Skip to content

FA Cup draw tradition sees lads enjoy 6-1 win

Caroline Gall,West Midlandsand
Ed James,BBC Radio WM
News imageDean Sullivan A group of 10 men are standing in one end of the ground either before or after the game. The ground has some fans in dotted about the stadium. The group have winter coats on, some have bobble hats on, others scarves and gloves. The sun is shining.Dean Sullivan
The friends said they enjoyed the game and enjoyed visiting the city having "a good curry" and craft beers

A group of friends who travel to watch whichever FA Cup third-round match is drawn first, said they might have seen the best one yet after Wolves' dominant 6-1 victory over League Two Shrewsbury.

Dean Sullivan, from Worthing in West Sussex, said the group started their tradition in 2012 as a way of seeing each other after finishing studies and moving away.

Their idea has taken them around the country, including travelling up to Middlesbrough for the first year which was "quite a shock to the system", as well as to Preston, Boreham Wood and Stoke.

Sullivan said the emphatic win was a "great performance" for bottom-of-the- Premier League Wolves, who find out who they meet in the next round later.

"It started with me and a group of three other friends - we were finding after finishing school and studying and stuff we didn't see each other as much as we used to," he said.

"We'd moved away from where all lived together and were sort of spread across the country, and we thought we need to get a day in the calendar where we can make sure we get to see each other.

"We all love football so what a better time than to get together and see something, try and reignite the magic of the Cup a bit."

News imageDean Sullivan The friends stand on the concourse inside the Wolves ground. They have coats and jackets on and some have bobble hats on and are smiling together.Dean Sullivan
The tradition has seen the friends travel all over the country

The group have also been to Watford, Ipswich (twice) Southampton and Leicester, but Wolves' win may just top them all.

"I think Wolves have maybe taken that now - for being the best game so far," he said.

"That was quite a good one.

"We had a 5-2 win for Bolton when we saw them. That was quite a good game, but I think 6-1 was a great performance and a great win."

He said they also enjoyed the craft beer scene in the city later on and "had a good curry".

News imageDean Sullivan The ten friends sit round three sides of a table in a curry house and pose for a picture. Some are holding pints with other drinks on the table along with menus.Dean Sullivan
The friends said they were given good advice from locals about where to go in the city

"It was the first time there - don't think any of the guys had been," Sullivan added.

"It certainly left a good impression for going there again... people were very friendly.

"We've never had any issues where we've been, but certainly Wolves was up there for giving us good advice about where to go, a few pubs, which all turned out to be good - we didn't get sent down any dark alleys or anything."

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links