Emotional night as Wolves reach Wembley for FA Cup semi-final
It was an emotional night as Wolves fans watched their heroes knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup and reach Wembley.
The Wanderers beat United 2-1 under the floodlights of Molineux on Saturday – in what proved to be a historic game.
The victory has been touted as the biggest one achieved under the revolution led by Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Chinese owners Fosun.
Wolves will now face Watford at Wembley on April 6 or 7.
For Wolves fans, it meant so much. Some were left speechless while others were reduced to tears. Wolves are now one game away from the final. This is their first FA Cup semi-final for two decades, and the old gold and black support for that stage promises to be huge.
Some fans were referencing the club’s famous motto ‘Out Of Darkness Cometh Light’ after the victory at the weekend.
They’ve endured dreary times over recent decades but are now looking to more golden times ahead with Nuno and Fosun, after winning promotion to the Premier League last season.
Before kick-off, there was a real buzz around Wolverhampton as the club and city welcomed the might of The Red Devils.
Thousands of supporters strode to Molineux in full voice and belted out popular songs such as ‘Nuno Had A Dream’. At the golden palace, more than 31,000 fans packed inside.
Richard Perkins, aged 40, who runs Tatter Travels, said: “This was the biggest night at Molineux since I can remember.
“It was an emotional night and when the final whistle went, there was a few tears.
“I believe we have got a chance of winning the FA Cup but I hope we don’t get Manchester City in the next round.”
Richard wants to put on a record 12 coaches to Wembley.
Meanwhile, the bars and pubs around the city were rammed with supporters who were crammed around television screens to watch the action. At the Hogshead, beer went flying everywhere when Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota scored, which was followed by a chorus of football songs.
Among those watching was Jonny Greatwith, aged 56, from Wolverhampton, who was leading the chants inside the pub.
Jonny remembers, as a 14-year-old, watching Wolves lose against Manchester United 3-2 in the FA Cup at Molineux. That was back in 1976.
Jonny, who has a tattoo of Wolves’ motto, said: “To beat Manchester United at home is fantastic without a doubt.
“I was down here in 1976 (for the semi-final against Manchester United).
“John Richards scored away. I couldn’t afford to go to the away game but I went to the home match. I was there, aged 14. I was there as a kid, I used to climb over turn-stiles, under the turn-stiles, over the walls. But seriously, this now is something special.
“Wolves are coming back to light, out of darkness. I only have three tattoos on me.
“My kids, my town team, and ‘Out Of Darkness Cometh Light’, because I love my town and that will be our town as well.”
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Before kick-off, Wolves legends Steve Bull MBE and Andy Thompson, alongside commentator Mikey Burrows, greeted fans in pubs and handed out tokens for free beers at Molineux. This was an initiative which proved popular and one brought in at Wolves by Fosun.
“It is fantastic from the club, the way the club is connecting with the fans now, there has been nothing like it before,” said Wolves fan Nigel Vann, 58, from Penn.
“It is absolutely unbelievable, bostin’.
“They said this club would lose its soul when these owners took over – instead it has found it.
“There is a real buzz today, I was awake at 5am this morning.
“I am 58 years old and I’m like a school kid at Christmas.”
Bully, Wolves’ all-time record goalscorer, visited The Royal Oak and Clarendon on Compton Road, Wolverhampton.
The Royal Oak’s manager Terry Cole, 40, said: “It is a great initiative for us. It lights up the club. This pub is booming now, we have never really had much recognition for the fans coming in here. To bring Bully into this pub has made it feel part of the club again.
“The little kids’ faces when they see Bully, it makes people feel special.”
Bully played for Wolves during the last time the club reached the semi-finals, which was in 1998. In that game, the old gold and black lost to Arsenal 1-0.
But Wolves fans believe the club can go all the way this year.
The last time Wolves won the competition was in 1960, during the era of Wolves’ golden years when they were one of the world’s best teams. Scott Hawkins, 45, said: “This is beautiful to win against Manchester United. Watching the game was scary. This victory is next to Christmas Day in terms of being a fan. We are going to Wembley. In 1960 we smashed it.”
His brother Carl, 43, said: “To see the second goal go in, I was elated. If this was Christmas, this would be what I wanted.
“It has been such a long time coming. We are going to Wembley.
“We always have the dream of winning the FA Cup, but at the moment we don’t want to spoil the chance by predicting these things.”
Oliver Butler, 25, from Codsall, said: “We had promotion in 2009, we had promotion last year. It was a huge victory for the club.
“But going to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final is amazing.”
