Wolves under-19s have completed seven days of their 11-night post-season tournament trip to Mumbai.
Wolves under-19s have completed seven days of their 11-night post-season tournament trip to Mumbai.
Throughout that time, there has been action aplenty on the field of play, while several other activities off-field and in between training sessions have immersed the players and staff right into the culture of India.
Wolves.co.uk has rounded up a day-by-day diary of the tour so far.
Wednesday 17th May | Matchday One | Scoring four past Everton
The Old Gold faced their first test in the Next Generation Cup as Premier League rivals Everton were the opponents little over 24 hours after landing in Asia.
However, Wolves made light work of the task in hand at Reliance Corporate Park and were comfortable victors.
Nathan Fraser opened the scoring after just five minutes, before Alfie Pond’s header, Fraser’s second of the game and Ty Barnett’s fine strike ensured a four-goal win.
Thursday 18th May | Gully Boy screening
The first cultural activity of the trip took place on Thursday evening, as the Premier League arranged for a special live screening of Bollywood movie, Gully Boy, to be shown.
Wolves joined forces with West Ham, Everton and Stellenbosch as all four clubs watched the film at the hotel.
Released in 2019, Gully Boy is a coming-of-age story about aspiring street rapper Murah Ahmed, from the Dharavi slums of Mumbai.
Our under-19s came together with @EvertonAcademy, @WestHam and @StellenboschFC to watch a special screening of Gully Boy yesterday evening 🎬
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) May 19, 2023
The Bollywood movie is set in the Dharavi slums of Mumbai, of which the players were given a tour of earlier today.
🍿🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/cG3yIxdfGG
Friday 19th May | Dharavi slums tour
After watching the live screening of Gully Boy, the players and staff were able to see first-hand how people work and live in the Dharavi slums on a day-to-day basis.
The team travelled to Dharavi for a one-hour tour and were humbled by what they saw.
Dharavi has a population of around one million people and with an area covering just under 2.4 square kilometres, is considered one of the most densely populated places in the world.
The squad were given their first glimpse at a make-shift cricket pitch, comprising of three plastic bottles as stumps. And the temptation was too hard to resist for some, as players and staff took control of the bat and faced a few bowls from the locals.
Saturday 20th May | Matchday Two | Facing Indian opposition for the first time
Saturday was once again matchday for the squad and this time, Indian opponents were in the way of James Collins’ side.
Reliance Foundation Young Champs gave Wolves a run for their money, but two early goals from Aaron Keto-Diyawa and Fraser meant the uphill task was too much for the Indian side.
Keto-Diyawa scored after just 27 seconds, as his cross somehow found its way into the net before Fraser scored his third goal of the tournament with a powerful header.
The game kicked off at 4pm Indian time, meaning the players were tested in peak conditions on an afternoon which reached highs of over 37 degrees.
Saturday 20th May | Live screening with Mumbai Wolves
After securing back-to-back victories, the squad returned to the hotel for a live screening of the first-team fixture alongside Mumbai Wolves.
The Next Generation Cup has proved the ideal opportunity to interact with the supporters club, who have had fans in attendance at every game.
The under-19s sat back for a relaxing time in front of the big screen, which saw Wolves draw 1-1 with Everton at Molineux.
🤝🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/5oo8DAsTAZ
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) May 21, 2023
Throughout the evening, the players were able to thank Mumbai Wolves for their backing and hand out a selection of gifts.
Stan Amos, Owen Farmer and Fraser each gave three supporters a shirt, while Mumbai Wolves chairman, Nael Khan, received a signed shirt off Collins and Sean Parrish.
Sunday 21st May | IPL cricket at the home of Mumbai Indians
There was no rest for the wicked on Sunday as all players and staff embarked on a visit to the Wankhede Stadium, home of Indian Premier League cricket side Mumbai Indians.
The IPL is the most popular cricket league in the world and for most, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Watching live cricket in India and backing @mipaltan 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IbRVx42fWD
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) May 21, 2023
Sunrisers Hyderabad were the opposition in a game where the home side needed to win to ensure a place in the play-offs.
The target was 201 after Sunrisers made 200-5 in their innings and the Mumbai Indians came up trumps, with Cameron Green hitting a century from 47 balls to help steer Mumbai to 201-2 and victory.
It proved a fine afternoon of entertainment, thoroughly enjoyed by all those in attendance from Wolves alongside a packed-out crowd.
Monday 22nd May | Fraser and Farmer explore Mumbai
After completing their matchday -1 training session ahead of Tuesday’s final group game against Sudeva Delhi, there was some downtime on Monday afternoon which presented an opportunity to explore.
With the team hotel based in Navi Mumbai, the sights of the city of Mumbai were slightly further afield. However, a 50-minute drive is all it takes to get to the most famous lankmark in Mumbai – the Gateway of India.
Nathan Fraser and Owen Farmer explore the sights in the city of Mumbai.
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) May 23, 2023
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Alongside five members of staff keen to do some exploring, attackers Fraser and Farmer became tourists for the afternoon and weren’t disappointed.
The first port of call was the famous gateway – a perfect spot for a photo opportunity, of both the gateway and the Wolves players and staff, who were mobbed for selfies.
The group spent several hours touring the city and seeing what it had to offer, before closing the excursion with a curry for dinner.
Tuesday 23rd May | Matchday Three | Sealing a place in the final
With the group now one week into their Indian adventure, it was time for the third and final group matchday.
Wolves knew a point would ensure they topped the group and progressed into the final against South Africans, Stellenbosch.
In the end, the players rounded off Group B in style as goals from Fraser, Dylan Scicluna, Harvey Griffiths and Barnett completed a comfortable 4-0 win.
10 goals, three clean sheets and nine points from nine has left the Old Gold in high spirits ahead of Friday’s finale.
