Mills: FA Trophy win is just the start for City (From York Press)

York City boss Gary Mills says FA Trophy win is just the start

10:00am Wednesday 16th May 2012 in Sport

GARY MILLS is hoping the whole of York can come out to support a play-off final-winning Minstermen side come Monday.

The City boss was delighted with the welcome he and his players received as they walked from Bootham Crescent to the Mansion House for a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of York, Coun David Horton, yesterday.

Hundreds packed into St Helen’s Square to salute Mills and his men following their 2-0 FA Trophy final victory over Newport County at Wembley last Saturday.

And Mills can only wonder what the reception would be if his team scoop a dream Wembley double in Sunday’s Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final against Luton Town.

“It has just proved what it means to everybody in York, particularly those who follow the football club and it has got to be the start of things to come,” said Mills of the crowds that turned out to greet his players.

“Once you get a taste of success – it’s what you work hard for. It’s about winning, it’s about achieving things and what the players have done this year has given them an opportunity to do that.

“We have won the Trophy and now we have got the big one on Sunday. If we win that, God only knows what Monday will be like.”

Mills kept the celebrations low key with one eye on the Luton game and his players get back to business this morning at training following a couple of days off to mark their Trophy triumph. He believes following the same routine – in training, travel and preparation – will serve York well.

“I’m not getting carried away that it is any different,” he added. “It is 90 minutes of football. We are not going to approach it any differently than we normally would any away game. That’s important. We didn’t do that last Saturday. We did exactly the same as we would normally. Our eating times were the same, my team talks were the same, when I named the team was the same.

“Nothing was different and a lot of people go to Wembley and feel they have got to do things differently because it’s Wembley. No. For Sunday’s game it will be no different.”

Mills continued: “We will train today. We have enjoyed our time since Saturday.

“We had a great day on Sunday and a few bad heads on Monday morning – mine included. We have earned the right for this but today we start talking about Sunday.

“We have got that Trophy and I want another one on Sunday. Then we are saying we are a Football League club again and I think they are the most important words that will come out of my mouth at 5pm on Sunday if we can do it.”

Mills believes the Trophy experience can also prove to be an advantage as his squad tread familiar paths when they play Luton.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that playing there on Saturday is going to help a lot of the players – what it feels like to arrive for the game because the nerves are there,” he explained. “They have done that now, they know what the feeling is going to be like.

“I have experienced it myself as a player. When you go onto the Wembley pitch, you don’t tend to see as many passes or moves that involve you as you would in a normal matchday. It proved that with us.

“We were well off our capabilities in the first half on Saturday but, second half, as the lads grew into the game, as they got to play how we could play, you could see they were back to themselves.

“We don’t have to worry about that and we can go and play the game with a bit more relaxation.”