Blyth Spartans vs AFC Telford: Shane Sutton wants the fans flocking back

Some Bucks supporters will be making a nine-hour round trip for the FA Trophy first-round clash, should the Croft Park pitch pass an inspection tonight, writes Joe Edwards.

And Sutton and his team-mates are out to entertain, as is the case every time they take to the pitch.

The focus is on giving the Telford faithful a team they can be proud of, especially after a rough few seasons – a relegation followed by successive scraps against the drop.

“The message, at the start of the season from the manager, was to play some good football and get fans coming back,” said Sutton.

“The style of football seems to have got some back too.

“We are trying our best, although you cannot please everybody.

“We’re just trying to get more fans back here and a run in the FA Trophy would help with that.”

Telford have not been able to put on a show for the fans over the past couple of weeks as they have had two games postponed – away at Spennymoor Town and at home against York City, both due to snow.

Sutton – who owns a barber shop and is a personal trainer, as well as being Bucks captain – has had enough of the snow now too.

“It’s just a nuisance, isn’t it? Our games have been called off because of it and everything just kind of comes to a standstill,” he said.

“Everyone wants to play, not just train. You’d much rather training be called off and then just play of a weekend.

“Where I live is in the middle of nowhere as well and, with working full-time, it has been a struggle to be fair.

“I have been setting off for training half an hour earlier than I normally would, because all of the roads by me have still been covered in snow.”

Sutton joined Telford during the summer from Welsh Premier side Newtown and has thoroughly enjoyed his time at the New Bucks Head so far.

He feels the Bucks are in a good position to push for the National League North play-offs during the second half of the campaign.

And a key thing for him is picking up wins against the chasing pack.

“We are pretty much halfway through the season and in the first half of the campaign, we have lost to teams we should have beaten,” said Sutton.

“In the second half of the season, that is something for us to improve on – to pick up points against the teams in and around us.”

Boss Rob Edwards has a wealth of options at his disposal going into tomorrow’s game.

A couple of months ago, the squad was down to the bare bones but now there is competition in every area of the pitch – and Sutton insists that no-one is resting on their laurels.

“If you look back at that Hereford game (a 1-0 loss in the FA Cup on November 4), we had five or six players out with injuries – we were down to the bare bones,” he said.

“Now there is plenty of options for the manager to choose from, which is only a good thing.

“And all of us are raring to get back out there, playing again.

“It’s going to be nice to hopefully, have a game.”