CHIPPENHAM Town Football Club chairman Neil Blackmore believes the Bluebirds’ historic FA Cup run is not just good for those at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium but for everyone associated with the town of Chippenham.

The Wiltshire football club booked a spot in the second round of the world’s oldest cup competition for the first time in its 135-year history on Saturday by beating professional club Lincoln City 1-0 thanks to Joe Hanks’ first-half goal.

Chippenham – who play their league football in the second tier of the non-league pyramid – bested a side 78 places above them in one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s recent history.

Thanks to the famous win, the north-west Wiltshire town has been plastered all over the national media – as well as receiving extended coverage in the Gazette and Herald.

The Bluebirds’ chairman thanked everyone involved in the win for their support and revealed his pride at how the town of Chippenham marketed itself on such a remarkable day.

Blackmore said: “It’s fantastic, isn’t it? It’s fantastic for the club, fantastic for the town. I’ve been saying how proud of the town I am in all of my interviews.

“This cup run is not just good for Chippenham Town Football Club – it’s good for the town of Chippenham itself.

“We’ve had some great coverage, and I really appreciate everyone – including the Gazette and Herald – who have done that for us.

“We’ve had some fantastic publicity which has put the town of Chippenham on the map, and Chippenham Town Football Club. This run has put us on the football map too.

“I just hope those fans who came on Saturday that hadn’t been before, they enjoyed it, and I hope they come back and continue to support us because we need you.”

Key to any semi-professional or amateur football club’s health is injections of money to keep it afloat. Usually, sponsors or fans chip in to pay for things like kit, equipment, and changing-room facilities.

But for the time being, the Bluebirds’ loyal fan base can keep their hard-earned cash as Chippenham’s cup run has brought almost £60,000 into the club – a source of great relief to Blackmore.

He said: “Any money is a great help because there’s never enough money in non-league football.

“Is it going to cover us for the season? No, of course not. Our turnover is much more than that, but it will be a massive, massive help because it will be another £41,000 that I haven’t got to find from somewhere else.

“There’s always something to spend it on, and sometimes it’s already been spent before it arrives!”