10:06am Thursday 11th March 2010
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers chairman Barry Norgrove believes that the club can carve out a new chapter in their torrid love affair with the FA Trophy, but only with the help of the fans.
The chairman has called on the supporters to come out in force to Aggborough and cheer on the team in Saturday’s FA Trophy semi-final first leg against Stevenage Borough.
Victory over the 2009 winners at home would set them up for the return leg seven days later at Broadhall Way to ensure Harriers will be marching back to Wembley for the fifth time in 26-years.
Like many clubs in the Blue Square Premier, Harriers have felt the effects of the economic downturn with the collapse of Setanta Sports and reducing of their average attendance to just under 1,500.
But the chairman knows from personal experience that the fans can’t resist an FA Trophy clash.
Nearly 24,000 came out in force to watch Harriers at the new national stadium in the 2007 final loss to Saturday’s opponents.
And he’s hoping that the Aggborough army rocks to the tune played by manager Steve Burr and his team.
“We’ve decided to go for it this season and now we need the fans to really come out and support the team on Saturday,” commented the chairman “When we went to the final we had 24,000 fans there and it would be great if we had a big crowd to get behind them.
“The prize for the club and the fans is a game at Wembley but to get there the team needs all the backing they can get.
“Attendances have been low this season but this is the sort of game that I hope catches the imagination of everyone in the town and beyond.
“I implore all football fans in Wyre Forest to get down to Aggborough and really sing us to Wembley.”
The chairman feels the board have backed new boss Burr since he joined the club, freeing up funds to sign Marc Goodfellow (Burton) and Adam Boyes (Scunthorpe) on-loan until the end of the season.
Jack Byrne has joined from Redditch United, while Port Vale hitman James Lawrie and Derby County keeper Ross Atkins have signed on month-long deals that can be extended if needed to cope with a packed fixture list until the end of the season.
The chairman said: “We’ve backed Steve by signing a few players.
“We wanted to get someone in this week but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
“But we’ve decided to gamble a bit and stengthen the squad, we’ve got a lot of games coming up in a short space of time and with injuries we have to be ready.
“We’ve got two lads on-loan until the end of the season and can also extend the deals with Ross Atkins and James Lawrie if needed.
“A lot depends on this week. If we beat Stevenage and get into the final, then we can keep the players on short deals.”
The £26,000 in prize money that Harriers have so far made as well as their half of gate receipts from the Worcester City and Oxford ties have came as a timely boost for the club, which revealed they made a loss last year at their AGM last week.
Victory over Borough would earn the club a further £16,000 plus give them a big day out and pay day at Wembley in May.
Norgrove also hailed the impact of Burr, who replaced Mark Yates mid-way through January.
Burr has yet to experience defeat as Harriers manager and the chairman is confident he can take the club all the way to the promised land of the Football League.
He added: “It has been a tough season for the club financially. We lost Setanta at the start and that had a big impact.
“Getting to the semi-finals and having the chance of reaching Wembley again has given everyone at the club a huge boost.
“We’ve also seen Steve Burr come in and do a great job.
“He’s been tremendous since he came to the club, we talk regularly about players he’d like to bring in.
“He’ll have his plans in the summer and I feel that Steve’s the man to take us to a new level.
“I am sure we’ll be one of the sides contending high up in the Conference next season.”
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