EXCLUSIVE: Behind the scenes as Wolverhampton Wanderers prepare for TV debut in Women’s FA Cup | OneFootball

Wolves players celebrate a goal against Sporting Khalsa. (Photo: @WolvesWomen)

It’ll be lights, camera, action for Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night as they host Stoke City in the Women’s FA Cup.

The second-round match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports – the first time Wolves Women have been on television.

This is the first season in which the early rounds of the competition have been televised, meaning there are brand-new challenges for clubs and their staff.

And Wolves are the latest to grapple with the exciting task of ensuring they are ready at the SEAH Stadium in Telford for the descent of the TV cameras.

“The prep starts the second you get the call from the FA, essentially, because obviously it’s on telly!” says the club’s women’s and girls’ operation lead Emma Rowley. “It’s a first for Wolves Women to be televised live, which is exceptionally exciting.

“We want it to be a good evening, so there’s lots of different elements and a lot of people working really hard to make sure that everything happens at the right time, everybody’s in the right place, all the added extra bits that we’ll put in place just because of the occasion.”

FA Womens National League – Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Bromwich Albion – Molineux Stadium

Wolverhampton, England, March 23rd 2025: Tammi George (7 Wolverhampton Wanderers) celebrates opening the scoring during the FA Womens National League game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England (Natalie Mincher/SPP)

She adds: “The logistics with getting the camera crew and the production team and the talent in is a job in itself, which would never happen on a normal match day. We’ve had a site visit with quite a few people from TNT Sports and the FA and then the guys that they bring on board to build stuff: we’ve got to build a gantry, they’ve got to put branding all around the the stadium, there’s a lot of those different bits that generally would never happen, but for this special occasion, everything’s got to look shiny and exciting. That’s a massive added extra.

“Everything else is very similar to a normal matchday apart from we’d like to make it a big event. We’d like Wolves to look great on the telly. Selling mascot packages is one of the things that we’re really keen on to get more of an atmosphere, to get flag bearers, to get flag waivers and that sort of thing, just to make the event more appealing for the TV audience.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers: having a great season

Emma can’t estimate a firm attendance, but compares the occasion to last season’s FA Cup match against Manchester United, when 5,008 fans attended. With that as a yardstick, she’s hoping for 1,500 through the gate this time round, with local schools, foundations, and club staff all specially invited.

“I think that would look great, make the stand look full and just to get the atmosphere going for the girls, because they deserve it, they’re having a great season so far., and to showcase them, how talented they all are.”

And Emma is hoping that she’ll get the chance to enjoy the match – once it actually kicks off.

“As an ops person, you’re always there just in case. You always hope that nothing goes wrong and you don’t have to step in and do anything and you can watch the match and enjoy it.

“Once that whistle goes I can just breathe.”