Whitstable Town continue their defence of the Isuzu FA Vase on Saturday when they welcome Cockfosters to The Belmont in this season’s Fifth Round fixture with manager Jamie Coyle expecting a bumper crowd.
“It is all we could ask for at this stage,” the Whitstable boss told KSN when we caught up with him this week, reflecting on the Oystermen’s home draw.
“The Club has worked really hard – it’s going to be a great occasion again, but we have to make sure that we really focus and give a real good account of ourselves on the day and if we do that, we have a chance to be in the hat for the last eight!”
“We are just as excited this year as we were last year,” Coyle confessed when asked about the feeling of reaching the last sixteen again. “I think we have sold around nine hundred tickets so it will be another huge occasion for everyone involved with the Football Club – we’ re hoping for around two thousand through the gates on the day!”
“We have a number of players in this squad who weren’t in the squad last year or weren’t able to experience the run because of being Cup-tied and that all helps to the really good feeling around the Club at the moment!
“I think it does help with the lads who missed out last year – there is a real bit between some of the players teeth! The one who have gone through it and been there, done it and won it have the motivation to go on and do it again and experience it all again!
“Then the boys who weren’t able to be there but on the journey being cup-tied like Bradley Shaffer and Dean Grant, they are really excited and try to re-live that kind of memory but be available for the game. It’s really good,” Coyle said adding, “I think in any walk of life, when you have experienced something before and it was one of the best experiences you could have as a non-League footballer it really motivates you to do it again!”
Whitstable are joined in the last sixteen by Punjab United and Fisher (who incidentally play each other at the Steve Cook Stadium on Saturday), while the holders will be welcoming Cockfosters of the Essex Senior League to the Belmont. The side from the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division currently sit third in the table and will provide the SCEFL Premier leaders with a really tough test.
“We have watched a number of their games and seen a lot of VEO’s so I think we have a heck of a lot that we could know tactically about them. The homework has been done, and the preparation has been done, so now it’s down to the whistle going at 3pm on Saturday and the players having the knowledge which will hopefully mean that we are in a great place.
“There is no hiding the fact that when you get to this stage you need a bit of luck all over the place, and things to go your way. Fingers crossed we will get that and have a great feeling to be in the last eight again!”
“For SCEFL to have three teams in the last sixteen is a massive achievement for our League, and when you look at the other Step Five Leagues, I do think that ours is the most superior League out of all of them! That was evident last year too when we played some of the top sides on the way to winning the trophy. We were one of the few sides left in the back end of the competition last year who didn’t get promoted and stayed at this level which shows you just how tough it is to get out of SCEFL, and it’s been the same this season!”
Coyle ended with this reminder to his side and fans, “No-one really remembers who gets to the last sixteen or the last eight – it’s those who make the Final and that’s our real focus now!”