FA Cup: Wolves fans bask in glory as Steve Bull hails 'electric' away support
Buoyant Wolves fans were today basking in the glory of one of their greatest days out in recent history.
Saturday's sensational FA Cup victory over Liverpool has left all around Molineux eagerly awaiting tonight's fifth-round draw – as it emerged they have pocketed a cool £157,500 in prize money for getting this far in the competition.
They received £67,500 for their third-round win against Midlands rivals Stoke earlier this month and £90,000 for beating the Reds – with the prospect of welcoming either Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal to Molineux a huge possibility in the last 16 of the competition.
On top of the prize money, they will have pocketed an estimated £650,000 in gate receipts from the Anfield clash. Around 52,000 tickets were sold by both sides combined and the money is split 50/50 in the FA Cup.
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Wolves will also have received a fee from BT Sport for the game to be screened live on television.
And to add to the feelgood factor, Wolves are poised to complete the £13 million club record signing of Helder Costa today.
Express & Star Wolves columnist John Lalley said: "We haven't experienced too many special days like this in recent years.
"To win so deservedly and so comprehensively on the celebrated home ground of Premier League aristocracy is an exceptional achievement."
More than 8,000 Wolves fans made the trip to Anfield as Paul Lambert's side stunned the Premier League high-flyers.
Despite Wolves' new-found financial clout, this was a side that contains the multi-multi-million pound talent of the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.
Muriel Bates, who helps run the Wolves Official Supporters' Club with her husband Albert, said their win was the topic on everyone's lips on Saturday night.
"There was nothing else being talked about in Wolverhampton," she said. "It was all about the cup and the goals. A lot of Premier League clubs underestimate the teams from the lower leagues.
"They still play the same way that they do in the league, but the FA Cup is different. It is about blood, sweat and tears. I would love to go to Wembley and I just wonder if it is going to be our year. This has definitely brought the magic of the cup back for the Wolves fans."
Punjabi Wolves Supporters committee member Andy Sahota said there was a feelgood factor around Molineux. "We want Manchester United now in the next round – we certainly want another big club and we want it to be away as well," he said.
"We seem to perform a lot better away, both against Stoke and now at Liverpool. A good cup run would be fantastic. It has been a few years now.
"There was a lot of hype at the beginning of the season with the new owners and everything but now it seems unlikely we are even going to make the play-offs, so a cup run would do the fans a lot of good."
Club legend Steve Bull, who was among the travelling supporters for the match, said: "It was thoroughly deserved in the end and we came out worthy winners. The support was absolutely unreal and the atmosphere was electric.
"To see that many people in one stand – if I had been playing and saw that I would have pulled out all the stops and the team did that on Saturday.
"The whole day was fantastic and I absolutely loved it.
"The FA Cup is such a fantastic competition and I don't understand those managers who put out weakened sides.
"You have to beat the lower teams to get to Wembley. That is the goal, to play there in front of a full house. Not many people ever get that.
"This is the furthest we have come in the competition for a long time and that is why supporters are grasping it with both hands.
"Wembley is still a long way off but the support is very much there and will push the team forward."
Supporter Luke Shelley was also among the thousands who headed up the M6.
He said: "I didn't go to the Millennium Stadium when we won the play-off final against Sheffield United in 2003 so for me it was the best day I have had at a Wolves game.
"Being against all odds due to some of the changes we made, going up to Anfield and beating a side managed by Jurgen Klopp and fourth in the Premier League – it does not get better than that."
