Dave Challinor - Manager
“I suppose it’s quite fitting that potentially the club has come full-circle from winning The FA Vase in 2008 as an amateur club to, 11 years on, being at the highest level of non-League football and playing in the biggest trophy that non-League teams compete in.
“It’s been a great journey and we’re very close to where we want to be. But ultimately we also realise it’s probably the most difficult step to make. It’s really fitting that we’ve gone from that point, we’ve gradually moved up the divisions and now got ourselves into a position where we’re back at Wembley playing in a big cup final.
“Leyton Orient are a good team, without a doubt. You can say form potentially goes out the window in cup finals but they have been the best team in the league over the course of the season.
“They have won the league and have beaten us twice, so they will go into it as favourites. But we know that, and I take huge positives from both games that we’ve played against them in the fact that we caused them problems.”
Danny Rowe - Striker
“Obviously everyone’s excited about going to Wembley and I am too. I’ve been to Wembley before to watch a game but have never played there. We’ve done well to get there and we’ve had a good season in the league. The main objective now is to try and win.
“The lads still think of it [2008 FA Vase Final] as a great experience and so do a lot of people at the club.
“This is a bigger occasion because you’re going there in the Trophy, which is a higher level than the Vase. You just hope that it’s going to be a good day, obviously win the game and make sure it’s something the people at the club will remember.
“Going to Wembley with Fylde, a club which is close to my heart and where I’ve grown up, is obviously a big thing. My family and close friends would be going regardless of who I played for but they’re going and I’ve got a lot of friends from round here that will be going to the game as well.”
Justin Edinburgh - Manager
“It’s a fantastic occasion, and throughout my time in non-League football, I’ve always taken this competition seriously.
“However, this is for our fans. This is payback for their commitment, their belief in me and the players, and for sticking with the team when it needed them.
“Leyton Orient nearly went out of existence and it would’ve been a travesty for the supporters to not have a club.
“The FA Trophy this year has been excellent for us. When you are a non-League team, it’s a competition you can win, and that was our mindset from the start.
“When we had some difficult runs in the league, the FA Trophy allowed us to get back on track. I always picked a team that I believed would beat our opposition, and we’ve had to endure some tough encounters: Wrexham away and Brackley Town away were particularly hard games.
“We haven’t come all this way just to enjoy the occasion, we are here to win, and it would make us the fourth ever non-League club to do the double.
“We’ve had two really tough games with AFC Fylde this season, but you can’t take any of that into the Final. We’ll go there very confident, but respectful of what Fylde can offer and how dangerous they can be.”
Matt Harrold - Striker
“I’ve played for a long time, but this would be the best season in terms of enjoyment and team spirit, and to win the FA Trophy would be unbelievable.
“I’ve enjoyed every game, and I want to play for a few more years yet, but being older, you do appreciate things more. I was a massive part in Wycombe’s promotion to League One, and I enjoyed that too. But this is a great club, as well as my local club; I even see some old school mates in the crowd from time to time.
“The fans will be influential. They’ve turned out home and away. A lot of teams turn up to Brisbane Road and defend, so they’ve had to be patient at times as you can’t win a game in the first ten minutes against any team. They’ve been great in understanding that, and they’ve helped us when we’ve needed it, and we’ve got late goals through that.
“I’ve never played at Wembley and I’ve always said I’d love to play there, so that would be a special moment for me, my family and my kids.”
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