It is hard to believe that twenty years have passed since the incredible events of Monday 26th May at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
The outcome is well-known, a 3-0 win for Wolves over Neil Warnock’s Sheffield United with first-half goals from Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller.
We also readily recall Warnock being sent to the stand, Matt Murray saving Michael Brown’s penalty after the break, and Sir Jack smiling on the big screen as Dave Jones found redemption from his well-publicised troubles.
But this article is not a rehash of match day facts, it is about a great day out for a group of fans from the Black Country.
Along with my daughter Emily, her partner Matt and my son Tom, I travelled down on one of the Daventry Dun Cow Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club Supporters Club (DDCWWFCSC) coaches, run by Chris Cox. A copy of Coxy’s orders for the day is in the gallery below!
We were picked up on Stourbridge Ring Road at 7.45am. Tom is pictured with ‘promotion pig’ that was passed around the bus, and he also had his lucky Wolves bear, Steve, knitted by his nan. Richard Chell was also on the bus, along with other friends Clive, Julia and Liam Roseblade.
Having crossed the Severn into Wales, our first stop, at around ten o’clock, was Tutshill near Chepstow and the Cross Keys pub, where a breakfast was eaten, drink was consumed and pool played. It was then a relatively short journey to Newport where we took the 12.20 or 12.50 train (I can’t recall which) to Cardiff.
The capital city was already bouncing with expectant fans, but after so many near misses those of us following the gold and black were far from confident of success.
Outside the ground we took photographs to mark the occasion. We also met up with Gerry, Thelma, Laura and Matt Collins, with whom Emily would be sitting, to the right-hand side of the goal that Wolves defended in the first half. Matt sat above them, and Tom, Richard and I were sitting opposite the tunnel.
