WORKERS at a solar panel company have been surprised with a trip to Wembley after their boss secured tickets for the FA Cup Final.
Twelve employees at Cobridge-based UK SS Renewable Energy Services will be on their way to London after company director Steve Shirley presented each of them with a ticket.
The workers are usually treated to annual corporate days by Viessmann, in Telford, as a thank you for all of their hard work in producing solar panels.
This year's suggestion was a day out at the races, but the energy company surprised everyone when they managed to get last minute tickets from tournament sponsors e.on.
Mr Shirley, of Brown Edge, said: "We have been dealing with Viessmann for about eight years and when it came to the suggestion of a corporate day, I said that if they really wanted to motivate the staff they should get tickets to the FA Cup.
"I know a lot of our workers are Stoke fans who didn't manage to get a ticket. When I told them they were all like excited teenagers."
The 44-year-old, who has worked at the company for 18 years, added: "I've provided the transport myself, we'll all be going down on the coach.
"Everybody's thrilled to bits about it all – and I'm sure we'll all be celebrating when we win."
Paul Culverwell, of Penkhull, is more excited than many about Stoke City's clash with Manchester City.
The 61-year-old, who has been supporting the team since he was a child, has not been able to attend as many games he would have liked in recent years due to bad health.
He said: "When I was told we were going I threw my pen up in the air and it hit the ceiling, then I started shouting Wembley, Wembley.
"I used to go to nearly every game but I had to stop. The best match I have ever seen was Stoke vs Sunderland when Tony Waddington was the manager. We won 2-1 and were promoted to Division One after that game.
"It's just brilliant that we're going to be there, watching history in the making. I must be honest, it has given us an incentive to do more work.
"Maybe now Stoke are through to Europe we will be able to make one of those games."
Company secretary Laura Brough, aged 25, of Sneyd Green, will be celebrating her 26th birthday on Sunday.
She said: "We were told some time last week that would be going and it was so exciting. My husband Mark, aged 34, has been able to get a ticket too.
"We didn't manage to go to the semi-final and as we aren't season ticket holders it's great that we've managed to go to the final.
"It will make my birthday even better if Stoke win."
The company has been given 14 tickets and has decided to offer the one spare ticket to employee Simon Bellis; for his teenage son.
The 39-year-old, of Meir Heath, said: "My son, Richard, 17, was a season ticket holder, but he sold his season ticket half way through the season because he was short of money.
"He really regretted it when Stoke got to the final, so it's great that we will be able to get to enjoy it together.
"I've been going to the games since I was a lad, my dad used to take me to the old Victoria ground. I didn't get to go the semi-finals, I missed out on a ticket so I'm really excited."
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