Rangers boss backs the big away day

Stafford Rangers manager Greg Clowes today backed the initiative to take the club's biggest away following of the season to league leaders Chester.

After last weekend's home game with Bradford Park Avenue fell foul of the weather, the focus turns to the trip to the Deva Stadium on Saturday.

Rangers' support on the road has been growing which has coincided with two of the best results away from home this season, wins at FC United of Manchester and Marine.

A group of fans are leading the call to pack out the visiting end on Saturday and have booked another coach, costing £10 a head, to go to the game.

'The Big Away Day' has been organised by Mark Whittaker, who runs the travel club for Rangers supporters and has organised the extra coach.

And Clowes has now thrown his weight behind their plight, urging fans to take full advantage of the offer.

He said: "I think it's superb, they are looking to get another coach and numbers of about 250 to go to the Chester game.

"I spoke to one of the supporters and he told me they are trying to get their biggest away following of the season.

"There's a lot of passion among our fans, they like their away days and, of late, we have given them a nice trip home.

"They have been tremendous, absolutely fantastic all season, for this football club."

Rangers have already been to the Deva Stadium once this season, a 2-0 defeat in the FA Trophy, which drew 1,551 supporters on November 5.

But, although Clowes' men went out, it was a massive improvement on Chester's 3-0 win at Marston Road in the league on September 24.

The Rangers boss now faces the table-toppers as the league's Manager of the Month for January, with four wins out of the last six games.

It could also be the biggest house in the three times the two teams have met, after Chester's match against Hednesford last month drew 3,343 fans.

Clowes said: "The trophy game was a lot closer than when we lost to them at Marston Road. I thought that we had closed a bit of a gap on them.

"It's a great time to go and our confidence away from home is sky high, at the moment."