LIFE AFTER THE CUP HEROICS

BEN SMITH LOOKS AT THE REALITY FOR MAIDSTONE UNITED FOLLOWING THEIR STINT IN THE SPOTLIGHT...

- BEN SMITH

FEW underdog stories capture the country’s imagination like the giant-killing cup run of a Non-League club.

Newspaper pages typically reserved for the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are suddenly turned over to the minutiae of a small town team and their inspiring manager.

Pub chat gravitates towards the geography-teaching goalkeeper and striker who works as a postman. And the draw for each round is awaited with all the feverish anticipation of the final itself.

So, it was with an inevitable air of excitement that Maidstone United’s FA Cup run was met earlier this season.

After an extraordinary seven-game winning streak, including the televised toppling of Ipswich Town, the National League South team reached the last 16 of the competition to the delight of football fans up and down the country.

It was an astonishing achievement for a side that had been knocked out by Needham Market in the fourth qualifying round only the season before.

And in doing so, Maidstone became the lowest ranked side to go so far in the cup since Blyth Spartans nearly 50 years before them.

Naturally, a media frenzy ensued, with soundbites from Maidstone’s arrestingly charming manager, George Elokobi, leading the sports pages at every major news outlet.

Before long, his “believe” mantra was ringing in the ears of the nation, while details of his meticulous preparation for the Ipswich game were rapidly written into folklore.

Local businesses were also swept up in the delirium, with one gym frequented by Maidstone’s players reporting an uptick in memberships since the cup games were televised.

“We’ve created probably 20 years of buzz from this run,” Maidstone’s co-owner Oliver Ash told the BBC.