When Matt Grimmer received a text from his wife telling him to phone home urgently, he knew something terrible must have happened.

Eastern Daily Press: The remains of Matt Grimmer's Wembley tickets, after his pet cockapoo made a meal out of them.The remains of Matt Grimmer's Wembley tickets, after his pet cockapoo made a meal out of them. (Image: Archant)

His fears were confirmed when she told him that Freddie, the family's two-year-old cockapoo dog, had eaten his tickets to watch the play off final with two of his sons.

The Bradwell resident tried to piece together the shredded tickets, worth £159, after Wednesday's mishap, but said they were beyond repair.

He said his sons Mitchel, 16, and Myles, eight, at first panicked about whether they would be able to see their heroes play for promotion, but after contacting Norwich City he arranged to pick up reprints at Wembley three hours before kick-off.

He said: 'Lots of people were saying Freddie is an Ipswich fan, that's why.'

However, after checking his pet's history he was able to confirm he was Norfolk born and bred, and added: 'It will be a good omen. It's got to be positive.'

He predicted a 2-1 Norwich win.