You've done the club proud, Paulton boss Jones tells players after FA Cup dream is ended
Paulton Rovers manager Andy Jones watched his side's FA Cup adventure come to an end against Norwich City on Saturday and told his players: "You've done this club proud."
The Zamaretto Southern League South & West side enjoyed the biggest day in their 128-year history with a first-round clash against League One side Norwich City in front of a live national TV audience.
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Paulton Rovers manager Andy Jones
And even though the Somerset village team finished the game on the end of a seven-goal drubbing, Jones was full of praise for his players and the 1,500 supporters who packed into Winterfield Road for the occasion.
Jones said: "The first thing I said to the players at the end was that each and every one of them had done Paulton Rovers proud. It wasn't nice to lose the game by seven goals but you have to look at the bigger picture.
"For us to even get to this stage of the competition is a remarkable achievement in itself, and these players have helped put this club on the map.
"To see all the fans waiting for us to arrive in the car park before the game was a moment I will remember forever. Then to have a full house was just like a dream come true. It has been a fantastic two weeks and I just hope that all the people who worked so hard to help organise everything have enjoyed the day."
Norwich boss Paul Lambert was rewarded for fielding his strongest possible side with goals from Chris Martin (4), Grant Holt (2) and Wes Hoolahan to ensure that the League One club did not leave Winterfield Road as victims of what would have been a remarkable act of giant-killing.
"I was never going to chop and change, as a lot of people thought I would," said Lambert. "You give the opposition the respect they deserve and I was never going to experiment – the game was too big.
"Television companies only take these sorts of games when they think something might happen. Paulton had done terrifically well to get this stage of the competition and we had a duty to recognise that."
Paulton also hosted celebrity chef and major Norwich shareholder Delia Smith, who said of her visit to Somerset: "Paulton Rovers is a fantastic football club and it has been a great joy to be here.
"I'd be very proud if I was a supporter because Paulton is a beautiful village in lovely surroundings with a classy football club right at the centre of it. Good luck to them for the rest of the season, I hope they do really well."
Jones, who has been practically living at Winterfied Road for the last fortnight, is now planning to spend some time with his wife, Sarah, who was admitted to hospital late last week with a kidney complaint. Jones spent Thursday night at her bedside before she was given the all-clear and returned home on Friday.
"It's been a great experience but now I am just looking forward to spending a bit of time with my wife and family," he added.
Comments
by West Country Canary, Norwich
Monday, November 09 2009, 8:29PM
“A great welcome by a club that coped well with the rigorous demands of the FA. Most local supporters were friendly rivals, but a minority, who probably never bother to go to Pauton Rovers games in ordinary circumstances, made the rivalry a personal issue, Any other fans than Norwich City might have resulted in something less pleasant to talk or write about. Fortunately, these were minority, and Paulton supporters were like the twelfth man for the players.
Those lads, themselves, are worthy of mention. For at least ten minutes thy took the game to the visitors and an upset of massive proportions had us worrying about Norwich City players' commitment to the cause.
Andy Jons need not be concerned about the scoreline. Norwich City are on a goalfest at present, as Bristol Rovers will vouch for, losing to us, recently, by 5 goals to 1.
As a Wiltshire person I hoped that Paulton would acqut themselves with valour, which they managed very well. I felt tht the 7-0 goal result reflected the distance in class between a semi-professional club and full time professionals from a club so recently in the top flight of the English game. What would have been embarrassing would have seen Paulton lose by 12 goals difference.
I hope that Paulton players are able to carry thi occasion forward; if they maintain the effort and desire they showed against Norwich City last Saturday, there is no reason to think that promotion will be out of range come next May.
Thank you to everybody on the mostly voluntary staff who made the day a memorable one even for Norwich City supporters.
PS. Delia doesn't cook our pies...”