Craig Rouse expects the legacy from Pontefract Collieries’ incredible FA Cup run to be a lasting one.
Billed as one of the biggest games in the club’s history, Pontefract are on collision course with prolific giant-killers and fellow community club Handsworth.
Hundreds are expected to attend the special third qualifying round tie at Beechnut Lane as both clubs battle to move to within one win of the prestigious first round proper and a potential date with a Football League outfit.
The sides have banked under £10,000 so far.
A further £5,625 is awaiting the winner and Rouse says Pontefract plan to invest their prize money in their rapidly-improving facilities.
“You can see what Handsworth are doing with their ground and the infrastructure they are trying to build around their pitch,” Rouse told Non League Yorkshire.
“There’s no doubt that they will be investing the prize money into the infrastructure.
“The same goes for us.
“You come into our ground and certain parts of it are looking much better than previous years.
“There’s still bits to do and the money will help us do that.
“There’ll certainly be no instances in our club of investing the money into the playing side.
“We’re not going to be fritting any money away and any money that comes in from this competition will be used wisely.
“I was involved in chats with the club in the summer about wanting to make the full match-day experience better for the neutral and visiting supporter.
“We want to make it a better experience for people who maybe came as a one-off so we can attract them back.
“We wanted to be able to continue to invest in the infrastructure and make things better from the access road to the stand to the clubhouse to the changing room to help continue grow the club.
“For us there will be a legacy from this competition but we’re certainly not ready for the run to end.”
The Cup runs has captured the imagination of followers of both clubs.
There is no doubt that it is the biggest game in Handsworth’s history.
Bearing in mind Ponte won successive promotions several years ago, Rouse does not go that far but he admits a special opportunity is on the horizon for the victor.
“We have been involved in quite a few big games over the last few years,” he said.
“For me to rank it as the biggest game in the club’s history, that would be unfair.
“That’s for other people to judge.
“It is certainly the club’s biggest FA Cup game ever.
“The winners of this game are one round away from the first round or on course for a prestigious draw.
“Whichever way you look at it it is a massive game for both clubs and one we are looking forward to.
“The dream for any Non League players is to go as far as possible in the FA Cup.
“You look at some instances of teams getting to the first round or the late qualifying rounds and Belper are an example from when they pulled the Notts County draw out a couple of years ago.
“They played Notts County away and we have two players in our changing room who played in that game.
“The draws are out there and clubs at our level getting into fourth qualifying round is almost unheard of but someone does it every year.”
Home advantage and their higher league status arguably means Ponte are the favourites.
But this Handsworth have been something else in the Cup.
They have seen off AFC Mansfield, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Coventry United and Halesowen Town.
Two of the wins are huge shocks – and you could include Mansfield and Coventry depending on your views of those two clubs.
But regardless, the upsets make the Ambers a dangerous animal and Rouse agrees.
“I don’t know much about Coventry but in terms of taking the scalps of Stocksbridge and then Halesowen, they are definitely upsets,” he said.
“They will be fearless.
“They have obviously got a bit of momentum in this competition and they are scoring goals freely so they will come and be fearless.
“Really they have nothing to lose.
“It is an away draw and it is the same as the Halesowen game; if they get beat people will say they should have done.
“If they win people will say it is another giant upset.
“We have to make sure we implement what we can do on the game.
“We certainly won’t be taking Handsworth lightly.”
What does benefit Pontefract is the previous big game experience.
Many of the Ponte side have won promotion at least once, in some cases several times.
“It is good to rely on that sort of experience,” Rouse added.
“The players won’t get overawed (by the occasion) but it is a one-off game.
“In terms of league campaigns you can lose games and recover it later in the season.
“There is no recovery in a knock-out game so you have to turn up on the day.
“The message to our players is don’t waste the opportunity.
“We have an opportunity to keep this run going and an opportunity to go further and we want to grasp it with both hands.
“There’s absolutely (no pressure).
“We have gone further than we have ever gone in the competition so there’s no pressure.
“The only pressure we will have on is the pressure we create in our own changing room in terms of the expectation we put on ourselves.
“There’s no pressure from outside, no pressure from the club but we’re in the third qualifying round.
“We want to keep this run going and we want to make sure we do ourselves justice and we play to the best of our ability.”