IT’S OUR CHANCE TO SHINE
CHORLEY fleetwood town
THEY’VE been waiting 27 years in Chorley for a night like tomorrow. FA Cup first round, a Football League side at home – even the TV cameras are coming down. The last time the Magpies reached this stage, the Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody was number one and their current boss Matt Jansen was a 13-year-old dreaming of being a professional footballer. They beat Bury 2-1 that November day before losing to Shrewsbury Town in round two. Since then it’s been a waiting game, until they beat Boston United 4-3 after extra time to book a date with neighbours Fleetwood Town. “Everyone’s getting excited – it’s huge for the club and the community,” Jansen says. “It’s going to be a sell-out and everybody is looking forward to it. It’s the magic of the FA Cup and that starts way below our league as well. “It’s the first time we’ve managed to get in the first round in 27 years but it’s even better we’ve got the fixture on television.” The cameras will be in town hoping for an upset. Chorley will have to do it without two important players, Nick Haughton – who scored a hat-trick against Boston – and keeper Matt Unwin. Both are on loan from Fleetwood and can’t play against their parent clubs. They haven’t even trained with the Cod Army this week so there are no spies in the camp. Jansen feels for both players, who he says have been “fantastic” this season, but knows they have to make do. After missing out in last season’s National League North play-off final to FC Halifax Town, Jansen’s parttimers have started the season well and, ahead of the weekend, sat sixth in the table. “It’s no major news that we aren’t the biggest spenders and we’re not full-time,” Jansen says. “There’s quite a few teams in our league and with bigger budgets, but we’re doing remarkably well. “It’s all down to the dressing room, the players we’ve got and the way they got on with each other and fight for each other. They’re doing it again this season.
Investment
“Maybe this game will bring a little bit more investment to the club – it can only be good for us.” Jansen is in his third season at the helm after taking over when former Blackburn Rovers teammate Garry Flitcroft stepped down to focus on his property business. The 40-year-old says it was coaching and initially joining Flitcroft at Leigh Genesis that really gave him drive and focus again. A playing career that had him tipped for England honours was affected by a serious motorcycle accident that left him in a coma. After trying to get back to his best he took a break. “I had my accident and I walked away from football.” Jansen says. “I was just drifting then, I had no purpose, no drive or focus. Then I got a phone call from Garry Flitcroft asking if I wanted to join him as an assistant at Leigh Genesis and the following season we went to Chorley. “It’s like my playing days again because you get the same adrenaline rush.” On his first start for Blackburn after the accident, Jansen scored twice against Aston Villa in the FA Cup. And he’d love nothing more than make a special memory for the club he’s in charge of. “Yes, Fleetwood are favourites and should have more ability than us,” he says. “But I know that we can match them for endeavour, togetherness and team spirit. Hopefully we can do well and cause them a few problems. We can’t play with any fear, we’ve got to relish it.”