FA TROPHY semi-finalists Havant & Waterlooville and Gosport Borough got the chance to see the prize up for grabs ahead of their first-leg showdown on Saturday.
Managers Lee Bradbury and Alex Pike joined Portsmouth manager Richie Barker at Fratton Park today to pose with the famous silverware.
Also there were former Non-League and current Pompey players Wes Fogden, who turned out for Dorchester Town and Havant and ex-Chelmsford City man Ricky Holmes.
The Skrill South duo are just 180 minutes away from historic trips to Wembley where the winner will meet Cambridge United or Grimsby Town.
With just 15 miles separating the Hampshire clubs, the two semi-finals promise to be thrilling encounters.
And Boro boss Pike, who won the FA Vase with Wimborne Town in 1992, says the local community is set to witness history.
“It’s great for the area, it’s great for Non-League football, it’s a great story and there’s a great prize at the end of it,” he said.
“It’s important because this will go down in local Non-League history. Regardless of who goes through to the final – Gosport or Havant – people will say, ‘Remember they played each other in the semi-final?’
“It’s two clubs, 15 miles apart, fighting to go to Wembley. How often does that ever happen? Not often
“We’re looking forward to it. It’s not often a game like this can upstage all the others in the area. It’s certainly caught everyone’s imagination.”
The first leg will take place at Havant and boss Bradbury says the Hawks’ 13-match unbeaten run has his side on the crest of a wave.
But with Gosport in the semis having upset the odds at Nuneaton Town and North Ferriby, the former Portsmouth striker is well aware of the danger their local rivals pose.
“It’s great for Hampshire,” said Bradbury, whose side beat Aldershot 4-1 in the quarters. “It’s great for both of us to get to this stage. There are some good players in the Hampshire area and this shows that.
“It’s important we are in the game in the second leg whether we are winning, losing or drawing. After the first game there is still a lot of football to be played. We’ve got to make sure we’re in with a shout going into the second game.”
KEEP CHECKING THE NLP WEBSITE IN THE LEAD UP TO THE GAME FOR MORE FROM BOTH CLUBS AS WELL AS SUNDAY’S PAPER FOR FULL REACTION
