Andy Booth chose to ignore the old adage that you don't go back to a former club but now after, a few years in the wilderness, Huddersfield Town are on the brink of promotion from the Third Division. Givemefootball's Lawrie Madden caught up with the striker for whom the taste of success would be sweeter than most at the McAlpine.
Q:HAVE YOU RECOVERED FROM THE SEMI FINAL GAMES YET?
A:Well, it took a few days for it to sink in but it has now and we are just getting ourselves focused on the final against Mansfield and we are looking forward to it.
Q:GOOD MEMORIES OF YOUR LAST PLAY-OFF FINAL?
A:I went and won with Huddersfield in 1995 and that was fantastic. But I have to say this would be a bigger achievement after what this club has been through. We only had five players in pre-season and yet nine months later we were 15 minutes away from automatic promotion. That's gone but now we're at Cardiff. I would have taken that at the start of the season.
Q:IT'S A YOUNG TEAM, YOURSELF ASIDE, ANY DANGER SOME PLAYERS MIGHT FREEZE ON THE BIG DAY?
A:They haven't so far this season and they have got better and better as the season has gone on. Everything that has happened they have taken in their stride and not been overawed. Having said that we did bring in a couple of experienced players before the deadline like Rob Edwards and Iffy Onuora who are in their 30s so that brought up the average age a bit. I am not the oldest now!
Q:HOW ARE THE FANS RESPONDING?
A:A few years ago we were down and you could go into town and not know there was a football team because it was depressing with relegation from the First Division and then the Second. Now though the town is buzzing. Everywhere you go there are flags and banners all over the place.
Q:DO YOU HAVE GOOD VIBES ABOUT THE CLUB'S FUTURE?
A:Yes, we had reached rock bottom but with the young lads coming into the club we have got stronger and stronger. I believe that the fans think so as well and our support this season, home and away, has been amazing. I think we will take 30,000 fans to Cardiff so they seem to believe that we are on the way up.
Q:IT'S NOT JUST A DAY OUT THOUGH IS IT?
A:The last time I went to the play-off final I didn't really think about it too much really until the day before. Then I realised what was a stake and it was an incredible feeling. No, it is not just a day out I can assure you. You realise that your whole season is based on one day and that is an incredible feeling.
Q:ANY PREDICTIONS?
A:No, not really. They beat us near the end of the season at our place so they might take something from that but then Northampton beat them near the end of the season but they beat them in the play-offs. I am just looking forward to the game.
