chatted about the old times with Baroness Heyhoe Flint who confessed: "I am very jealous of her because she has supported the team for 12 months longer than I have."

They both watched their first games from the old 'cowshed' – Rita standing on a wooden box made by her father and Baroness Heyhoe Flint perched on a building brick.

"We were little girls and that was the only way we could see over the heads of the people in front of us," she explained

Rita, who has lived in Oxley all her life, explained: "I have always like sport and when I was young we lived in Lymer Road by Goodyear and I used to watch their football team play works league matches from my bedroom window. I immediately liked the excitement of the game.

"One day my father said to me 'I will show you a good team' and took me to the Molineux. I was hooked from the word go and they have been the only team for me ever since."

The mother of three with two grand-daughters continued: "I got my late husband Dennis involved but he was not as interested as me. When I was 20 we got a Vespa scooter and used to go to away games on that. But I often went to matches both home and away on my own. I have missed matches over the years but not that many.

1954: Hailed as 'champions of the world' after beating Hungarian aces Honved 3-2

1960: Became first team to pass 100 goals mark three seasons in a row

1974: Win League Cup, a feat that was repeated in 1980

1986: Club legend Steve Bull makes debut

1990: Saviour Sir Jack Hayward takes over

"I have got lots of other interests but Wolves have been a big part of my life. Three years ago I had a life saving operation and the first place I went to when I was able to leave the house on crutches was Molineux. I have seen some great matches over the years."

Her first memorable game was when Liverpool beat Wolves on the last day of the season in 1947, to clinch the title and still recalls the great Liverpool winger Billy Liddell. Then there were the famous first floodlit fixtures with the likes of Spartak Moscow and Honved and the unforgettable clash at the Millennium Stadium in 2003 when they beat Sheffield United 3-0 and winger Mark Kennedy gave her his boots.

But the highlight remains the 1958 youth club final when Wolves were 5-1 down to Chelsea in the first leg but won the return at Molineux 6-1 in the return match. "It was fantastic – Jimmy Greaves was playing for them," she recalled.

Her VIP day at the ground had been secretly arranged by 60-year-old son-in-law Martin Dawkins who admitted: "I was just expecting a thank you along with a piece of cake and cup of tea and was amazed by the trouble the club went to. She celebrated her birthday in style."

Rita concluded: "It was a fantastic day. When I wake up tomorrow I will think that today was just a dream."