Fans of South Shields are gearing up for the National League North play-off final on Saturday, hoping one last push can propel them to glory.
The Mariners are on the cusp of promotion to the National League but need to find a way to beat Kidderminster Harriers who won both encounters earlier this season.
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Long-term fan Mark Brun told BBC Radio Newcastle: “Kidderminster are a very good side, but we’re a very good side as well. We have home advantage, passionate support, I do feel that we’ll seize the opportunity and get promoted.”
Tickets for the match sold out in minutes and some home fans will move to other parts of the stadium to accommodate larger numbers of away supporters.
Turnstile operator Alan Reed said: “This is big. We’re expecting a full house, people that haven’t been all season are coming down thanks to the success of the club.”
Jim Taroni first attended South Shields matches in 1957 [BBC]
Jim Taroni, who has been attending matches for almost 70 years, said: “I used to support them as a boy, and now I’ve retired I’m back to my hometown and supporting Shields.
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“My first match was around 1957, they used to play in red and green strips and I can remember most of the players by name.
“I’m feeling very apprehensive. There’s a lot of excitement, even the worms are getting out of the woodwork to get to this match.”
Rob Reed is feeling “80% nervous” but is still optimistic about the result [BBC]
Rob Reed, a comedy magician who sometimes performs at the club, thinks despite South Shields losing both games between the clubs this season the Mariners will triumph.
He told the BBC: “People always ask if I can work my magic on the pitch.
“The lads don’t need any magic, they’re magic enough.
“I’m quietly confident on Saturday we’ll get the job done.
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“Kidderminster done the double over us in the league, but it’s our turn to get revenge.
“We’ve lost the battles but the war’s still there for the taking.”
Tams Bar, a two-minute walk from the club’s ground, is expecting a busy day [BBC]
Kerry works at a bar near the stadium and is expecting a busy Saturday.
“It’s always a good atmosphere, we’ll have queues out the door.
“I think it’s great, the people are all amazing and it’s nice to see a local team doing so well.”
Her colleague Candice said: “I think it’s amazing, and it’s really good for us at the bar too!”
‘Tremendous feeling’
Geordie Pearce , who runs a fan group on social media, said: “It’s nerves and excitement.
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“I’ve seen playoffs here before and we’ve come off second. It’ll be great to see this ground full again.
“It’s a tremendous feeling for the fans to be part of a club like this.
“We get a lot of younger fans coming now and on a matchday you can hear them with their drums and their chanting.
“Even away fans look at the stadium and the fans and think ‘why aren’t you in the Football League?’.”
Mark Burns is keen to sample Saturday’s atmosphere [BBC]
Meanwhile, Mark Burns is looking forward and hoping for a turnaround in recent fortunes.
“We haven’t beat Kidderminster at all this season and it’s about time we do.
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“It’s sold out. It’s gonna be electric.”
Saturday’s playoff will kick off at the 1st Cloud Arena at 12:30 BST.
Coverage with BBC Radio Newcastle’s Colin White and Paul Dickson begins from 12:00 BST on BBC Sounds.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
