Geoff Howard in the Ormskirk Advertiser

What Dreams are made of:

So dreams really do come true, and Burscough, 400-1 at the outset to lift the FA Trophy, are basking in the greatest day in their history, and the most satisfying thing about Sunday's incredible victory was that Shaun Teale and his lads deserved it. Nothing flukey, giant-killers on merit, a triumph for organisation.

As has been the case throughout almost the entire competition, it was based on resilience in defence, plus a tremendous outfield effort which left Dr Martens Premier League champions Tamworth devoid of ideas as early as the 20th minute. Once Scott Rickards had headed over an early chance for Tamworth, Richard Follett had riped a 20-yarder wide and Dave Robinson had squandered a great opening, there was a feeling that this might be the day of the Unibond side, Yeovil re-written.

The on 26 minutes, the unbelievable happened as the Linnets took the lead with a superbly worked goal created by John Lawless. As Lawless played the ball in, Peter Wright made a decoy run taking central defender Dave Robinson with him. In a flash, the goal opened up for on-running Gary Martindale who side-footed past keeper Darren Acton, right in front of the massed Tamworth support. And from 200 Burscough throats: "You're not singing any more."

Before half-time, Tamworth's Steve Evans rifled in a free-kick which Matty Taylor managed to turn over the top. Just after the interval Ryan Bowen blazed narrowly wide from Lawless's corner then on 54 minutes came what proved the decisive moment. Again, Lawless was the creator. From the moment he received the ball inside the Tamworth half, his intent was obvious, to go for goal himself. Ignoring Martindale on his right, Lawless slammed in a shot from 20 yards which Acton should have collected, but he spilled it and Martindale, running in, blasted the ball under the keeper's body. "I bet I've followed 100 of those in this season but that's the first one that's come out to me," he said later.

Carl Macauley running down the right flank produced a cross-cum-shot which Acton turned over, but on 77 minutes, following a slip on the wet surface by Joe Taylor, Mark Cooper nipped in to flick the ball home and set the scene for a tense 13 minutes, plus four minutes of time added on. It was Burscough who came closest in that period when Wright turned brilliantly in the box but fired into the side-netting.

UniBond Pride:

This was a season where the UniBond League saved the best until the last. Some two weeks after the domestic campaign finished the small village side of BURSCOUGH triumphed against all the odds to become the first UniBond League outfit to win the FA Trophy since Stafford Rangers in 1979. Indeed, only Leek Town in 1990 had even made the final since Stafford's success. For a village with a population of just 8,000, a quarter of whom travelled to Villa Park for the Trophy Final, the achievement was all the more remarkable. Burscough were 400-1 outsiders when the competition began and still rank outsiders at 11/4 in the Final despite having caused the sensation of the non-league campaign by dismissing Trophy holders and eventual Conference Champions Yeovil Town from the competition on their own Huish Park home. In addition, the `Linnets` had never previously ventured further than the 1st Round Proper.

Throw in the fact that for player-manager Sean Teale in his first season at Burscough it was a nostalgic return to Villa Park where he had enjoyed such distinguished full time career and the story had all the makings of a Boys Own serial. The heartache was provided by Jeff Underwood who was the only Burscough player to be dismissed in the entire season and he paid a penalty out of all proportion to his offence by missing the Final against Tamworth who had walked away with the Dr Martens League title. Surely Burscough, with half of their team hand reared through their excellent youth system, couldn't take the `Lambs` of Tamworth to slaughter? But they did and after two clinical strikes from Man of the Match Gary Martindale who could begrudge Chairman Frank Parr his tears and immense pride at Burscoughs success after 57 years of involvement with the club.

Football the winner:

As an impartial visitor to Villa Park for the FA Trophy final, I have to say soccer was the winner. A good game, a great facility, well-organised, the weather smiled on all 14,265 supporters.

I was in the Doug Ellis stand with Burscough supporters and their behaviour was exemplary. What was also pleasing was to see the many families there - a thing long gone in the professional game, with high ticket costs and fears of violence. Their team did the Burscough fans proud. The long-odds outsiders were well prepared by Shaun Teale and his staff and tactically superior to Tamworth, who I felt were a a major disappointment on the day.

Two excellent goals, the first a candidate for any "goal of the month", Mark Cooper's error punished in brilliant fashion, a lovely weighted ball by Lawless, a decoy run by Peter Wright, and an excellent finish by Gary Martindale. With the usually excellent Tamworth midfield not firing on the big day, the writing was soon on the wall and stout defending for the last 15 minutes made sure it would be Burscough's day - and deservedly so. As a side, they were totally underestimated, easy to back to win, and Martindale landed lots of pre-game wagers at 7-1 to score the first goal.

After Burscough had got there the hard way, disposing of Yeovil Town, who could deny them their day? Certainly not me. Non-League soccer was the winner on a really superb afternoon.

Letter from Mike Kelly, Kings Heath, Birmingham

To "The Non-League Paper", 25th May 2003

The Homecoming:

My wife and daughter phoned me on the coach north from Birmingham (wrote Stan Strickland) to tell me that we were in for a shock when we reached Victoria Park but nothing on God's earth could have prepared me for the size of the crowds that greeted us as we turned into Mart Lane that Sunday night.

