Get your sat nav ready – Spalding United are heading into new territory.
An incredible 8-0 win over Coleshill Town in front of a 1,700-plus crowd at the Sir Halley Stewart Field on Saturday secured the Northern Premier League Midlands Division title for Elliot Sandy’s side.
It means the Tulips will be playing at step three of the non-League system next season, probably in the Southern League Premier Division Central, where opponents will include local rivals Stamford, as well as lengthier trips to Lowestoft Town on the Suffolk coast and Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
It will be the highest level the club have played at since their Midland League days in the 1960s, when rivals included future Football League sides Boston United and Scarborough, as well as the reserve teams of Lincoln City and Scunthorpe United.
Knowing they had to match Anstey Nomads’ result to clinch the title, the Tulips made no mistake, earning a 3-0 half-time lead before delivering a three-goals-in-eight-minutes blast straight after the break to crush any fears of a Coleshill revival.
Manager Elliot Sandy was jubilant after the game and said: “It’s unbelievable after such a long, hard season. The nerves were there today but the lads were absolutely fantastic – 8-0, wow!
“I just want to thank everyone involved at the football club; the volunteers, the groundsman, the staff, they all really deserve this and have been really supportive of me.
“To achieve this in my first year in management is unbelievable but I couldn’t have done it without the management team, a really supportive group, and obviously the players.
“We’ve got a great squad and already we’re building for next year. We want to go again. Spalding United Football Club – it’s the place to be. Let’s go!”
Sandy ultimately signed a new two year contract to stay on as Tulips manager on Tuesday.
On Saturday Glenn Walker calmed early nerves with the opening goal after 19 minutes before James Clifton started his own personal demolition of the visitors with a brace after 31 and 37 minutes.
He completed his hat-trick two minutes after the break and added a fourth for good measure with 15 minutes to go.
Lamine Sherif had brought up the nap-hand six minutes into the second half with Riley O’Sullivan on target four minutes later. Tyler Winters was also on the scoresheet with a 66th-minute strike.
It was all played out in front of an appreciative crowd of 1,708 as the club’s decision to make entry free paid off in amazing fashion.
The result left Spalding just a point ahead of Anstey in the final table. They will join Harborough, Hinckley and Quorn in the play-offs for the second promotion place.
Tulips: Breeden, Draper, Warburton, Walker, Stainfield, Dawes (Cartwright), Hilliard, Clifton, O’Sullivan, Winters (Graham), Sherif (Barker). Subs: Curtis, Bennett.
Attendance: 1,708.
* Celebrations continued for the Tulips well into the evening at the club’s presentation event.
Nathan Stainfield was named Supporters Club player of the year and was also joint players’ player of the year with Glenn Walker.
Lewis Hilliard was manager’s player of the year with Riley O’Sullivan voted young player of the year and James Clifton collecting the top scorer award.
Kitmen Rob and Ian Green were named clubmen of the year and groundsman Pete Clare was awarded the volunteer of the year title.
All photos by ADRIAN SMITH.
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