Fan's view: Littlehampton Town can be ruthless - let's hope they are on Sunday

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The Wembley dream is now a reality – and only days away.

Thousands from Littlehampton will travel to the capital, bolstered by many attached to Sussex football, as the whole county unites to back the Golds.

Since winning the league title with a comfortable victory over Bexhill, they’ve continued to fly high with confident, winning performances over Hassocks to reach a third cup final and Newhaven to win their first cup of the season. All three fixtures brought clean sheets for The Golds.

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I’ve been following the team across the region all season and when they get the momentum going, believe me, they are ruthless. Not many can slow these lads down when they hit sixth gear. It’s been a perfect run-in before Wembley.

The run to Wembley has attracted plenty of younger fans too / Picture: Martin DenyerThe run to Wembley has attracted plenty of younger fans too / Picture: Martin Denyer
The run to Wembley has attracted plenty of younger fans too / Picture: Martin Denyer

If I go back to the start of the season, I remember a modest county league home following typical of clubs at that level. Away from home, it was spectators in single figures, usually committee members of the club and family members of the players, with the odd mad spectator like me. How this has changed.

But Golds’ football hasn’t really changed since the start of the season. It’s been tweaked, but the brilliance has been there all season. But it’s the path to Wembley that brought thousands of new fans to the club as the possibility of Wembley became closer with each stage of the competition. That 150 became 3,000 for the Vase semi-final.

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The entire town was enlightened, awake to Golds football, and a shift occurred. Spectators – if not the entire town – were now passionate supporters.

The Golds' fanbase has grown - and got increasingly excited - as the Vase run has gone on / Picture: Stephen GoodgerThe Golds' fanbase has grown - and got increasingly excited - as the Vase run has gone on / Picture: Stephen Goodger
The Golds' fanbase has grown - and got increasingly excited - as the Vase run has gone on / Picture: Stephen Goodger

The passion bleeds through hundreds of the younger fans who now fill the stands and bring in an incredible atmosphere.

Children sing about Wembley, youth players call first teamers their heroes. Forget Mo Salah, they’re in Golds shirts wanting to be the next Gaskin.

The @marigoals_ fan page I run on Twitter blew up. Flags, banners, scarfs and now replica shirts are everywhere, in the stands and around the town, with one colour dominating everything that’s happening – gold, of course. Littlehampton are on the map, on the rise and now Wembley is calling.

COME ON YOU GOLDS!

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