You have to dream. We’re two games from Wembley!
Meticulous Maidstone leave nothing to chance as magical Cup run hits Coventry
WSport went behind the scenes with boss George Elokobi and Maidstone United on the eve of their FA Cup win over Ipswich, Elokobi decided to train on a local Sunday league grass pitch instead of the artificial turf at their home, the Gallagher Stadium.
He and assistant manager Craig Fagan had prepared thoroughly to ensure the dimensions would be the same as Portman Road, so the players knew exactly how their legs would feel and have an idea of how they would maintain their shape against relentless pressure from Championship opposition.
They did that with a performance for the ages, in front of over 4,000 travelling fans. ‘Tell me, how could you not love this beautiful game?’ Elokobi said. ‘This is our theatre, we must make it special every day for the players, football should always be a hobby.’ It is that spirit and attention to detail that has driven National League South Maidstone into the FA Cup fifth round, becoming the lowest-ranked team since Blyth Spartans in 1978 to go this far.
In the last few days, the Stones have used the facilities at nearby Honey Lane — home to Bearsted FC — to replicate the CBS Arena, where they will face Coventry City tonight.
‘We’ve tried to keep it exactly the same as last time and getting the lads used to playing on grass again,’ Fagan said. ‘George and I try to be meticulous with preparation. We might be a non-League club but we try and set the standards as if we’re a Football League club, because we’ve both been there and played at that level.
‘I remember driving home separate ways after the Ipswich game and we were on the phone and he was saying: “Look where we’ve come from, man”.
‘We were at Colchester together when he was 18 and now we’re on the sidelines together in the last 16 of the FA Cup.’
Even though Maidstone missed out on the Premier League draw they desperately wanted, they will be backed by another packed away end tonight. Despite the
Monday night kick-off, their ticket allocation of just under 5,000 — twice as much as their average home crowd — was sold out within hours, with locals queuing from 6am onwards.
Fagan played at Wembley twice during his career, winning play-off finals with Derby and Hull, and admits the players are dreaming.
‘They’ve had plenty of banter, like asking what would happen with some dates and other booked-in commitments like pre-season,’ he said. ‘You have to dream and you never know. We’re two games away from Wembley. It’s absolutely what dreams are made of.’
Unlike against Ipswich, where they stayed overnight due to the lunchtime kick-off, the squad will travel up by coach to Coventry today, with Elokobi and Co keen to ensure the players are as relaxed as possible. After Ipswich, there is a genuine belief they can do the job at Coventry, too. ‘The lads know what it takes because we’ve already done it and we’re keen to let them enjoy it. What are we playing football for if we don’t enjoy it? People would never have imagined Maidstone getting this far,’ said Fagan.
‘We’ve told the players to take photos, take videos and post it all. The world’s changed. They might never get this opportunity again, so enjoy it and savour it. We’re relaxed and the players are relaxed,’ he added.
Among them is Maidstone native Sam Bone, who spent five years in the League of Ireland with Waterford, Shamrock Rovers, St Pat’s and Dundalk.
In the dugout tonight will be 21-year-old university student Jamie Hemsley, whose internship as a sports scientist has coincided with the most magical of Cup runs, while detailed dossiers on tactics and the opposition have been the norm throughout. Nothing has been left to chance.
For Elokobi, it is a case of striving for perfection again, like they have done in the seven games they’ve won to get this far. Do that and this miracle run, worth over £500,000 already, may well have another incredible chapter.
‘The magic of the FA Cup is always alive,’ said Elokobi. ‘But we have to be at our absolute best to get anything out of the game. Our concentration levels from the first second to the last have to be 100 per cent and nothing less. If we do that, who knows what the outcome might be.’