New Wolves manager Vitor Pereira spotted enjoying 'last minute' Christmas Day dinner at pub near Bridgnorth
A startled pub landlord got an 11th hour call from Wolverhampton Wanderers asking if she could squeeze in a table on Christmas Day for Vitor Pereira and his backroom staff.
The new Wolves manager has got off to a stunning start with two wins in two, first claiming three points in a 3-0 battering of Leicester City, followed up by a 2-0 Boxing Day victory over Manchester United.
But it transpires that on Christmas Day Vitor and his backroom staff were tucking into a traditional dinner at The Fox At Shipley, a popular pub off the A454 between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth.
The pub's owner, Kerry Brummell, 56, said she got a 'last minute' call from Wolves HQ on Christmas Eve asking if they could help out with a table for the new gaffer and his staff on the big day.
Jumping into action - and even though the pub was fully booked - Kerry and her team admitted she had 'no idea' where she was going to fit them, but after years at the helm had experience in shuffling the floor and finding new pockets to seat hungry guests.
Kerry said: "So we had the new Wolves manager Vitor Pereira and his backroom staff in for lunch yesterday, Christmas Day. It was a very last minute thing. I received a call from the club on Christmas Eve asking if we could help out with a table for them on Christmas Day.
"Obviously I could not refuse, we were fully booked and I had no idea where I was going to put them - but after 17 years at the Fox I’m good at juggling things about in a hurry and I did it."
After arriving and snapping pics with fans the manager sat down with his staff to get stuck into the feast, but according to Kerry, was surprised at just how big English Christmas dinners are.
She said: "Well the guys arrived and were sat down with a few recognising them and requesting pictures which he happily obliged - then it came to dinner.
"I think it was the biggest Christmas dinner - and maybe the first English one - they had ever seen.
"When the first one came out they thought it was to share and then when the others arrived the words ‘momma mia’ were heard.
"They enjoyed the Yorkshire pudding for the first time, and the cranberry sauce, and looked rather full afterwards. They even pulled a cracker."
The day after the Christmas feast at The Fox, the new manager was hungry for points rather than turkey.
And he satisfied that hunger by taking three deserved points in a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Joking after the Wolves win, Kerry said on Facebook: "Must have been the turkey dinner!"
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.