'Everyone played a part'
May 11 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal
SOME will, inevitably, be handed the acclaim, the spotlight will descend on the stellar few. But Whitley Bay captain David Coulson last night paid tribute to everyone at the club for their contributions to yesterday's FA Vase triumph.
The Seahorses beat Glossop North End thanks to goals from Lee Kerr and Paul Chow. Kerr was also man-of-the-match.
To them, the headlines. But to Coulson, it runs deeper, and he is right to say so. “It’s about everyone, everyone’s played their part, not just the goalscorers but all 11 lads who started, the subs, the lads who didn’t get on or who weren’t involved, they’ve all helped us get here,” he said.
“Then there are all the people behind the scenes. This is for them.
“Going up the steps at Wembley to lift a major trophy was unbelievable but to turn around and see all the fans who’ve backed us was brilliant.” Kerr, sent off in the semi-final at Lowestoft, had said he owed his team-mates. He was “awesome”, said manager Ian Chandler, who added: “Lee might be short of words but what he does on the pitch speaks volumes.” Dead right, on both points.
Asked what was going through his mind after scoring the winner, Kerr phlegmatically said: “Nowt really, it’s a game of football and thankfully we won.
“I wanted to put in a performance after Lowestoft, so hopefully that’s what I’ve done.” And then some. Chow too. Last Monday against Ashington, he scored his 39th of the season but with 40 beckoning, allowed assistant manager Steve Cuggy to take, and score, a late penalty which took the latter’s tally to 60, on his 100th appearance for the Bay.
Magnanimous stuff, so he more than deserved to net the goal he craved, his 40th, at Wembley. “Wasn’t bad was it?” he said, adding: “I’ve been stuck on 39 so I wanted to get to 40.” Chandler’s riposte was: “Stuck on 39? For about six days!” It was that sort of day. A brilliant, brilliant day.
