Topping last season’s success is a tough ask, but Glossop North End boss Chris Willcock has set his sights on a memorable Emirates FA Cup run to make up for their Wembley heartbreak in May.
The Hillmen ascended above all expectations last term to win the North West Counties Premier Division and the League Challenge Cup.
A historic treble was within their grasp before an extra-time defeat to North Shields dashed their FA Vase dreams in front of 9,674 fans at Wembley Stadium almost four months ago.
Glossop North End v Prescot Cables
Emirates FA Cup
Preliminary Round
3pm, Saturday 29 August
Arthur Goldthorpe Stadium
It was still a campaign to remember for the Derbyshire outfit, but they also have a rich history when it comes to the oldest competition in the world.
In 1909 they embarked on a run to the FA Cup quarter-finals and, at the time, Sir Samuel Hill-Wood, who was later to become chairman of Arsenal, was their chief benefactor.
That golden period is not lost on 46-year-old Willcock, though, and he’s desperate to get back on the road to Wembley with victory in this Saturday’s preliminary round clash against Prescot Cables.
“Back in that day we were a professional club and it was fantastic for the profile of the town, having someone like Samuel Hill-Wood involved before he moved to Arsenal,” said Willcock.
North Shields broke Glossop hearts in the 2015 FA Vase final
“It’s a lot more difficult now to get to that stage, but the FA Cup is what dreams are made of and who knows how far you can go?
“The aim for us is to go as far as possible. The occasion at Wembley last season was fantastic and we all enjoyed the build-up to it, it really capped off a wonderful season for us after winning the league and league cup. It wasn’t a great ending at Wembley in terms of a result but as a season goes it was pretty good.
“It was my first visit to Wembley in a coaching capacity. Ten months earlier I was there watching my beloved blues (Manchester City) in the FA Community Shield against Arsenal and not for one minute did I think I’d be sat there in the dugout nine months later.”
Glossop certainly enjoyed their last outing against Prescot, but the 4-0 victory over Cables on Saturday brought an end to Neil Prince’s tenure at Valerie Park after a disappointing start to their Evo-Stik Division One North season.
“I want to enjoy it more than anything and help put a smile back on the faces of the people at the club”
Joe Gibiliru
Tuesday’s 8-0 loss to Trafford saw reserve boss, and board member, Joe Gibiliru take temporary charge and the 53-year-old will again be at the helm for the trip to the Arthur Goldthorpe Stadium.
Yet the former Tranmere Rovers player, who is in his fourth stint as caretaker manager at Cables, insists he won’t be putting his name forward for the permanent role, no matter what the score this weekend.
“The job just doesn’t appeal to me, it’s too much travelling,” said Gibiliru. “It is tempting but I’ve done it three times already on a temporary basis.
“It’s not been an ideal start to the season, but we’ve been getting decent crowds and they’ve been diminishing before the end of the game and we needed to do something about it,
“There’s been no plan in place, so it’s my job to get them motivated for the next two or three games, including this game against Glossop.
“We need to try and get a result, hopefully it could be a turning point for the club, all we need is one result to get us going.
“It won’t be an easy game, but I’m looking forward to it. I want to enjoy it more than anything and help put a smile back on the faces of the people at the club.”
