FOR a host of reasons, Mark Cooper is determined to lead Darlington to FA Trophy glory today. Not least among his motivations, is reclaiming bragging rights from his son, Charlie.

The Quakers take on Mansfield Town at Wembley this afternoon, when Cooper is aiming to give the club’s fans more than a mere “day out”.

The 42-year-old played – scored even – in the 2003 Trophy final for Tamworth, but defeat to then-UniBond side Burscough has left him impressing on his players the need not just to savour the occasion, but to win the game.

Do that, and he is quietly confident, and the achievement would top his managerial CV – twice taking Tamworth to the FA Cup third round, then Kettering Town to the fourth – thus far.

It might just outdo his 14-year-old too.

“What can you say? He was 11-years-old, playing at Wembley and his dad had been nowhere near,” said Cooper, who has a party of 100 – including his own dad Terry – in attendance this afternoon.

“It was great for him, captain of Solihull District and they won 2-1.

“He didn’t score – he’s not like his dad in that department, but he’s a better player.

“I managed to get pitch-side, the lad who ran the team had a pass, and it was fantastic to see my son play at Wembley.

“That was a 12 o’clock kick-off and I was manager of Kettering Town, and we had our last game of the season at 3 o’clock.

“I flew back to Kettering, came on as sub for the last four minutes and scored the winner.

“It was a great day, but he still had the bragging rights.” That apart, Cooper’s only other experiences of the home of football were an England game against Russia “two or three years ago”, and the recent pre-Trophy final media day.

But he added: “I don’t think you can ever envisage from those experiences what it’ll be like to lead the team out at Wembley.

“I’m looking forward to the occasion but I have got to make sure we get away from that.

“You can take it in, and look back on it at the end but we’ve got to make sure we do our jobs.

“Mine is to get the player’s motivated and switched on. If you go there and get beaten, it means nothing.

“Yeah you’ve had a good day, you’ve been to Wembley but you haven’t got a winner’s medal. That’s what it’s about.

“It’s about getting that message across that whatever team turns up and is at it will win the game.

“It’s been proved year in, year out in cup finals.

“I was player-assistant manager when I lost with Tamworth (to Burscough in 2003) and I was gutted.

“We’d been big favourites to win, I scored but it meant nothing. So we have to make sure we win and I think that would top anything I’ve done before.

“To be able to walk around after the game with the Trophy actually in your hand would be a fantastic achievement.

“It’s important that we’ve given the fans and the town a little bit of a bonus, getting to Wembley for a day out.

“Just going for the day is great but once we’re there we might as well win it.

“There’s a lot of experience in both teams, we’re evenly matched and each have our own injury problems.

“We finished quite a way above them in the league but it’ll be about the day.

“I’m confident in the players that we’ve got, that if we turn up and do things properly then we’ve got a good chance of winning the game.”

STEVE BROWN