Arya News - Spennymoor Town head to Wembley for the FA Trophy Final, hoping to complete a special non-league cup double.
Spennymoor are aiming to become only the second club after AFC Fylde to win both the Vase and the Trophy.
They finished ninth in the National League North this season competing against fully professional sides while still operating on a part-time basis, with the squad training on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Their run to Wembley has seen them knock out National League sides Boston United, Sutton United and Rochdale in the semi-final.
And it has created lots of special memories for head of football Jason Ainsley.
He is "Mr Spennymoor", having first signed for them as a player and then worked as assistant manager, coach, 13 years as manager and now his current role.
While he was in charge in May 2013 when they defeated Tunbridge Wells to lift the FA Vase.
"We get crowds of 1200-1300 from a population of 22,000 so the football team is a big part of what the community is all about," Ainsley said.
"For a club the size of ours to get to Wembley twice in 12 years, it"s phenomenal really.
"In the Vase, we were the big pull at that time because we had a really strong team, the elite of north east players. North east clubs had a monopoly on the Vase and Spennymoor were expected to do really well.
"Now, it was important to have a good run but we"ve beaten some really strong sides.
"At Rochdale, I got a car park space at the ground and we had flyers on our car doors about transport to Wembley!
"I think they just expected to turn up and win but we equalised with the last kick of the game and then stood up under pressure and scored all five penalties.
"That game just summed up Spennymoor."
The Moors have become used to battling against the odds, operating as a part-time club against former EFL regulars like Scunthorpe United and Chester City.
In the last few years, they have had to compete against Stockport County, Salford City and Harrogate Town, who have gone on to survive and thrive at higher levels.
But Spennymoor have found a way of succeeding by drawing on their unique spirit and togetherness.
"There are probably a lot of teams punching far less above their weight than we are," Ainsley added.
"Teams don"t like coming to play us. Our pitch has a little bit of a slope on it and we have players who never give up and have that north east fighting spirit.
"They don"t want to come here on a Tuesday night."
"Didn"t even enjoy celebrations"
Ainsley will take his seat in the royal box at Wembley, confident that his day will BE less nerve-wracking than in 2013.
However, he will understand the emotions that manager Graeme Lee will be enduring on the touchline down below.
"Last time, I didn"t even enjoy the night," he recalled. "I had a few pints and went to bed, I was just shattered.
"Now, it"s a great occasion and I can take my seat and see the different level we"re at from when I was manager. It will fill me with immense pride."
