Crusaders earn respect of Premier League side Wolves

The famous ‘old gold’ shirts of Wolverhampton Wanderers brought a splash of colour to Belfast today, as fans of the Premier League outfit enjoyed the warmest of welcomes a week on from their first European match in almost four decades.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Aug 2019, 18:50 BST
Workers behind the scenes at Crusaders FC home ground Seaview (from left) John Flack, Gillian Hardy and David ArthursWorkers behind the scenes at Crusaders FC home ground Seaview (from left) John Flack, Gillian Hardy and David Arthurs
Workers behind the scenes at Crusaders FC home ground Seaview (from left) John Flack, Gillian Hardy and David Arthurs

Many friendships were forged when Crusaders travelled to the Midlands last Thursday for the first leg tie of the Europa League qualifying round which they lost 2-0.

In Belfast today, Crues fans hosted the English visitors as they made the most of their short trip across the Irish Sea.

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It might not be the most glamorous city the Wolves supporters will see on what is surely the first of many more European ventures, but the experience will live long in the memory.

Workers behind the scenes at Seaview where Crusaders are taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier LeagueWorkers behind the scenes at Seaview where Crusaders are taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League
Workers behind the scenes at Seaview where Crusaders are taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League

And despite the huge gap in status, a mutual respect has also been established between the management and backroom staff of both clubs.

Crusaders general manager Bernard Thompson said the respect shown to Crusaders by Wolves has been “unreal,” and believes the benefits of the tie will last long after the final whistle.

“Thankfully we have top-class facilities on site, and we have the staff and volunteers here who are able to put on an event for playing a team of this magnitude.

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“Around 2,000 fans are coming from Wolverhampton but only 541 have tickets for the game officially for the away section, with others availing of the corporate hospitality, so there are still well over 1,300 people without tickets who have travelled over just to be part of it.

“It’s a cheap flight and Belfast is buzzing. There’s a real buzz around the bars with a lot of Wolverhampton fans enjoying themselves. Everyone is coming here to enjoy the day.”

A heroic performance at Molineux saw Crusaders trailing a very respectable 1-0 until almost the last kick of the game when the home side stretched their lead.

Mr Thompson said the preparations were the same as any other European fixture, but the thrill of taking on the team that finished seventh in the English top flight – just one place behind Manchester United – is something special.

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“The only difference in terms of the organisation for this game is the magnitude of it, but with Wolves coming it is a sell-out stadium. It’s not every day you get a Premier League team coming to play at your ground, with the calibre of players that they have, so it’s a big operation,” he said.

“The club shop has been really busy with Wolverhampton fans this morning, and yesterday morning when I arrived there were a number of fans waiting to buy some souvenirs of their trip.

“This is what European football is all about.”

Mr Thompson said it was a welcome endorsement of Crusaders’ professionalism that the Premier League side was availing of the host club’s facilities.

“Normally in European matches the away team leaves after the game and usually eats back at the hotel, but Wolverhampton Wanderers are getting fed here at Seaview afterwards.

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“They are coming to our corporate facilities and we are going to feed them here, which is amazing for us, that they believe our staff and our professionalism can live up to the standards they are used to week in week out,” he added.

Related topics:WolvesPremier LeagueBelfastEuropa League