Kelvin on the ball at Molineux

Since he was a boy, Kelvin Brittain has sat in the stands at Molineux watching his favourite team and wishing he could join them on the pitch.

And the 56-year-old's lifelong dream came true recently when he walked out onto the Wolverhampton Wanderers turf for the game of his life – as a referee assistant.

Kelvin, from Collingwood Road, Bushbury, has been a football referee for 26 years and works for amateur football leagues including the Bilston Youth and Partnership League and Midland Junior Premier League. Last week, he was refereeing in the Ted Baker Cup final at Molineux for the Wolverhampton and District Football Combination league.

"That game really was the icing on the cake as I have been a lifelong Wolves fan," says Kelvin, who is married to Lynne and has two children, David, 26 and Katy, 19. Before the match I was excited and nervous, but I kept thinking that it has been my dream to be down on the pitch for once, rather than up in the stands."

Kelvin, an Express & Star security guard, grew up in Heath Town and says he started out playing football in the street before joined a league after leaving Deansfield High School.

"Like most youngsters I dreamed of being a footballer for Wolves," he says. "I'd loved playing football at school and I remember we used to get a coach with our teacher to Dunstall Park to play there."