Now go and win me promotion
By Matt Pitman

Tuesday 15th November 2005

MARTYN Harrison, has pledged the proceeds of Weymouth's FA Cup adventure to winning promotion to the Nationwide Conference this season.

The Terras chairman has told manager Garry Hill that profits from the clashes with Nottingham Forest will be made available for squad strenthening.

The brave Conference South outfit bowed out of the competition in front of 6,500 fans and a live Sky Sports audience after losing 2-0 to their Coca-Cola League One opponents at the Wessex Stadium last night.

But they exit the tournament more than £200,000 richer and having planted the town well and truly on the footballing map.

Harrison said: "The two ties have been fantastic occasions for the club and something that will stay in the memory for a long, long time.

"With the cash from Sky Sports, gate receipts and everything else, we've made the best part of £200,000 from the two games.

"It's not about the money but what these ties will allow us to do now is to strengthen to ensure we get what we really want this season which is promotion.

"Occasions like this have made me even more determined to bring success to Weymouth and this is hope-fully a taster of things to come.

"I want us to be able to experience more capacity crowds and televised games here and the only way of doing that is building a successful team.

"The cash from our FA Cup run, will be a big help and I've told Garry Hill he can go out and bring in players who he believes he needs to ensure us promotion from Conference South."

Harrison, who until moments before kick off was helping steward fans into the ground, added:

"Seeing 6,500 supporters in the stadium was a fantastic sight and it was a shame the lads could not pull of a shock.

"But our players certainly have nothing to be ashamed of and over the two games can be very proud of their efforts.

"We've run a top Coca-Cola League One side in Nottingham Forest very close and under Garry Hill have come a long way in six months.

"He is a top manager and motivator who is someone the players really believe in and 1 really think we are going places with him in charge.

"With the match being shown live on Sky Sports, our club was also beamed into many front rooms and what 1 think we've done is put on a great advert not only for Weymouth Football Club, but the town in general.

"The challenge now is to build from here with the first priority winning promotion from Conference South come the end of the season."

Despite seeing his side go down to a brace from ex-Terra Gareth Taylor in the second half, manager Hill said he was proud of his players.

"The lads gave everything they had but in the end 1 think the fact we had four games in nine days caught up with us," he said.

"I'm proud of the way they performed. For the game at the City Ground and for 70 minutes here more than matched higher league opponents.

''A couple of defensive errors have cost us, when we switched off at the back, but had Chukki Eribenne's chance when his shot was pushed on to the post gone in, who knows what may have happened?

"But 1 can't complain about the way we applied ourselves and feel we've given the club, the town and the whole Dorset something to be proud about. '

"In the last six months we've progressed a great deal as a football club, thanks to the chairman and his finance.

"Now we need the people of Weymouth who were here tonight to return in big numbers and help us win promotion from Conference South.