Fox wants fans to be Selby’s 12th man

Christian Fox wants local people to turn out in their droves to roar Selby Town into the Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round as the club prepare for their biggest home game in over a decade on Tuesday night.

Almost £3000 in prize money is at stake as underdogs Selby host Evo Stik outfit Kendal Town in the Preliminary Round replay, with a genuine chance of causing a major upset after drawing 1-1 in Cumbria last week.

Selby are hopeful of a bumper crowd of over 250 and Fox wants a wall of noise at the club’s ‘Kop end’ so a spectacular atmosphere is created to help his side book a trip to Knaresborough Town.

“I think it is the club’s biggest game for a long time and obviously with it being the FA Cup, there is a decent amount of prize money which really matters to Non League clubs like Selby,” Fox told Non League Yorkshire.

“Hopefully the fans will realise that it is the biggest game for quite a while and they’ll come down and support the lads.

“I really hope we have the biggest attendance we have had in a long time. A massive attendance would have a massive effect on the players. When we attack the main stand where most of the fans gather, the fans really have an effect. They lads always get a big boost.

“The fans could really be the 12th man for us on Tuesday night and that’s what we want. It is also a great chance to promote ourselves to the local community. The profile of the club is getting bigger and Tuesday night is a good chance to do that.

“I wouldn’t read into Saturday’s result (the defeat to Staveley). We’re in good form and I’m confident we can get a result.”

Fox has totally turned Selby’s fortunes around since taking charge in May 2017 – becoming one of the most promising young managers in the NCEL in the process. 

He instantly created a promotion-chasing side last season and also went onto lead them into the West Riding County Cup Final for the first time for 25 years. His side also won lots of admirers for their swash-buckling style of play.

Now his side have began his second campaign in rip-roaring fashion by winning three and drawing one of their opening four Division One fixtures. 

They also beat Whickham in the Extra-Preliminary Round which has now led to the Kendal replay. Fox admits that for some of his players, it is the biggest game of their careers.

But he agrees that he has some very experienced players in his side who will be crucial if Selby are to seize the moment and cause an upset against a side that sit two leagues higher.

“Sometimes you don’t have to say a lot when the lads know it is a big game,” he said.

“It is the FA Cup and some players, really do they need the motivation? They shouldn’t do.

“It is going to come to the tactics more than the motivation because you’d worry if they weren’t up for the game.

“Yes it will be the biggest game for some, we have a backbone of the team who are all experienced and whose experience can rub off on the younger lads.

“But everyone needs to perform and I hope they will. I’m confident we’ll get a result every-time we send a team out, regardless of who we are playing.

“I feel confident in the group we have got. We caused Kendal problems there. They caused us some problems, but it could have gone either way. A draw was probably a fair result.

“We have seen them now and we know more about them. We know where we can get at them.

“We need to play with the high tempo we can play at and go get at them.

“It is down to the players and hopefully one of them will be a hero come Tuesday night.”

Electric Sam Cable is back from suspension for the replay. He served the final game of a three game ban as Selby were well-beaten by Staveley Miners Welfare in the FA Vase.

Magic man Joe Dale was sent off during the first half and Staveley went onto score four second half goals to win 5-0. Fox had no complaints. 

“In the first half we had a couple of one-on-ones where if we had put them away, it might have been a different game,” he said.

“The sending-off had a big impact on the game. We then had the captain Ryan Gothard go off injured at half-time as well. We had to juggle things about.

“I thought we were poor today anyway. Taking the sending-off and the chances out of it, I don’t think we were good enough to get a result.

“Take nothing away from Staveley, they played some decent stuff when it was eleven v eleven. Obviously it became easier for them when we went down to ten men.”