Carl Abbott is a detective constable by trade and he needed to summon all of his powers of persuasion after landing the AFC Hinckley job two years ago.
The original Hinckley United folded during the 2013/14 season – and it has taken a monumental effort by fans and staff alike to pick the club up off the ground.
And though Abbott admits the journey has been tougher than he originally bargained for, the club has navigated the initial choppy waters under his stewardship.
Holbrook Sports v Hinckley AFC
Buildbase FA Vase
First Round Qualifying
3pm, Saturday 10 September 2016
The Welfare Ground
Winning clubs receive £600 from prize fund
“The club was recognised by the FA as being a continuation of the old Hinckley, but in terms of facilities it was a fresh canvas,” said Abbott, whose side currently resides in the Midland League’s Division One.
“We didn’t have a ground or training facilities and that brings with it certain issues when you are trying to sell the club to players.
“And people don’t realise that, the other teams think you are a moneybags because of what comes with the Hinckley name.
“But it’s all bubbling along quite nicely, our support is great and we have developed on the facilities side – we train on 3G pitches and we have senior and junior section training nights.”
Winning cup ties are vitally important for clubs that are trying to find their feet and Hinckley took a big scalp in Redditch United, who they beat in the Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round last year.
And though this weekend’s opponents in the Buildbase FA Vase, Holbrook Sports, are something of an unknown quantity, Abbott is backing his side to deliver.
“We’ve followed their results, but just not had the free time to see them, so we are going in blindly apart from that,” he added.
“But we back ourselves to compete on the fly and we feel like we’ve got enough.
“Last season we beat Redditch United in the FA Cup which just helped us grow in confidence. It put a bit of money back into the club which has been really important.”
FA Vase history
Holbrook Sports have twice enjoyed deep runs in the competition, reaching the fifth round in the 2010/11 season and making it to the third round two years later.
Hinckley progressed to the first round proper last season, having lost their first tie since their reformation the year before.
Did you know?
Hinckley’s 4-1 victory over Pershore Town last weekend may not have registered on the national radar – but it’s proved a mini-sensation in the east Midlands.
That’s because a video of club captain Ryan Seal scoring an audacious effort from the half-way line has proved a big hit on Facebook, topping more than 10,000 views.
Holbrook Sports will be relieved to find out that Seal is unavailable to play this weekend, however.
One to watch
There’s one particular player at the club who keeps the engine room ticking over, according to Abbott.
“Darious Darkin is a central midfielder and a real Rolls Royce of a player,” he said. “He’s a youngster that we are fortunate to have, he could go further into the game and he has a lot of interest from Step Two and Step Three clubs.
“But he is really comfortable and enjoys it here and it’s easier for him with his job – he’s just exceptional.”
The Prize
The carrot for AFC Hinckley and Holbrook Sports is a trip to Greenwood Meadows in second round qualifying and a £600 injection into the kitty.
