Wolves fans hit fundraising target to fly banner over The Hawthorns
Wolves fans are planning to celebrate promotion and the demise of bitter rivals West Brom – by paying for a pilot to fly a banner over The Hawthorns.
The Crowdfunder campaign, called ‘Repaying a little gesture to West Bromwich Albion’, was launched this week and has now passed its £980 target.
Dozens of fans had backed the campaign by Thursday morning, taking the total amount raised above £1,000.
It is not yet known what would be printed on the banner.
With Wolves at the top of the Championship and Albion rock bottom of the Premier League – the man behind the campaign said he hoped the bold move would ‘heap more pain’ on rival fans.
A statement on the Crowdfunder reads: “A few years back in 2012 our team Wolverhampton Wanderers were having an awful Saturday, losing at home, staring relegation in the face and having been absolutely thrashed at home a few weeks before by our neighbouring rivals West Bromwich Albion.
“On that day I recall looking to the heavens to ask the good lord for a miracle and what should I see?
“A light aircraft trailing a banner that had been chartered by those Baggies rubbing our noses in it.
“Well it’s been a long time coming but it looks like the tables have finally turned.
“Wolves are looking fantastic and Albion look doomed.
"Let's take this rare opportunity to heap more pain on their misery and repay the gesture.”
The campaign, launched by fan Matt Baugh, has been backed by 76 fans – with comments on the Crowdfunder page praising the idea.
Among them is Russell Green, who said: “We have waited a long time for a chance to gloat over our neighbours down the road. So hope this gets enough support.”
Fan Andy Koszary said: “A small price to pay for revenge for these six years of hurt.”
However, it has faced a backlash from some fans.
Wolves Supporters Club chairman Albert Bates said: "My wife Muriel and I go back to when we were in the fourth division and all the problems with the Bhatti brothers.
"For genuine football fans and people who care about this game, it is hurtful what's going on there.
"The genuine fans are going to be hurting, I find it sad that they're going down. If you're talking about the sports aspect, we want the Midlands clubs to stay up. We don't want them going down.
"We're talking fans who care very much about their club. They care in a footballing sense of the sport and what's happening to it. I wouldn't put a penny towards anything that would cause any hurt."
