Handsworth Parramore chief Mick Godber expects a “competitive” feel to the third annual Toolstation Cup final at Sandy Lane tomorrow afternoon.
Sandy Lane plays host to the final which sees Parramore take on Bath-baaed Odd Down AFC.
The Toolstation Cup is part of Toolstation’s support for grass roots and community football, which includes sponsorship of the Northern Counties East League (NCEL) since 2013, and the Western Football League (WFL) since 2005. Cleethorpes won the Cup last year.
Godber told Non League Yorkshire: “We’ll be treating it like a proper game, but you still have to remember that it is still a pre-season game.
“We’re not going to risk anyone and we don’t want any injuries.
“But you have to respect it as a team is travelling a long way to play a game of football. You would like to think it will be a competitive game and I think it will be. I can’t imagine them travelling for four or five hours and then not get stuck in.
“It is for charity and that is the bee-all and end-all. It is massive for the league though and we’d like to keep the trophy up North.”
Two charities will benefit, with all proceeds of a half-time raffle going to the RNLI Flood Rescue Team, as Toolstation’s official charity partners; and the Weston Park Cancer Charity in Sheffield. This local charity was selected by the NCEL in memory of Dave Wragg, club secretary of Handsworth who sadly passed away recently.
Entrance is free, and a half-time raffle will give supporters the chance to win a Makita cordless 4-piece kit. Gates open at 1pm and the match kicks-off at 2.30pm.
The final is Parramore’s third pre-season fixture and their squad is shaping up well.
Premier Division runners-up Parramore did all their transfer business at the end of June and Godber believes his team is strong.
“We’re always looking, but we’re happy,” he added.
“We always try to get our work in early doors and hopefully we have brought in a bit of quality and experience.
“If we bring anyone in, they have to improve. We’re not going to bring anyone in for the sake of it.
“We have brought in a centre-half to compete with the two centre-halves. We have Tom Dugdale who got 25 goals for Thackley and he’ll compete with Danny Buttle and Colin Marrison.
“Danny Holland will compete with Kieran Wells, Conor Higginson and Jon Froggatt. Wells and Froggatt got 80 goals between them and we’ve brought some more goals in.”