Wolves fans on tour in Ireland: Day One

As with everything Wolves-related, there have already been moans, groans, laughter and smiles - and that's before a ball was even kicked.

From now until Thursday, I'll be following the Wolves pre-season tour, chatting to the fans who made the trip to watch their beloved team, as well as some local Irish fans.

So far, things could have gone better. Our flight was delayed and there was no Old Gold in sight as I slumped on a incredibly hard chair in the departure lounge.

Just two hours after we should have been preparing to get on the plane, all the Wolves fans suddenly came out of the woodwork (or maybe the pub) and around 50 or 60 got on my flight.

They all seem to know each other from previous trips, with the classic "ow am ya" phrase being muttered several times in the queue. We may be about to fly to Ireland, but I couldn't feel more at home.

But the trip to our hotel with a typically jovial Irish driver cheered us all up, and now everyone is looking forward to "the craic" tonight.

I've already met a man who has been supporting Wolves for 50 years, and another who wants to watch Wolves at every league ground in the country, and has just 11 left.

Across the four-day trip and beyond, I'll be sharing their stories of glory, heartache, fun and unwavering loyalty for the Molineux men.

It starts tonight at Tallaght Stadium where Kenny Jackett's men will take on Shamrock Rovers, and I'll be flying the Black Country flag and cheering them on alongside hundreds of fans.

Tomorrow, we're off to meet the players and the gaffer at Gannon Park, home of Malahide United, after watching them train. If the fans enjoyed going to some different grounds last season, they're going to love this.

After passing some of my expert tactics from Football Manager on to Jackett (Wolves Champion League winners 2021 if you're reading, Steve), I'll be chatting to the fans about their love for the club - and their expectations for next season.

My tactics will surely be put into play when the team test themselves against Bohemians on Wednesday, and again, me and the travelling fans will be there to watch all the action, before heading home on Thursday.

On my travels I'll be taking pictures and videos, which will be tweeted from @JPritchard_Star or uploaded here, and while I'll be following around the fans, Tim Nash (@TNash_Star) is the man for all things team related.

But for now, there's about 100-odd fans heading to Tallaght in search of aforementioned "craic", so I guess I'd better follow...