FA Cup preview: Grimsby Town vs Weston-super-Mare – Scott Rogers is out to slay the cup kings

By Matt Badcock

Scott Rogers probably never imagined Grimsby Town’s League Cup win over Manchester United back in August would act as inspiration for Weston-super-Mare in January.

When the Mariners dumped the Premier League big guns out on penalties, Rogers was still an assistant to Scott Bartlett at the National League South Seagulls.

Fast-forward four months and Rogers is the manager preparing Weston with the aim of slaying the giantslayer at Blundell Park.

“We’ve got no bigger inspiration than what Grimsby did [to] Man United in the League Cup,” Rogers tells The NLP.

Luck

“They’ve already done it once this season. We’ve got to do what they did on that night and pull a rabbit out of the hat.

“I am hoping they used all of their cup luck that night!

“The penalties went on so long. And when you see the players on the pitch for Man United, it just shows what a fantastic performance Grimsby put up! For long periods, they were the better side.

“So hopefully they’ve used their cup luck up and we’ve still got a bit left!”

PARTY TIME: Weston-super-Mare players celebrate beating Chelmsford City in the last round
PICTURES: Alamy

Hot start

Rogers’ side didn’t need too much luck to get to this third round stage after beating Aldershot Town in the first round and then turning over division rivals Chelmsford City in their own backyard in round two.

Rogers, the former Tiverton Town joint-boss and Willand Rovers player-manager, began the season as Scott Bartlett’s assistant.

But their hot start – following on from last season’s s play-off finish – led to Eastleigh picking up the phone when they parted ways with Kelvin Davis.

“That’s what happens when it’s going really well – clubs from higher look at what you’re doing and who is doing it,” Rogers says.

“It was a great move for him. Scott’s got to take a lot of credit for putting this team together. We’ve made a few changes since, but the base of the team is what he put together over the last couple of years.

“Unfortunately, due to injury, the core like James Dodd and Jacob Cane haven’t played since I’ve been in charge, which has been a bit of a blow.

“But we’ve managed to keep going, made some good signings – we need to make a couple more this week – but I am enjoying [it] because I know I’ve got good people around me.

“Adie Britton, former Bath City manager, has been a really big help to me and Gary Warren has had a good career himself – played in a Scottish Cup final.

“If you’ve got good people around you, you’ve got a chance. The chairman (Oli Bliss) is first class. Someone once said to me, ‘Always pick the chairman, not the football club’.

“Whoever succeeds me at Weston, if Oli is still chairman, will have a good job.”

CUP EMOTIONS: Scott Rogers and below, Grimsby Town’s Tyrell Warren celebrates scoring against Manchester United

Nervous energy

Rogers is doing his own fine job at the club; he believes he can have similar success to others he played for, like Newport County and Forest Green Rovers.

More FA Cup success could help supercharge their stadium redevelopment plans too.

They will be doing all they can to give themselves the best chance. Travelling up the morning before to train in the area, they will hold a quiz among the players on Friday night before trying to make sure nervous energy doesn’t sap them before the evening kick-off.

Rogers – a Wembley match-winner in his playing days at Tiverton Town – knows even though the plan is to keep things as normal as possible, they must embrace the big occasion.

“I played in the FA Cup third round at Cardiff, went to Wembley – you try to keep to your routine as much as possible,” he says. “Certain lads like the same sweets before every game, for example.

“We will do everything as normal as we can. But it’s when that whistle goes and how they react. We just try to put them in the best possible place to give themselves the best chance to perform on the day.

“We will do our analysis as normal. Obviously, we’ve got full respect for Grimsby.

“[Manager] Dave Artell, I don’t know him personally, but everyone I’ve spoken to says he’s an absolute diamond of a bloke, a really well-mannered person. He had a very good career himself. I’ve got full respect for him.

“We’ve just got to get the players in the best frame of mind to get a performance.”

Spotlight

For Rogers, it’s all about his players, he will proudly send out under the atmospheric and traditional Blundell Park floodlights on Saturday.

“The spotlight will be all on them this weekend and that’s how it should be,” Rogers says.

“Not me or the staff, we’ve had our day in the sun. Someone could be an absolute hero. Louis Britton was the hero in the last round.

“We’ve been inundated with requests for tickets since then, so clubs are obviously keeping a close eye on Louis, and it could be someone else in the next round.

“It’s fantastic for them all. They deserve it because they got us there.”

Can they go one further and keep the dream alive?

“I think when we go out, you will think, ‘Bloody hell, that was some run’,” Rogers says. “But while you’re in it, you’re hoping for more – you get a bit greedy, don’t you… ‘if we could get in the fourth round now’.

“For the fourth qualifying round, I was just praying to get into the first round! Now I’m praying we get to the fourth round. It’s quite mad, really.”