ABOUT thirteen years ago the average home crowd was one thousand two hundred and Bromsgrove Rovers Football Club was the best non-league side in the country - when both league and cup results were being considered.

The club was managed by former West Bromwich Albion and Scotland midfielder Bobby Hope, who guided the club to second in the Conference and won the Conference League Cup two seasons in a row - still a record.

The lack of success in recent seasons has resulted in the average crowd falling below the three hundred mark.

However, the present chairman Tom Herbert has saved the club from financial ruin and appointed two first-class managers in Jimmy Mullen and the current man in the hot-seat Rod Brown.

Between them they have achieved the remarkable feat of securing six straight victories to guide the team into the Southern League Cup Final - with performances not far removed from the Bobby Hope era. Incredibly the team has scored sixteen goals and conceeded only two; whilst defeating four Premier Division sides.

This could be the start of something huge and everyone involved with the club would love to see a big Rovers following at both legs of the final.

Lifting the trophy might just bring back the good times and guarantee a mention on the front pages of the Bromsgrove Advertiser/Messenger!

M Pullen - Bromsgrove Rovers Supporter