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Gresley Rovers chairman Peter Hall was filled with glowing praise and admiration for both his troops and their victors.
When talk could have strayed into the realms of sick parrots, a smile spread across Hall’s face as he stood in the Executive Lounge of Bramall Lane.“I feel absolutely marvellous, because I am over the moon with the boys – they have done us all proud,” he said. “Although I am a bit disappointed we did not win, our final was a t Wembley. I thought we could have snatched it here, but you honestly cannot take anything away from Guiseley, we were beaten by the better side tonight.
“It was much the same on Saturday, they could have won at full time at Wembley and we could have done so in extra time, but the draw was a fair result at the end of the afternoon.”
Last night’s tie was fought out in the same outstanding spirit as the titanic tussle at Wembley, with the triumphant Yorkshiremen among the first to honour the Gresley supporters, who answered in kind.
Hall was warmed by the loyalty of Gresley’s massed ranks of fans, whose cheers bouncing around Bramall Lane seemed to make a mockery of the attendance figure given of just over 7,500.
“What else could you wish for with supporters like that? I am proud of the supporters who were brilliant and the whole final was played in such a marvellous spirit,” he went on.
“At the start of the season we would have settled for the Banks’s League championship and all we’ve had in the final run has been a tremendous bonus.”
Without dwelling on the night’s defeat, Hall was relishing the future for the club which carried South Derbyshire with it to such great heights.
“We shall go on from here. I cannot see us doing anything else other than keep going forward and playing as we have.”
