Wolves Video Of The Day – Cardiff Shall Always Remain In Our Hearts

By: Toby | March 31st, 2009

Little bit of housekeeping first, as Wolves have signed a club record Shirt sponsorship deal with Sportingbet.com which is the clubs’ biggest ever shirt deal, one which runs into seven figures. I’m highly impressed, as we know the dramas that a certain Sandwell club went through over the summer trying to find a shirt sponsor for their shirts, so it’s a relief that we’ve got ours sorted now, regardless of what league we’ll be in next year, sportingbet.com will be paying handsomely for the privilege. It also means a new shirt as of June. How exciting…

Right then, to the video of the day. Yesterday we had one for the purists, the dedicated followers. Now today, we have one for the younger…ish generation. The play-off final. What an amazing game that was. For me, that game is all about Matt Murray. It would be the play off final where, perhaps, he played his greatest game in a Wolves jersey. That day he was simply magnificent. When everybody in the stadium thought Paul Ince had deflected his defensive header into his own net Murray reached out one of his strong shovel like palms and pushed it to safety. Likewise, at the start of the second half, another key moment in the game came when United were gifted a penalty. Murray was presented with Michael Brown staring at him from the penalty spot. What happened next is a Wolves memory I’ll never forget. Having not been able to get tickets me and me da were watching the game round our neighbours’. I remember my dad saying, “why the hell is he standing so far over?” I remember replying “He knows what he’s doing”…secretly hoping he actually did.

As you can see from the video, he does indeed stand to his right of centre of his line. Stops. Raises his huge arms to their limit till they touch the crossbar and then jumps on the spot expectantly. He’s psyching Brown out. He’s telling him to try and shoot into the empty net. As Brown hits the ball, if you pause, Murray has already moved back into the centre of his goal, within a split second he’s dived across the open goal to claw out Brown’s shot, he gets up, and he smothers the follow up. The Millennium Stadium erupts; as does my next door neighbours house. It’s a memory that still gives me shivers.

What a day, what a day indeed.

Full highlights of the game below, a day which went down in history for Wolves, I remember watching the lads bring the Cup home on an open top bus through the streets of Wolverhampton outside Molineux, the streets awash with gold, the sense of pride and passion that filled my heart and validated the love and support I’d given a team since I could remember. Singing the songs of victory, walking all the way home with a lightness in my heart.

That’s what football is all about.