Preparing for an FA Trophy final has got to feel like dream come true territory for the players at Spennymoor Town FC.
There’s no denying an historic win at Wembley next month is going to take hard work and determination.
“In football you hear a lot of talk about marginal gains,” says Spennymoor Town manager, Graeme Lee.
And as a non-professional team, often facing fierce competition from professional players at full-time clubs, they have got to make the most of every advantage.
At Bede Sports Centre, we are proud to hear that Graeme counts our training facilities, as one of the elements contributing to those all-important margins.
Now, with the National League North team heading to Wembley, we are excited to have played even the smallest part in their trophy journey.
“Marginal gains are all those little added extras that give the players an edge on the pitch,” said Graeme.
For any team, at any level, that can be more time training together, getting extra hours in at the gym, having access to interactive screens for game analysis, or even just the likes of having access to decent changing rooms, or a floodlit pitch during the dark nights.
For all of these reasons, and more, Spennymoor Town has been using the sports facilities at Bede Sixth Form College in Billingham for their training for the last five years.
Catching up with Graeme before a team training session at the sports centre, to chat about the team’s performance, he told us: “The club has been in a fantastic place for many years, thanks to people like former manager Jason Ainsley who really brought the team forward.
“To be at the level we are now, we are up against teams with 5/6000 fans a week, which is unbelievable.”
When it comes to commitment, their own regular home crowd, of 12/1300 fans, never fails to do them proud.
Graeme said: “For a town of our size, that is massive.”
Rewarding their supporters with what Graeme describes as “a fantastic run of form”, last season they missed the play-offs by just one point. This season they hope to better that performance.
Of competing in the FA trophy final for the first time in the club’s history, Graeme said Spennymoor has an initial allocation of 7,000 tickets for fans. The club has launched a Back the Fans, Fill the Stands campaign, urging businesses, sponsors and individuals to make whatever contribution they can, to help subsidise the coach travel for their dedicated followers.
Their path to Wembley has seen the club defeat South Shields, Alfreton Town, and Hampton & Richmond Borough, and former league clubs Boston United, Sutton United and Rochdale
The dramatic victory against Rochdale came after equalising in the final minutes of the semi-final, going on to win on penalties.
“The emotions were huge,” said Graeme. “You can never lose that feeling, and then seeing the players with their families afterwards, it is a massive achievement at any level!”
Spennymoor Town FC will now face Aldershot Town at Wembley in the FA Trophy on Sunday May 11.
With Spennymoor Town FC players travelling to the Bede Sport Centre from the likes of Scunthorpe, Wakefield and Bradford, to train, many after a full day at work, centre manager Dave Morgan said: “It is fantastic to see the lads training here and how happy they are. Their commitment is incredible. Here at the sports centre, to be able to play even a small part in their journey makes us immensely proud.
