US-based fans ready to wake up early for Black Country derby

Wolves fans in the United States regularly meet up to watch games

They'll be watching from 4,000 miles away, but that won't dull the passion of fans in the US who will be up early for the FA Cup Black Country derby.

Wolves and West Brom have sizeable followings across the Atlantic who are all primed for Sunday's clash.

Houston-based Wolves fan Paul Lappage said it was key to put their rivals "in their place" after the 12-year hiatus.

West Brom fan Jordan Bayuk, of Massachusetts, said their league positions would not count for much.

He is a 29-year-old restaurant digital marketer from Foxborough who grew up watching the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox dominate American sport.

But he said he never felt an affinity with the big clubs of English football.

Jordan Bayuk (bottom right) regularly meets up with fellow West Brom fans in the United States

"To me European sports isn't just about titles, it's about community," he said.

"You can look at what Rob [McElhenney] and that US group are doing to Wrexham and to me that's kind of what it's all about."

He chose to follow West Brom when they were promoted to the Premier League in 2008 and quickly made friends via social media.

He said "they were just so welcoming as a whole family" and recalled how fans of some bigger clubs would look down on US fans and "brush you off".

American West Brom fans have got together through social media

Mr Bayuk is now part of a group of around 100 Baggies fans who keep in touch online and watch matches in bars, despite the early-morning starts due to the time difference in the United States.

He said the fans sometimes referred to themselves as the "breakfast club" because of the early kick-off times and that with West Brom being the Championship, it had become harder to watch some games.

Looking ahead to the FA Cup match he said: "Wolves are probably the better overall quality club, but they throw the record books out the window when matches like this come along."

Paul Lappage said he had been a Wolves fan from a young age

Mr Lappage, a 43-year-old consultant in the automotive industry, is originally from Sedgley but moved to the US 13 years ago and grew up a Wolves fan.

"It runs in the blood so you keep it up no matter if you're three miles away from Molineux or a few thousand," he said.

Games have become easier to watch since their return to the top division and he said he had been able to contact a lot of fellow ex-pat fans online.

He also said there was a "heavy presence of Brits here in Houston" because of the oil industry and they have regular watch-parties for games.

"It's staggering really when you think about it, we're thousands of miles away but there's this community of fans that comes together," he added.

'Tradition, rivalry, passion'

When the draw for the fourth round was made, he was surprised the Black Country derby did not get more attention.

"It was a big deal about Newcastle and Sunderland I'd certainly put our fixture on a par with that one in terms of tradition, passion, rivalry," he said.

He said he aware it had been a long time since Wolves had won at The Hawthorns, which was a "record which needs correcting".

Mr Lappage also said he was happy playing away from home because "if a lower league team turned up at the Molineux we'd be expected to beat them".