Gym hope video can inspire cup victory
GYM United’s players will take to the field for their FA Sunday Cup semi-final this weekend after watching an 11-minute long inspiration video.
Player-Manager Matt Morton has produced the video, which includes clips of Manchester United’s Class of 92 as well as other inspirational figures and the Gym United squad themselves.
It is all part of the attention to detail that Gym United will aim to use to their advantage in the tie versus Liverpool side Mayfair FC at Solihull Moors FC on Sunday, kick-off 2pm.
The Premier Logos Bury & District Sunday League side will attempt to become the first Suffolk club to reach the final of this prestigious competition.
Capel Plough FC came close in the 1994-95 season, losing at the semi-final stage, and again in the 2003-04 campaign when they bowed out in the quarter-finals.
Gym United have scouted their opponents, former player Paul Musgrove, who is now assistant manager at Stowmarket Town, using his contacts in the Scouting Network to have them watched.
Morton said: “It has given us some useful information. We will not change what we are going to do because we have a system of our own that we will play and allow them to worry about us.
“But we will take into account what we know about their strengths. They will most likely play 4-4-2 with a big target man and a quick player off him.
We also know their back four can be slow moving up and we can exploit the space that creates.”
Gym United will be unable to call upon the services of Cameron King, who has signed a contract with Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division side King’s Lynn.
Otherwise, Morton will have to wait until after Saturday’s matches to check that his squad have come through unscathed.
“It is always a concern, but it benefits both parties. Sometimes it will have a knock-on effect when a player gets injured on a Sunday and can’t play on a Tuesday and vice-versa,” he said.
The players will be travelling down by coach on Saturday night and a supporters’ coach will follow on Sunday morning.
Morton said the support the team has had from the football community in Suffolk and Norfolk – eight of the squad are at Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division side Thetford Town.
He said: “It has been building and building since the start of the competition, and there has been a massive spike in interest since we won to reach the last 16 of the competition.
“We have even had a rival side in Cambridgeshire showing their support for us.”
Gym United have played 11 ties in the FA Sunday Cup across four seasons since first entering the competition in the 2011-12 season, and have won five matches this season to reach the final four.
Morton added: “We will played at almost our maximum to get this far, so if we play anywhere near our best and we don’t win then we can still hold our heads high in the knowledge that we lost to a very good side.”
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GYM United have emulated the feat of Capel Plough FC in reaching the last four of the FA Sunday Cup – now they are aiming to go at least one step further.
In the 1994-95 season under the management of Big Jack Riches the team drew their semi-final at Hadleigh United 0-0 against St Joseph's from Luton.
The replay, played at Arlesley Town, finished 1-1 but Capel lost 4-2 on penalties. St Joseph's went on to win the final at Hull City’s ground, before successfully defending their title the following season.
Then in the 2003-04 season Capel Plough reached the quarter-finals under Steve O Leary, losing 1-0 to St Margarets. The final that year was played at Anfield.
Capel Plough Secretary Sean Kilbourn said: “We wish Gym United every success this season and hope they can go all the way.”