The last time Telford hosted Lincoln City for an FA Cup first-round tie, 25 years ago, Stan Storton’s team went on gloriously to play Everton, the holders, at Goodison Park in the last 16. But as the Coca-Cola League Two side visit the New Bucks Head Stadium today, Lee Carter, the chairman of AFC Telford United, of Blue Square North, is just glad to have a team to support.

Heroes of the Telford United side of 1984-85 — such as Kevin Charlton, the goalkeeper, who saved a penalty at Sincil Bank before the replay was won at the old Bucks Head — will be lauded on to the pitch today, but it was contrasting Cup runs five years ago that emphasised to Carter the need for stability.

Six months after Telford had made the fourth round in February 2004, losing honourably to Millwall, who went on to reach the final where they lost to Manchester United, a very different looking team were knocked out at the preliminary-round stage by Horden Colliery Welfare.

In between, United had been liquidated, AFC formed and a rapidly assembled squad were allowed to restart in the depths of the UniBond League. Andy Shaw, the previous chairman, had taken charge in 1998, with ambitions to lead the club into the Football League within five years. Having rebuilt the ground at a cost of £15 million and funded a full-time squad with a £1 million annual wage bill, his company, Miras Contracts, collapsed in March 2004 and Telford United went into liquidation two months later. A supporters’ trust came to the rescue, a limited company was formed and a chairman sought.

“I’ve followed the club a long time and was daft enough to stick my hand up,” Carter said. “Days like this make it all worthwhile for all those people who helped resurrect a football club in Telford. We were demoted three divisions and our first cup-tie was away to Horden Colliery Welfare. For followers of Telford United, who had knocked 13 League clubs out of the Cup, that defeat highlighted how big the challenge was going to be for supporters to run a football club and try to get back to the previous level.

“We’ve made good steps and now we’re within one division of the Conference and have twice reached the first round of the Cup.

“Our ethos is to live off what we generate. Directors are custodians of a football club. We’ve got to make sure there’s a thriving football club to pass on to the next generation.”

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