MANAGER Carl Heeley says this Saturday’s historic match against Chester at St George’s Lane should be a day of celebration for Worcester City.
The Blue Square Bet North fixture will be the last league game played at the club’s 108-year-old home before it is pulled down for housing in June.
A capacity crowd of around 4,000 is expected for the match with fewer than 300 tickets now remaining.
Heeley, who has also made the second highest number of appearances for the club as a player, said: “There will be a big crowd and it’s going to be a strange day.
“It’s going to be an emotional day and I think there’ll be some frustrated people but we all have to come together as a club and celebrate what’s been one of the old grounds in the country for non-league football.
“Let’s celebrate what that ground has been for this football club, enjoy the day and embrace it.”
The City boss continued: “I am not going to say it’s not going to be difficult and how I’ll react I don’t know because I’ve never been in that situation before.
“It’s a place that’s very dear to me and I am sure there will be some emotion. But we have to be professional, we’re welcoming the worthy champions of the league and, credit to them, they have been as good a side as I’ve seen at this level of football.
“But it’s Worcester City’s day and let’s see if we can put a show on because there’s certainly some ability in our squad.”
Striker Mike Symons, the club’s leading scorer for the second season running, says the players and are champing at the bit to be part of the occasion.
He said: “It’s going to be a fantastic day with a big crowd and all the lads want to be involved. We want to claim the three points and put on a show.
“We will have a hard week of training and get ourselves in the right frame of mind ready for Saturday.
“Nobody can wait for Saturday to come. We want to go out on a high and put a performance in.”
Midfield duo Matt Breeze (groin) and Matt Birley (knee) were not involved in last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Brackley, which dropped City to 14th in the table, in a bid to have them fit for Chester.
Breeze was an unused substitute, while Birley sat out the fixture altogether.
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