Manager Martin Larkin is hoping Tunbridge Wells will do what only Deal Town have done for Kent football – win the FA Vase Final at Wembley!

We here at KSN have been building up to the game with a series of exclusive behind the scenes interviews with the men who have made the Wells March to the Arch so memorable and successful thanks to unprecedented access allowed us by the club…

And that access continues now direct from Wembley on this Friday, with the man who has guided the Wells all the way to the Final – it’s the boss MARTIN LARKIN.

Martin started by admitting that it had most definitely sunk in. “We can believe it because we’ve beaten some very good sides to get here. It’s been a long few weeks since the Semi Final – we’ve just allowed the sides to play as it’s all we’ve been talking about and all that anyone’s been thinking about.”

“We’ve got everyone to embrace which was important. What I didn’t want to do was to say to the players “We’re not talking about it for a month” – there would have been no point in that!”

“It would have been easier to motivate if the carrot was always there – we’ve had to with all the games that we’ve had to play, so now we’re here! We’ve been at Wembley today for a good look around before staying at a nice hotel tonight and then we’ll have a meeting in the morning, and then make our way to the Stadium – it’s very very exciting for a number of reasons!”

“Ticket sales have topped 10,000 and have made it even more special than it was going to be knowing that so many people are going to be following us, and it’s very exciting as to what the long term legacy for the club is!”

“Win or lose, we played last Monday night against Cray Valley and got 240 through the gate which is a Ryman League crowd not Kent League. We’re very excited for a number of reasons as the club is at a very special point in its’ history!”

The big question that we all now want to know is who’s going to wear the Wells Red on Saturday afternoon, not that the boss was giving too much away!

“We knew the squad – the sixteen – what we wanted early on, but Tom Davey complicated things a bit by getting fit from injury a bit quicker than we expected – his ligaments have healed after he got injured in the Kent Senior Trophy Semi Final so missed the Shildon games unfortunately.”

“But he’s now fit – he hasn’t played a lot but he’s got through 30 on Monday and 30 on Saturday and he’s now ready to go, which complicates not the starting eleven but complicates the bench!” Martin confessed.

“When we’ve spoken in the build up, before we had three really good centre forwards, and now you can make that four as Richard Sinden has done everything that I could have asked of him, using his experience and he’s added goals to it as well – he’s always said to us that once he got fit he would score goals, so we’ve got a tough decision to make up top and will make that decision today.”

“We have an idea of what we want to do and how we want to play it, so we’ll assess the forwards and see who has embracing it the most, who’s looking a little bit nervous and who we think is going to perform.”

“The whole way through the Vase our bench has had a massive impact, especially the forwards – every game they’ve done that. So whoever starts will be there for a certain game plan, and we’ll have one for the hour mark as well.”

“Someone’s not going to be happy – the collective is what’s important. We have a fair idea of what we want to do, but now the reality’s here, we’ve just got to make sure that we’ve got the right combination.”

“The players know the starting eleven as we’ve told them today (Friday) – it’s only fair for those who aren’t sure! What I don’t want is those who aren’t quite sure – in reality the keeper and the two banks of four know so they’re OK.”

“What I don’t want is for the forward to have sleepless nights not knowing if they’re going to play and then be told Saturday morning that they’re playing. So we’re going to tell them today – I did think that we might even tell them at Wembley to be fair, and then we’ll follow the plan for the rest of the evening – there will be disappointed players of course, but at least they’re going to be able to sleep on it till the next morning and get up energised.”

Whoever misses out up top will be involved during the game at some point – so it’s a question of making sure everyone’s energised…”

Asked for his opinion of Spennymoor, Martin admitted, “they are a really good side – Brad and I went and watched themselves ourselves and thought that they were very good in some areas and OK in others.”

“What hit home though was that they are a step five side – albeit their Step Five league is incredibly strong; a Conference South league or a Conference League – as with most Step Five Leagues the top five or six are very very good and the rest of it is alright, whilst in the Northern League the top ten are very strong!”

“Without a doubt if we do not perform we will not win the game it’s as simple as that. But if we do then we’re going to cause them problems, and if we can cause them more problems than they cause us then you never know – that’s the key to it!”

“We’ve got a lot of fans going and we’ve got to purely concentrate on what we’re doing. If we play out of our skin and are superb and get beat then there’s nothing that you can do about it and we’ll hold our hands up and say well done!”

“What we don’t want to do is not turn up so it’s important – in the big games this year we have been very, very good and now we’ve got to go and make sure that we get everything right and everyone’s had the best preparation and have everything they need on the day.”

Martin is normally seen on the touch line in almost his yellow and black sweatshirt – but will he ditch it for the Wembley dug out?

He will… “Yes, I’ll be in suit in the dug out,” Martin admitted, “I did think about doing one of the disappearing acts to change but then thought better of it. I’ve been very lucky that the guys from Gresham and Blake down in Brighton have tailored me a suit that is really nice so I’m probably going to wear that!”

“I quite like wearing a suit and would probably wear one for our normal home games but it would get ruined and caked in mud at the Culvenden if I did!”

“It’s important that Brad and I lead by example and set the tone for the day and Brad will do that in his way in the changing room – he’s very confident and passes that on and I’ll be there in the suit and hopefully it will be that, that will make the players the most comfortable!”

So just what will the last thing the Tunbridge Wells manager say to his charges as they line up in the Wembley tunnel.

“Normally in league games the last thing that I say to the boys is about set pieces and have they checked the board and know what they’re all doing!”

Martin told us, “On this occasion I just want the boys to play well – we’ve worked so hard to get here; we’ve not got the credit that we’ve deserved I’m sure of that and I want them to go and play well on the day and that’s it.”

“If we play well then I think that we will cause them some real issues as we’ve got some wonderful match winners in our side that’s all I want, for them to go and play well…”