Charlie Blakemore on his magic 400

On a windswept touchline at Burscough, Chasetown manager Charlie Blakemore will give a quiet nod to the history books.

A monumental 399 games have passed since the Scholars drew 1-1 with Alvechurch in Blakemore's first match, after he took over from Nick Rowe in February 2004.

Two promotions, two heroic FA Cup runs and a current storming effort in the FA Trophy – after they beat Blue Square Premier outfit Kettering 2-1 to reach the second round on Tuesday – have followed.

And the clash at Victoria Park tomorrow marks his 400th in charge but the Scholars' history maker isn't going to dwell on it.

Blakemore, who led the club to an FA Cup third round tie against Cardiff in 2008, the lowest ranked side to ever reach that stage of the competition, only looks forward.

He said: "I have so many special memories, I love them all but I am looking forward to the next one.

"Tuesday was another historic night for Chasetown but I want more. If you sit and rest you're not going to take the club where you want them to go.

"In my first training session we had four balls and if we lost one we had to go and find it. I remember looking outside and thinking if we got a couple of extra players with character and spirit it would help and that's been my mantra.

"We've come a long way and it's magic to be part of it."

Under Blakemore's tenure the club have grown to 27 teams from the under-seven to the ladies and first team, improved their average attendance from 90 to 450 and developed their ground.

But the modest manager, who's currently assisted by No 2 Andy Cox, insisted the club's meteoric rise from the bottom six of the Midland Alliance isn't just down to him.

He said: "I am just a wheel in a big cog. I couldn't do it without others and I'm very fortunate to have a really good team with me.

"Our chief executive Mick Joiner deserves the success. He has put so many years into the club and the best feeling for me on Tuesday wasn't the win, it was seeing how happy it made him.

"I couldn't do it without my family either, they are my biggest asset."

The Scholars boss, a former Wolves youth coach, needed support over the summer when he was seriously ill with Eosinophilic enteritis, a stomach parasite.

He was forced to take a back seat during the Scholars' pre-season preparations after they won promotion to the Northern Premier League – their highest ever level – in May.

He underwent a serious operation and spent time in New Cross Hospital but the heath scare hasn't dampened his enthusiasm.

Blakemore, who is managing director of a division of BAE Systems, said: "I've got a really demanding job and trying to balance that is really hard but football is my passion.

"I can't ever see myself not doing it. On Tuesday I was up at 4.30am to go to London for a meeting, then I had the game and I got back home at 2am exhausted but elated.

"Alan Wiley called me after the Kettering game and asked if I had been writing the script again.

"I told him even if I could, I wouldn't be able to write one as good as this."

By Nick Mashiter