FC Halifax Town: Help get us over the line, says chairman

Halifax lead 4-2 going into the second-leg on Saturday, and will play at Wembley for the first time in their history if they get through.

Bosomworth is hoping to see a 3,000 plus crowd at The Shay tomorrow for the game.

“It’s a special occasion and it’s fantastic for those fans that have stuck with us over the last seven or eight years and those fans that travelled down to Torquay on Tuesday night - they’re the lifeblood of the club,” he said.

“We just hope it’s a memorable day for them.

“We’re also hoping whether people are football fans or not, they’ll come and support their local team.

“It’s such a special occasion for their community and their town, so we want them help create a great atmosphere, make a lot of noise and get the team over the line.”

Fans are to be given special clappers for the match, while there will also be face painters at the ground before the game.

Bosomworth says Town are in a strong position but insists the tie is far from over yet.

“If anybody had said would we like a two-goal lead from the first-leg of course we would have taken it,” he said.

“But it’s also a dangerous scoreline and it’s vital we start the game in the right way, be hard to break down and try to create chances to score ourselves.

“Nobody is underestimating Nantwich.

“They’re a good side and it was a difficult game there.

“We scored goals at good times but they still came back.”

Reaching the final would arguably be the biggest success for the club since it reformed eight years ago, although Bosomworth says league survival remains just as important to him.

“It’s not about me personally, it’s about everybody on the board, all the staff, the volunteers and what it would mean to them,” he said on reaching Wembley.

“It’s been a rocky road since those sad days in 2008 but I hope it’s a wonderful occasion on Saturday.

“I have to be realistic as a chairman and say that as much as we want success in the Trophy, I’m just as desperate to keep our status in the National League and we’ve given ourselves a chance of doing that, which at the end of the Darren Kelly reign didn’t look that likely.

“We don’t want progress in the FA Trophy to be at the expense of survival in the league.

“We’ve got some absolutely vital games coming up, especially at home against the likes of Altrinchan and Boreham Wood.

“It’d be great if the fans that do come down on Saturday like what they see and choose to come back and cheer us on in those games as well.”