Chasetown get Stoke cup help
Chasetown are getting a helping hand from the Coca Cola Championship in their preparations for their historic FA Cup trip.
Chasetown are getting a helping hand from the Coca Cola Championship in their preparations for their historic FA Cup trip.
The Scholars, who face a trip to League One side Port Vale in the second round tie in eight days' time, are to be special guests of Vale's arch rivals Stoke City next Saturday.
The Potteries club have invited the whole squad to the Britannia Stadium for their game against Norwich before the Scholars' big day 23 hours later.
The visit will form part of Chasetown's preparations for their big game before they are whisked back to their hotel to continue the countdown to the tie a week on Sunday (2pm).
"They are going to announce us over the tannoy and reckon us being there might give them the biggest cheer of the day!" said Chasetown chairman John Donnelly.
Preparations nearer home are taking on a decorative feel, with the club awarding the best-dressed shop in Chasetown with a £500 cash prize and £100 on offer for the second best.
"We did a similar thing two years ago when we played Oldham in the first round," said Donnelly.
"We're hoping for a similar response and we're going to judge it on the day of the game."
Cup fever is again catching on in the area, with a bumper crowd of 721 – well over double the 300 average – turning up to watch Tuesday's 2-2 draw at home to Bedworth when vouchers were handed out to fans for the Vale tie.
And the club believe fans will snap up all 4,500 tickets available for the historic trip up the M6, despite the village having a population of just 4,000.
"I don't think we'll have any problem selling all our tickets," said Donnelly. "We've already sold 12 coaches – one of the schools has three – and I think we will take 30, 40 or 50 coaches altogether.
"But many of the fans will drive up as it's only a short distance away. FA Cup fever has caught on again here."
Meanwhile manager Charlie Blakemore has revealed how a "heart to heart" chat with Nick Hawkins has got the midfielder back in the fold.
Hawkins returned to the squad on Tuesday after three months out with a fractured ankle.
Blakemore wasn't happy with Hawkins' attitude after he failed to contact anyone before turning up for training that no one attended because the team were playing away.
But he is happy Hawkins is focused again.
"I've had a heart to heart with him," said Blakemore. "If you're at a professional club and you're injured, you're there every day for treatment, but at our level, you don't see the injured players so much and it's turned him upside down.
"If I took a hardline stance with everyone I'd struggle to field a team, because this is part-time football and these things happen.
"Sometimes you have to make judgements on people and I've told him if he comes with a half-baked attitude he won't survive at this club because no matter what talent you have, you must show you're 'in the boat'.
"He's had a warning and it's down to him. He has to show to me he's committed.
"But we've had this heart to heart and he has listened."
Chasetown are unhappy with the British Gas Business Southern League after they were left without a fixture today – despite trailing four games most clubs in the Midlands division.
They were scheduled to play Leighton today but the rival club have refused.
"It's ridiculous – they should have been made to play by the Southern League," fumed Blakemore.
The Scholars chief was at least pleased on one score – his casualty list easing.
He had been without key defender Chris Slater and 12-goal top scorer Dean Perrow, but both are now fit.
