DANNY’S PERFECT TIME TO BOW OUT
VETERAN Danny Cossington insists chairman David Patient will find it difficult to talk him out of retirement if he leaves Wembley with an Isuzu FA Vase winners medal round his neck on Saturday. Cossington’s Great Wakering Rovers side are preparing to take on Essex Senior League rivals Romford – where he made more than 170 appearances over two spells – with both history and personal pride up for grabs.
Captain Cossington, 36, considered calling time on his career before being convinced to remain on Wakering’s books as they aimed for an immediate return to Step 4, following relegation from the Isthmian North last term.
But he feels that a Wembley triumph could be a fitting way to go out.
“I was close to hanging my boots up after picking up injuries over the last few years, but I agreed to do one more season because I wanted to get the club back to where it belongs,” Cossington told The NLP.
“I still don’t think it has sunk in that I will have the opportunity to play in the FA Vase final and, having said that this would be my last season, I don’t think you can beat going out after getting to a Wembley final and challenging for a place in the play-offs.
“Although I wouldn’t be surprised if I have the chairman asking me to stay on for another year, I feel like it would be impossible to beat playing at Wembley.” Cossington has fond memories from his two stints on Romford’s books, sandwiched between a spell with the now defunct East Thurrock United.
And he is still in disbelief that he will be battling it out against Dan Spinks’ charges for silverware.
“When I left East Thurrock, I had an opportunity to go to a few sides,” Cossington added. “But I went back to Romford as it is a club close to my heart and I still have a good relationship with the supporters and people working behind the scenes. “Going up against Romford is going to be emotional because I was loyal to the club, which isn’t very common in football nowadays.
“There was no budget when I was there under Paul Martin and we always seemed to find ourselves in a relegation battle, but I was never bothered by getting involved in a dogfight and there are so many special moments from my time there.” Marcus Bowers’ Wakering booked their trip to Wembley by seeing off Worcester City in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out last month, and Cossington is desperate to make history.
“We have had some difficult ties along the way and have been underdogs the majority of the time, but we have believed every step of the way that we can win each game,” he added.
“We have the right mentality within the squad and we are going into the final already knowing that we have put Wakering on the map, but lifting the trophy for the first time in the club’s history would be amazing.”