THE (NEW) SAINTS GO MARCHING ON

Wrexham dominate most of the Welsh football headlines these days, but it's TNS who've been making history in the UEFA Conference League - FFT headed to Shrewsbury to see them record a shock 'home' win over Kazakhstan's Astana

- Sam Dalling

A gaggle of 60-odd Kazakhstani football fans mingling in Shrewsbury town centre on a Thursday afternoon is a rare sight. In fact, it had never happened before and will, in all probability, never occur again.

But for one night, a UEFA Conference League night that will be forever remembered by Cymru Premier side The New Saints as an historic one, Astana fans occupied a small Shropshire town a few miles from the Anglo-Welsh border. Even in defeat, the visitors waved their national flag with pride.

FOLLOWING IN DIEGO’S FOOTSTEPS

On matchday, head coach Craig Harrison is among the first to arrive at Park Hall stadium in Oswestry, the home of TNS. Kick-off in Shrewsbury, just along the A5, is still six hours away. “It’s the worst bit of matchday,” he tells FFT. “You just want the game to start. There’s a lot of hanging around, a lot of dead time.”

In one corner of the players’ dining room/social club bar, a trio of analysts are huddled around laptops. Harrison’s remaining staff chat nervously, some even expending energy via a kickabout.

This evening, TNS will host their first ever European group stage match. For more than two decades, the club have unsuccessfully attempted to navigate the qualifying rounds of UEFA’s various competitions – notable defeats came to Manchester City in the UEFA Cup at the Millennium Stadium in 2003, then to holders Liverpool in a Champions League qualifier at Wrexham after the Miracle of Istanbul. Now, owner Mike Harris’ dream will finally be realised.