DINE ON WEMBLEY MEMORIES FOREVER

DOUBLE WINNER Gary Mills has offered a heartfelt message to all four Wembley managers as Non-League holds its breath for back-to-back FA Trophy finals.

- John Brindley

“I know how the managers of Harrogate Town and Concord Rangers will be feeling on Monday and the bosses of Hornchurch and Hereford in a few weeks’ time,” says the 59-year-old who led York City to Wembley victories in 2012 and 2017.

“This is Non-League’s top cup competition, the grass roots equivalent to the FA Cup, and it’s already a fantastic achievement to get there when you consider the numbers of teams who take part.

“It’s great for managers, clubs and the places they represent – but they don’t need me to tell them, Wembley is much better when you walk away with the cup.”

Mills burst into the football world by becoming the youngest starter in a European Cup final when he played for Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest against Hamburg in Madrid at the age of 18.

But the Corby Town manager says he is every bit as proud of his achievements as manager of York City after falling in love with the FA Trophy at Grantham Town – his first job in management.

“We won through a couple of rounds in my first season, then reached the quarter finals – and both times it had a big impact on me and the club,” he said.