WEALDSTONE's class of 2009 have been challenged to write their names into the club's history book by dumping Rotherham United out of the FA Cup on Sunday.
Club president and director Paul Rumens was in the crowd the last time Wealdstone reached this stage of the competition 23 years ago. Arguably the non-league giants of the early 80s, Stones held Swansea to a 1-1 draw at Lower Mead with Andy Wallace netting. However, they lost 4-1 at the Vetch Field in the replay.
Rumens now wants the current Stones squad to summon the spirit of the club's hey-day heroes and write a new chapter in FA Cup folklore.
"I think there were around 2,800 people there that day, it was a great atmosphere and it will be the same this Sunday," said Rumens. "It's been all hands to the pump since the draw was made, so much so that many of us have not been able to do our regular day jobs."
Rumens says a packed Grosvenor Vale can act as the Stones' 12th man on Sunday and has called on fans to generate more noise than ever before.
"With respect to Grosvenor Vale many of the Rotherham play-ers will view it as nothing more than a roped-off park pitch," he added. "But Wealdstone fans are famous for making an environment in the FA Cup an intimidating one, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.
"We need that noise to do justice for our side as they aim to knock Rotherham out of the cup. Rotherham may play three divisions higher than us but we won't be the first or the last team to knock professional sides out of the competition."
Proud of the club's FA Cup pedigree, Rumens feels Gordon Bartlett's squad can emulate the success of their glory years more than two decades ago providing they stay loyal to the club in the years to come.
"The side back then was quite an ageing side with a lot of ex-pros whereas now we have a much younger team," he said. "But there are three or four in the side who could easily play for a professional club - there is so much more to come from them."
