It was back in 2007, in this very competition, and in this very round of the cup, when West Brom left their very own calling card on Wolverhampton Wanderers’ South Bank. Having been mocked by their rivals that their kit resembled that of a Tesco carrier bag, Albion fans back then used the opportunity to travel to Molineux in big numbers and leave hundreds draped over the old gold seats in the end behind one of the goals.
It was a picture which became famous, at a time when Albion were enjoying beating their West Midlands rivals on a regular basis – four times that year they came out triumphant out of five meetings, and two of those wins were on Wolves’ own patch. Fast forward to the present day, and the status of both clubs has changed somewhat – well, certainly for those in old gold.
Under Gary O’Neil, they’ve undergone quite a transformation in personnel but have continued to remain highly competitive in the top flight. For the first time in years, they headed to The Hawthorns as outright favourites to claim victory. As such, their army of four thousand travelling fans saw it as an opportunity to return the favour from 17 years ago. While they wear old gold, the orange Sainsbury’s carrier bags would have to do.
Having seen Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha net in either half – before the violent and ugly scenes which interrupted the game for almost half an hour – Wolves supporters claimed the bragging rights for the first time since 2011 when they beat the Baggies at Molineux under Mick McCarthy, as they struggled towards survival. Hundreds of Sainsbury’s bags were accompanied by stickers, which were applied to a number of seats in the Smethwick End. Seventeen years on, Wolves inflicted their own carrier bag revenge.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
