Pride for team

More than 400 fans of Ollerton Town Football Club travelled to Meadow Lane, home of Notts County, on Wednesday to see their team play in the final of the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup for the first time in 70 years.

But despite dramatically outnumbering the opposing fans in the 674 crowd, they could not cheer their team to victory as they lost 2-0 to Eastwood Town.

Mr Tony Evans, brother of Ollerton player Rob Evans, was among the fans.

He said: “I’m proud of the way they played. They were always up against it but they did themselves proud. It’s been a good day out for us and a great experience for the lads.”

New Ollerton newsagent, Mr Brian Boole, said: “It doesn’t matter about losing. The achievement was getting here.”

Mr Eric Boole, of Maida Lane, Ollerton, who played for Eastwood Town decades ago, said: “Keeping it at two-nil was a good achievement.”

The fixtures secretary Mr Michael Gibson (40) of Manor Close, Boughton, said: “It’s good for the town when their team does well. There is a lot of civic pride at stake.”

He said most of the players lived in Ollerton.

“It is not only the team spirit, they also socialise together and there is a great atmosphere,” he said.

The club gets an average crowd of about 100 to its ground on Walesby Lane.

The Mayor of Ollerton and Boughton, Mr Terry Bell said that despite not being a football fan, he had been cheering the team on.

He said: “It is quite an achievement. It is all thanks to the lads and the club officials that we made the final for the first time in 70 years.”

Mr Bell travelled to the game on one of the many buses provided to fans by local businesses. Ollerton and Boughton Town Council also paid for a bus.