Ex-players' plea to Carlisle fans

By Paul Newton
BBC Radio Cumbria

Preece spent two seasons as a player at Brunton Park

Former Carlisle United players have backed the call for supporters to get behind the club as they battle to beat the drop from League One.

Andy Preece, Tom Cowan and Jeff Thorpe all believe recriminations should wait until Carlisle's fate is determined.

Thorpe told BBC Radio Cumbria: "When the crowd are behind you and you've got their backing and support it's massive.

"The Swindon game is absolutely huge. Everybody's got to get down there. We really need everyone behind the club."

The Cumbrians lie 20th in League One, just three points off the relegation places, with three games left to play.

These three games are massive...the lads need every bit of support they can get

Ex-Carlisle defender Tom Cowan

"I'm confident we can get out it." Thorpe said. "It's going to be a big ask."

"The saving grace is that one or two teams below can't win either."

Thorpe, who spent ten seasons at Brunton Park between 1990 and 2000, making over 250 appearances for the club, said he understood fans' grievances.

"A lot of people are angry with how the club's been ran and the investment that hasn't materialised after selling the top players." he said.

"The fans can take a bad performance from the team and from the players - they won't be happy about it but the can take it.

"But it's when the decision making from the top seems to be not what it should be that the fans really start to get upset and they're right."

Carlisle host 17th-placed Swindon Town at Brunton Park this Saturday, with games against second-from-bottom Cheltenham (A) and third-placed Millwall (H) to end their campaign.

Former striker Andy Preece also believes supporters should put their grievances on-hold until the end of the season.

"It's important that everyone sticks together." he told BBC Radio Cumbria's Matchnight programme.

"Everyone is going to feel the pressure, things have gone wrong this season but the most important thing now is the next three games."

Preece, who is now manager at Blue Square Premier side Northwich Victoria, was part of The Cumbrians' side who won promotion back to the Football League in 2004.

"When I came into the club, we were at rock-bottom on the back of twelve consecutive defeats. This is nowhere near as bad as it has been."

"I just hope people will be realistic about it and get behind the team.

"I'm sure once this season is over and we stay up then we will be consolidating and moving forward again."

Cowan was a team-mate of Preece during his two-year stay at Brunton Park and became a popular figure amongst the Cumbrians' supporters.

"I've been in this situation a few times as a player. I actually got relegated with Sheffield United out of the Premier League," Cowan said.

"It's a devastating feeling. But what you've got to do is dig in and hope results go for you.

"I know it's a cliche but it's three cup finals now. These three games are massive, the lads need every bit of support they can get."

The Cumbrians, who were beaten play-off semi-finalists last season, are now without a win in their last nine games and Jeff Thorpe believes manager Greg Abbott has a big task on his hands.

"It's a massive ask to get these players lifted. But players shouldn't need to be lifted for these matches, they should be doing it themselves as professionals.

"Some of these players are fighting for their professional lives and could be without a club at the end of the season."