Gary Hackett: FA Cup has helped expand Stourbridge FC
The extent to which Stourbridge have become comfortable in the bright lights is evident wherever you might choose to look at the War Memorial Ground.
Whether from the TV gantry sitting in its usual spot on the cricket square, or the relaxed manner with which manager Gary Hackett reels off a string of media interviews, there is a constant reminder that while tomorrow's FA Cup second round tie with Northampton might be a major occasion, for the Glassboys it is far from an unfamiliar one.
A club which has reached this stage in four of the last six seasons has enjoyed the kind of success of which others at their level of the non-league pyramid can only dream.
Last month's first round replay victory over Whitehawk drew a crowd of almost 2,000, on a Monday night. Without question, there is a certain buzz about the place - though it wasn't always thus.
Hackett for one didn't mince his words when asked to recall his early memories of the club when taking over the reins way back in 2003.
"With all due respect, the place was a shambles," he said. "The changing rooms were rack and ruin, enticing players here to come here was not easy.
"It took a lot of hard work, particularly in the early days, in order to steady the ship."
Those early years brought two promotions, restoring Stourbridge back in the Southern League Premier. Yet it is success in the cup which really helped accelerate the rebuild.
"That is what the FA Cup does," said Hackett. "For non-league clubs it is still the biggest competition and we have been very fortunate to have done this so many times. It has been the making of the football club."
Hackett believes the 2009 run to the first round - the first time in their history Stour had reached that stage of the competition - helped reawaken the town to a club which had spent too long in the doldrums, more often than not in the shadow of their cricket club neighbours.
It also convinced haulage firm owner Andy Pountney to join as chairman and though the subsequent 1-0 defeat to Walsall felt at the time like a one-off occasion, the manner with which the club handled the financial reward ensured it left a lasting legacy.
"That Walsall game was the pivotal moment," said Hackett. "It suddenly generated interest in the club among people in the town.
"That was on the back of Andy coming in. At the time I was being courted by a couple of other clubs but Andy said 'if you stick with it, I will get involved'.
"It went from there. At that time, the structure off the pitch was behind what was happening on the pitch. Now, with everything which has been done, I would like to think we are at the same level."
In a sport so chaotic, there is probably no such thing as an exact blueprint for running a club, let alone one in the third tier of non-league. Yet if one does exist, it would surely bear a close resemblance to Stour's. This is a club which has remained ambitious, yet never lost sight of its roots or chased the dream without considering the consequences.
"We are positive in things we do but we never get ahead of ourselves, we don't take risks," explains Pountney. "It's a team effort. We don't make rash decisions. Everything is calculated."
Pountney estimates the club has spent around £250,000 in upgrading the War Memorial Ground over the past few seasons.
"The cup has allowed us to expand," he continued. "It has allowed us to expand the budget. But it all has to be achievable, affordable and sustainable - too many clubs go too big, too quick and pay the price."
Familiar the cup success might be, yet it doesn't get any less exciting. Hackett ranks this year's run, which saw them handed five consecutive away draws, as the best yet.
After previous second round meetings with Stevenage (twice) and Eastleigh, the draw against the Cobblers feels a suitable reward for those efforts, even if thoughts are naturally drawn to the fantastic possibilities should his team pull off the shock.
"We would be in the same draw as a Manchester United, as an Arsenal as a Tottenham, as West Brom and Villa - but we can't think about that," said Hackett.
"I know Sunday is going to be a fantastic day whatever the outcome but it will be an even better day if we can produce that shock.
"If we do win, well, it might be Tuesday before anyone can get hold of me. I am not sure what will be happening on Sunday or Monday."