I could hardly contain my emotion. The players looked stunned. It was something I will never forget as long as I live. It was the moment when the sheer scale of what we had achieved finally sunk home. What memories!

Police cars with lights flashing and sirens at full blast. Crowds so thick that the coach could hardly move. I could see my wife amongst them looking close to tears. Youngsters dancing up and down with delight. The magnificent FA Trophy proudly shining like a giant orb at the front of the coach. Eventually, the entrance into the ground. Shaking hands with Kevin Downey amongst others. Disbelief as the size of the crowd inside the ground also became apparent. The deafening cheers as the players appeared on the pitch with the Trophy. Smiling faces everywhere. Young, middle-aged and old. Drunk and sober. A multitude of kids in green Burscough shirts. One TV cameraman getting priceless pictures. I later spent a week tracking him down.

Players besieged for autographs. Two goal hero Gary Martindale a prime target and how well he handled it all. Captain Carl Macauley's memorable speech. The Chairman Frank Parr calling it his greatest day in 57 years. Tom Walmsley in tears as the players took him the Trophy. Ray Stafford, an absolute star that night.

Then it was into the Barons and the impossible task of reaching the bar for a pint. Pauline giving up plans for laying out a buffet as hopeless. People coming back with drinks from the off-licence and the Royal, the only way to get one. Trying to keep one eye on thirty grand's worth of FA Trophy as it danced across the room amongst a sea of outstretched arms. Peter Wright standing on a table conducting the Barmy Army. Trying to converse by lip reading. Young kids sleeping in their mother's arms amongst absolute chaos.

Unmitigated joy everywhere you looked. The lid going missing. Brian appealing for its return. God, the FA will crucify us if we've lost that already. Found later sitting on someone's head. Trying to get a taxi home. Hopeless. Two hour wait. Told all the drivers had gone to Villa Park. Finally, the village bobby got us a lift home in a police car.

Just Passing the Little Chef:

The Advertiser's STEVE ORME captured the homecoming perfectly the following Thursday in this witty, though perceptive, article:

NO Shaun Teale but his barmy army turned a chilly May night into a Samba holiday, a pie and peas fiesta, to welcome home the green village heroes.

A trickle of fans, fittingly down Bobby Langton Way, named after the village's most famous son of soccer, became a steady stream then a flood and finally a beer shortage.

Burscough may officially be the smallest lodging place for the FA Trophy since its inception in 1970 but nowhere in its travels will it have meant more to a community. Or indeed to lager sales.

All week the antcipation had been mounting: green shirts worn with pride, the question on everyone's lips: "Have you got a ticket?" And there were the decorated shop windows - H.Cookson Funeral Directors, Tamworth RIP - not exactly PC but in Burscough those initials stand for parish council.

On Sunday the dream result that brought hundreds and hundreds on to the street, perhaps as many as 1,500. But then here was a communal glory not experienced since Sid Needham's pies started winning awards.

Returning match-goers - somewhere a Brummie selling the green and white jester hats had done a roaring trade - swelled the family groups waiting outside the Barons until the roads became blocked.

There was chanting, there was a drink in it for most, there was Mickey-taking - especially for Skem United but plenty too for the Lambs of Tamworth - there was even one brave soul who truned up wearing a Southport shirt. And there wasn't a hint of trouble. None of the pseudo-support looking for a fight that many associate the game with. It was a credit. Are you watching professional football?

Special chants were made up for the return of the one and only barmy army footsoldier arrested at Villa Park. Possible for asking one of West Midland's finest where Lenny Henry Way was.

From somewhere a football appeared and a bizarre 15-minute game of punt started, ending only when the ball disappeared over the roof tops.

Now and again a false cheer would go up and the people at the back would applaud a mystified coach of returning fans, mistaken for Our Boys. Another strangled roar and a joker in the crowd claimed it was because the Ponderosa cafe had just opened.

In the gathering gloom, as the Victoria Park lights were switched on, there was a priceless announcement from another West Lancashire football legend, Neil "Puskas" Leatherbarrow, that Burscough's meteoric progress in the world of soccer now embraced: "Just passing the Little Chef."

Twenty minutes later came the first visible police presence of the night as two patrol cars, with blue and twos, escorted the team bus up Mart Lane to a welcome these lads could hardly have dreamt of: a surging seas of green pride and canned Stella. All season they have been getting off coaches at wild places such as Lancaster, Accrington and even dangerous parts of Yorkshire, but nothing like this.

As the Trophy was paraded on a lap of honour a father put his hands on his young son's shoulders: "Enjoy this, lad, we won't see it again in our lifetimes". Which may or may not be true, but puts into perspective the magnificence of this achievement.

A thank you speech from team captain Carl Macauley, sorry but Shaun had another engagement, and it was all over bar the drinking.

Monday was almost an unofficial bank holiday in the green village. Perhaps it should be declared an annual one. Barmy army day or Tealetide. Sorry you missed it, Shaun.