FA Cup preview: Scott Rogers seeks a magic moment for Weston-super-Mare

The Weston boss scored the Wembley winner in the 1999 FA Vase final as Tiverton Town enjoyed back-to-back success on the national stage in playing days that took in Forest Green, Newport County and Bath City.

But he wants victory at Chelmsford City on Saturday for his players more than anything.

Honest

“I’m lucky rather than good,” Rogers told The NLP.

“I’ll take that. I don’t mind if people want to question my management or playing career but I have been quite lucky over my football career.

“I keep looking up at the sky thinking, ‘Come on, mate, one more time’.

“In the last round it started raining just after half-time and a big rainbow came out! I thought, ‘Is that a sign we’re going to be alright?’ It’s weird.

“But we’re just honest. We do our best. We don’t claim to be anything we’re not.

“Hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves and our supporters are proud.

“And I want the lads to be. When they finish and look back, to get to the third round of the FA Cup will be the highlight of their career for most of them.

“To be part of their journey there will mean more to me.

“Just knowing I was there when they had one of the highlights of their careers. That’ll do me.”

Spotlight

The National League South high-flyers knocked Step 1 Aldershot Town out in the first round.

Rogers, whose side were at Horsham yesterday, knows the build-up will bring an extra spotlight.

“Come quarter to five on Saturday everything will be all about Chelmsford,” Rogers, left, added.

“Even though it’s in the back of your mind, you’ve got to concentrate on the league, like we’ve done. We haven’t done too bad.

“Then next week we’ll train twice, the TV cameras will come to training so it’s all a bit different to a normal week.

“We travel Friday night, stay up near Bisham Abbey, and then the fans will be coming up on trains and a few coaches.

“For us to sell-out and take 450 there is quite unique. It’s going to be a big week for us. You have to manage it.

“I managed Will and for a couple of years when I was 35 and player-manager.

“We got to the fourth qualifying round and played Gosport. It was just so different.

“I was supposed to play and I had to do an interview on the pitch before the game. At that age I used to have a rub on my calf muscles – I just forgot and didn’t get round to it.

“I went out to do the warm up and popped my calf in the warm-up and couldn’t play!

“It just shows it’s not ‘normal’ so you have to make sure you manage it to make it as normal as possible.”

A potential dream third-round tie will be anything but.

“I think the closer we get to the game you will think, ‘If we can win this and then pull a draw you can change the fortune of the club for a couple of years’,” he added.

“Especially with a stadium redevelopment all now being approved. Whenever you do that, money is going to be tight.”