THE FLEET AT WEMBLEY: Bring the Trophy back to Kent, says three-time Wembley winner Hyde - EXCLUSIVE

EBBSFLEET UNITED will bring the FA Carlsberg Trophy back to Kent for the very first time, says three-time Wembley winner Paul Hyde, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Fleet lock horns with their Blue Square Premier rivals Torquay United at Wembley Stadium on Saturday - with everybody in Kent backing them 100%

The last time a Kent club played in the FA Trophy Final was back in 1974 when Dartford lost the fifth ever final to Morecambe.

But Deal Town, under Tommy Sampson, won the 2000 FA Carlsberg Vase, beating Chippenham Town, thanks to a late Roly Graham strike.

Goalkeeper Hyde, now 45 and playing Kent League football with Hythe Town, tasted Wembley glory on three occasions, whilst playing for Wycombe Wanderers.

He made a total of 248 appearances for the Buckinghamshire club, between July 1991 and February 1996.

And on each of his three occasions at the old Wembley Stadium, Martin O’Neill’s side used the home dressing room.

A good omen? The Fleet will be using the new home dressing room on Saturday.

Hyde, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk admitted that playing - and winning - at Wembley Stadium was a dream come true.

“Well, for me it was a dream come true,” said Hyde.

Hyde recalled Wycombe’s second Wembley appearance, in 1993, when they trounced Runcorn 4-1 - two years after beating Kidderminster Harriers 2-1 at the same venue.

“We went to Stockwell House about three or four days before the Wembley day out,” he said.

“We enjoyed the luxury of a lovely swimming pool and just staying in, chilling out, training on the training facilities and the hierarchy were out there playing golf.

“The next day I think we went to the theatre and the day before the game we went to Wembley just to see the stadium, walked the steps, get used to the environment a little and obviously on the day (we had) a police escort all the way down to Wembley.

“We played in front of, I don’t know what it was, I think it was probably one of the highest (crowds).

“We played a very unfashionable side as in Runcorn, but they beat some top teams to get there so they earned the right to be there and we absolutely smashed them 4-1 so picked up my Trophy winners medal.”

Hyde knows what the Fleet heroes are going through in the week leading up to the Torquay United showdown and that they’ll relish the experience.

“I think every man or child has a dream. My dream was, first off like everyone’s, is to play at Wembley, albeit the old Wembley now, but to play at Wembley was a dream,” said Hyde.

“Secondly, to be a (professional) footballer was another dream and it all happened within one year because we went pro that year and I had a good spell of nearly ten years being a pro footballer and work right up the leagues and sitting on the bench in the Premiership (with Leicester City), so how can I say it, it was a ten-year dream and experience I can only touch on really.

“It was unbelievable and it was so surreal, it was unreal because a non-league footballers dream is to play at Wembley and that’s where their going and they’ll love every minute of it.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you are. Even in today’s game I go out there at my rife old age, my 30^th year in senior football.”

The Fleet have defeated the likes of Weymouth, Burton Albion and Blue Square Premier champions Aldershot Town en-route to the Wembley Arch.

And Hyde said: “I still go out there with butterflies and I feel a little bit of the pressure of it because it’s a nice feeling.

“You don’t want to go out there all cocky and don’t give a damn attitude.

“There’re going to get out there, they’ve got a final, they’ve got there the hard way.

“They’ve beaten some good teams, they’ve beaten all the best teams so they don’t want to go there just for a day out.

“They’ll be devastated if they lose there!

“I’ve not lost there, one, two, three, three times I’ve been there, we’ve won and each time we were in the home changing room.

“Martin O’Neill always said “we’re going to win today” because we’re in the home changing room.

“We’re mad, footballers, we’re all superstitious and they’re in the home changing room. For me I think they’ll do what we did because there the local side now and good luck to them.”

No-one is thinking about losing at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, as the Fleet underdogs WILL bring the FA Trophy back to the Garden of England.

“It is a fabulous day out for everybody. It would be a sick feeling (to lose). I can’t imagine what it would be like, I’ve never been on the losing side in such a massive game,” said Hyde.

Hyde, however, suffered defeat at the weekend when Hythe Town lost 1-0 to Erith Town in the Kent League Cup Final.

He was beaten by a 39^th minute own goal, scored by Dave Cook, after he, and Dale Skelton failed to deal with a Kevin George corner at his near post and the ball hit Cook’s leg and found the back of the net.

Hyde, speaking after the match at Folkestone Invicta, said: “In saying that, here we are, losing a Kent League Cup Final and I feel sick as a pig. I’ve just lost a Cup game and I don’t feel like going out to have a drink now.

“I feel sick for the lads because I’ve had the wealth of experience and I’ve had the glory and I just so wanted to win for Paul Fisk (the Hythe Town manager) and for the lads, really to show a little bit just what it’s like and it’s a disappointing way to lose.”

Winning at Wembley Stadium brings so many happy memories, says Hyde.

“I’ve got beautiful photos of me and my ex-wife and the medal itself, the day is a day to remember,” he said.

“I’ve got all the big medals, I’ve got all the little medals as well somewhere but I gave my (Kent League Cup runners-up) medal away today to the mascot because I’m just disappointed.

“If it starts as an R and not a W or an F, which is finalist or runner-up, I don’t like, don’t want them.

“It’s got to have winners on it and that’s not sour grapes, that’s just being a professional. I came here to win and we lost and I’m not happy with it.”

Hyde will be watching the FA Trophy Final on the box with his family, but wants the Fleet to win.

He added: “Good luck to them, Liam Daish and all the lads down there. I hope they bring it back to Kent!”

Visit websites:

www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

www.wembleystadium.com

www.thefa.com

FA CARLSBERG TROPHY FINAL
EBBSFLEET UNITED v TORQUAY UNITED
SATURDAY 10 MAY 2008
KICK OFF 2:30PM
AT WEMBLEY STADIUM, WEMBLEY, MIDDLESEX HA9 0WS