Fleet chairman issues rallying cry for county wide support - EXCLUSIVE

EBBSFLEET UNITED’S interim chairman Brian Kilcullen has called upon the Kent football family to get themselves down to Stonebridge Road on Saturday as the Kent club bid to gain an advantage over Aldershot Town, writes Stephen McCartney.

Mr Kilcullen says a crowd of over 3,000 is expected for the FA Carlsberg Trophy semi-final first leg at Stonebridge Road against the runaway Blue Square Premier leaders.

The Hampshire side are 24 points clear of tenth placed side Ebbsfleet United in the Blue Square Premier table - but the Fleet are more than capable of playing at Wembley Stadium on 10^th May against Torquay United or York City.

The north Kent club have been advised by Kent Police to switch the time of the kick off to 12 noon - giving Kentish football fans the chance to watch two games in one day.

“Sometimes it’s very hard to guess (the attendance) at this place,” Mr Kilcullen said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk last night.

“Aldershot might bring around the 1,000 mark and hopefully our own fans will come out in force, say two thousand, so I’ll be pleased to see three thousand if not more here.

“A lot of the Kent teams aren’t too far from here so hopefully Kent will come out and support us before they go out to their own games.”

Despite the Shots being favourites to make it to Wembley, Ebbsfleet United relish the underdog tag.

“League tables go out of the window when it comes to a cup semi-final and it’s not as if we’re that far behind Aldershot anyway,” said Mr Kilcullen.

“They’re flying but we’re doing well. I really fancy us to get a result if the lads’ play as well as they can do.”

It’s been eight years since a Kent non-league club played at Wembley Stadium when Tommy Sampson’s Deal Town defeated Chippenham Town thanks to a late Roly Graham strike. - the same year that Gillingham beat Wigan Athletic to win the Division Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium.

And now is the time that Kent had another big day out.

“I remember when Gillingham played Wigan in the play-off final, Kent came out and supported Gillingham in big numbers then,” recalled Mr Kilcullen.

“And I’m really hoping if we get to Wembley it won’t just be Ebbsfleet’s day out, it will be a day for the football fans’ of Kent.”

Mr Kilcullen explained why the kick-off has been brought forward three hours.

“It is a shame obviously for the fans we much rather have a three o’clock kick off but we’ve worked very closely with the police.

“We’ve got an excellent relationship and they strongly advised us that they want the game kicking off as 12 and we have to go along with their guidance.”

He added: “I would imagine changing three to twelve is about perhaps people drinking before the game but we’ve got to respect their decision and get on with it.

“It is a massive game, we’ve still got lots to look forward. We’ve had plenty of time to get the word across that the kick off has changed. We’ve got posters around the town, they’ve been changed to 12 o’clock.”

Tickets can be purchased from the club office at Stonebridge Road in person leading up to the big kick-off but Mr Kilcullen stressed that the game is NOT all-ticket.

He said: “We’ve been issuing tickets, it’s not an all-ticket game but we’re issuing tickets in advance to reduce the queue and help out the turnstiles on Saturday, which are going to be very, very busy.”

But Mr Kilcullen believes this is just the beginning of the club’s rise.

“We’ve always worked on the basis just aiming as high as we can and see where it takes us,” he said.

“This is our second year as a proper full-time team. We’ve got some new owners with some money to put in.

“We’ve done well last year, doing well this year, we can actually start thinking play-off’s again next year hopefully, if we don’t go up this year.

“To be the number one team that might be two or three years away perhaps. Hopefully we can get there.”

The Fleet are capable of beating Aldershot Town in the FA Trophy in the next two weeks - the second leg in Hampshire takes place on Saturday, 15^th March 2008 (3pm).

And in the past they’ve already beaten the likes of giant clubs Oxford United and Torquay United.

“We’ve always had a bit of a reputation as being one of the, I guess, lower teams in the league,” admitted Mr Kilcullen.

“Because we live and work here we recognise that this club has lots of potential and I don’t think a lot of people realise that but there going to start realising that over the next couple of years.

“We’ve got new stadium plans, we’ve improved the training facility, there’s lots of good things happening.

“We don’t see ourselves as minnows, we’ve punched about out weight in terms of playing budgets and whatever but we never seen ourselves as minnows. Hopefully we can shake that tag in the coming year.”

According to www.theaa.com the following matches are within an hour’s drive from Stonebridge Road:

Bromley v Welling United
AFC Hornchurch v Maidstone United
Tonbridge Angels v Leyton
Ashford Town v Metropolitan Police
Sittingbourne v Croydon Athletic
Erith & Belvedere v Holmesdale
Herne Bay v VCD Athletic
Hythe Town v Beckenham Town
Lordswood v Thamesmead Town
Sevenoaks Town v Faversham Town
Sporting Bengal United v Tunbridge Wells

TICKET PRICES

Ebbsfleet United advise supporters to purchase their tickets from the club office at Stonebridge Road in person to avoid turnstile queues.

Tickets can be purchased at the turnstiles. The game is NOT all-ticket.

Tickets are priced at £13 (adults) and £7 (concessions) and an extra £2 for seating. These are the normal prices for Blue Square Premier games.

Turnstiles open at 10:30am - kick off is at 12 noon

The club are producing a special, souvenir edition of the match day programme to commemorate the fact that it is the first time the club have reached the FA Trophy semi-finals.

“Fans can purchase tickets from the office throughout the week as well as on the game at Saturday’s game,” said club spokesperson Rachel Willett.

“Please bring as many friends as possible to the game. It is, without doubt, the biggest for quite a number of seasons and we would love a bumper crowd.”

CAR PARKING

Supporters are advised that they will be able to park in Car Park C at Ebbsfleet International Station from 10am until 3pm - the cost is £2 and the area is covered by CCTV

SECOND LEG

The second leg takes place at the Recreation Ground, High Street, Aldershot on Saturday, 15^th March 2008. Kick off 3pm.

COVERAGE

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game

Join Charles Webster on the BBC Radio Kent website for UK coverage - www.bbc.co.uk/kent and listen to post-match reaction on 96.7FM from 2pm.

Visit Ebbsfleet United’s website: www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk

Ebbsfleet United v Aldershot Town
FA Carlsberg Trophy Semi-Final First Leg
Saturday 8^th March 2008
Kick off 12 NOON
At Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9GN