FA Vase Special: We'll pitch in to reach last sixteen, says Ford - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

With £1,500 in prize money up for grabs, Vickers’ boss Martin Ford is confident that his side will win the game – to enable the Crayford club to pay their opponents’ travelling expenses.
 
West Auckland, seventh in the 22-team Arngrove Northern League, will be staying over night at the Travel Lodge Inn in Thurrock before arriving at the Oakwood tomorrow. 
 
But Ford believes the Kent League club will send their visitors home with their tails between their legs on Saturday night.
 
The long-serving manager is also confident that tomorrow’s game at the Oakwood, Old Road in Crayford will go ahead, having spent tonight working on the pitch with a band of volunteers.

“We’re on the pitch now, about ten of us,” Ford said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk at 6:40pm tonight.  “We’re stacking the water off at the moment.  It’s playable – it looks ok.”

Ford, whose side are one win away from emulating reaching the last sixteen last season, admitted everyone at the club is looking forward to the game.
 
“Judging by the people that are down here this evening, there is a buzz around the place,” he said.
 
“The floodlights are on and people are working.  We’ve had a stream of people in the ground today to see if the game is on.”

Back to team affairs, four of his twenty-man squad will face disappointment when Ford hands in his team-sheet as he has a full complement of players to pick from.
 
Ford has, however, done his homework on his opponents.
 
“We know about them,” he said.  “We’ve watched them in the flesh and I’ve got people in Hartlepool who have watched them so we know all about their strengths and weaknesses.
 
“We can’t wait really.  We’re looking forward to it and it’s a smashing occasion for the club.
 
Ford expressed that his experienced team will be able to cope against a “big, strong, very direct” side.
 
“Their pitch isn’t the greatest in the world, they play the ball long,” he revealed.
 
“We think we can get them down the flanks so it’s got the makings of a good game.
 
“We’ve got three players that have played over 200 games for the club and four or five that played over 100 so we’ve got experience through the side.”
 
Winnable?  “We think so”, came Ford’s reply.  “These Vase games are a bit cat and mouse and cagey early on. 
 
“If we can score early teams will have to change their tactics as they don’t know you.
 
“We have to win the physical battle and we know what we have got to do.”
 
Ford urges the Kent football public to turn out in force to support his side tomorrow.
 
“West Auckland aren’t bringing any fans so we’re relying on local support,” he said.
 
“If we can get 250 paying customers that will be good for us.  The local papers have given us publicity up there and we’re on the back pages and the weather looks like it’s dry but anything below 200 would be disappointing but anything over 200 we’d be happy with.
 
“We’re looking to get into the last sixteen and the beauty of it this year is we’ve got a ground we can call our home.”
 
VCD Athletic  v  West Auckland Town
FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round
Saturday 20^th January 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At The Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford