FA Trophy First Round
Jonathan Rimmington expects Liversedge to face their hardest challenge of the season so far when they aim to add another scalp to their collection in the FA Trophy at Clayborn tomorrow.
Unbeaten NPL Division One East leaders ‘Sedge host higher league Basford United in a must-watch tie two weeks on from the Halloween massacre of Scarborough Athletic in the third qualifying round.
“This would be a bigger upset because of what I’ve heard about (Basford) and with the players they have got,” Rimmington told Non League Yorkshire.
“I have heard that they train two days and two nights so they’re a hybrid (full-time) club.
“Their budget is large so really they should beat us.
“They may take us seriously after (Scarborough) and they may be looking at it and saying ‘we’ll got there and roll up our sleeves’.
“I think Scarborough came with a bit of flippancy ‘oh who are these, it’s only Liversedge’.
“Home advantage is massive for us because they play on astroturf so we can tell what their style is going to be.
“It is what it is and we have to go and believe we can win the game.
“(In terms of games this season) Marske was tough.
“I thought Cleethorpes were one of the best sides we have played, if not the best team we have played this season.
“Clitheroe were good, Runcorn (Linnets) were good.
“I think (Basford) will be the biggest test as they will know what we are about.
“They’ll be going ‘we have to be on our mettle, Scarborough got battered 4-0’.
“So yeah I think it is going to be our toughest game (of the season so far).”
Just under 600 people watched the butchering of Scarborough and Rimmington is hopeful a similar crowd will turn out tomorrow on International break weekend.
“It is amazing for the club because the amount of people that we have heard are coming is quite good,” he said.
“Locally it is buzzing.
“All the local pubs are talking about it and we’ve never had that at Liversedge.
“We have probably got 350 of our own fans now.
“Scarborough brought about 150 (in the last round).
“Now I don’t know if Basford are well-supported but they’ll probably bring 40 or 50 people.
“Are we going to get 100 more?
“I hope we are.
“We’re advertising it as there’s Leeds game, no Huddersfield game, it is the international break and come and watch the highest scoring team in Yorkshire which is us.
“I hope we get 700 or 800.
“I’m not sure we will but I hope we do.
“If we get a result it cements the team and the club in a massive position (on the attendance front).”
The FA Trophy run is just part of the magical ‘Sedge story.
In Rimmington’s first season in charge in 2015, ‘Sedge battled relegation.
Now they are pushing for a place in the NPL Premier Division during the club’s first ever season at Step 4.
They are yet to lose in the NPL and the unbeaten league run actually began on the 7th December 2019 when they drew 3-3 with Athersley Rec in the NCEL Premier Division.
Their current tally stands at 33 unbeaten games and Rimmington regards solid recruitment as one reason behind it.
He said: “The 33 game unbeaten run, can you imagine doing that six years when I first took over?
“It would have been the other way round.
“(In the first season), we didn’t win from October to March and we were bottom of the league until we went on that run and got out of it.
“Hemsworth away (in November 2019) was the last time we got beat (in the league) and they scored in the last minute.
“I know everyone Liversedge says ‘oh Liversedge are spending this and that’.
“I can assure that we are nowhere near what other teams are paying.
“The chairman (Trevor Best) has been amazing and it has been him and me as a joint venture.
“When we first started this three years ago, the first signing we made that made a bit of a stir was Ollie Fearon.
“That opened the door for us to get other good players.
“Getting Paul Walker in that first season was massive for us because it put us in a position where we were signing players from above.
“I have recruited properly and I have recruited the right people.
“Kurt Harris, the captain at Brighouse, Jack Stockdill, captain at Ossett.
“It then opens the door to players they have played with.
“Suddenly Ben Atkinson, Gav Allott are interested.
“Nicky Walker comes so it is that roll-on effect of bringing good players in and everyone been part of something.”