Friends reunited: Tadcaster Albion Paul Marshall holds the FA Cup again, 11 years after holding it when he guided Harrogate Railway to the second round proper in 2002
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Paul Marshall hailed the visit of the FA Cup to Tadcaster Albion last night and said that its arrival had created “a buzz”.
Players, officials and junior players posed for pictures with the famous trophy at i2i Sports Stadium.
The FA chose to bring the cup to Taddy after reading about the club’s many connections with the competition.
Tadcaster are due to play Spennymoor Town in the Preliminary Round next round after their victory over Barnoldswick Town last Saturday.
Marshall, who guided Harrogate Railway to the second round proper in 2002, told Non League Yorkshire: “It’s a massive boost for everyone at the club.
“Everything seems to be going so perfectly at the moment on and off-the-field since i2i Sports took over. Everything is just improving week-in, week-out.
“We won in the FA Cup on Saturday and any win in the FA Cup is massive so it was great to hold the cup again.
“I held it a long time ago with Harrogate which was amazing. It still feels the same.
“When you are a child, all you want to do is pick the FA Cup up or win it.
“It’s just great for the club and all the kids. I think there is a buzz around the place as plenty of people have turned up.”
Tadcaster will host Glasshoughton Welfare in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division tomorrow – a game that the visitors tried to postpone as Castleford Tigers are playing the Leeds Rhinos in the Rugby League Challenge Cup final at Wembley.
Welfare are struggling to put a squad together for the game, but, Marshall insists the match has to go ahead.
“Our leading goal-scorer Carl Stewart is going to the Rugby League final,” he said.
“We’re missing Carl and obviously there is a couple of their players who want to go and watch it.
“It’s a shame that it has fallen on the same day, but if you start calling games off for that, it will be darts and dominoes next.
“It’s like I can’t go to the game at Heanor on a Tuesday night for the third year running because we have a game of table tennis!”
He added: “It still won’t be an easy ride on Saturday. We found that out last year.
“We won eight, drew one and lost one in our last ten games and who was the team we lost to? Glasshoughton.”
One person who will be present is Tadcaster’s new signing Paddy Miller, who will make his debut.
Miller was snapped after his release from Bradford (Park Avenue) last week.
Marshall said: “I would think he is the final piece of the jigsaw
“Paddy is going to bring so much experience and good balance on the left-hand-side which we have been lacking since Stevie Jeff left for Ossett Town.
“He is quite versatile and can play left centre-back, centre-back, left-wing and he has been so overwhelmed by the club already.
“It is just great we can attract players of high-calibre.
“There were quite a few clubs looking at him, but, he’s looked at what we have to offer as a club and what i2i Sports are all about and it was sold to him.
“I think he couldn’t wait to sign.”