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"The fans will be vital and if we are all together as one at Cardiff then we can all enjoy it at the end. The crowd was fantastic against Wycombe in both legs of the semi-final and created a wonderful atmosphere.
"The fans have been responding to the team and the team is responding to them. I would urge the fans to go to Cardiff and have a terrific day. I often think back to Barnet away on a Tuesday night in January when there were 137 of our fans there and it was a horrible evening.
"I remember those people as they are the core of the club's support, but we can all have a cracking day at Cardiff and if we can win it will be something to remember forever. I will tell them to go and enjoy themselves, but work hard, trust each other and enjoy the challenge as that's what it's going to be.
"They have to make the most of it as they won't get many days like tomorrow. We want to do the business now after all the excitement and anticipation. There is steadiness and a calmness about these players and although there will be nerves on the day, they will be determined to get the job done. We don't want any regrets."
Grimsby boss Russell Slade talked to The Grimsby Telegraph about his options upfront on the big day now that 17-goal striker Gary Jones has had his appeal against his sending-off against Lincoln upheld, commenting :
"Gary has got a slight thigh problem but I don't think there will be any way of stopping him playing through it after his appeal was successful. Michael (Reddy) too is looking a lot better than he has in recent weeks.
"The groin problem is still there, but he has trained a lot more in the last 10 days and all things being equal he should be in from the start alongside Gary. It gives us a big boost to have them both available of course - they have more than 30 goals between them this season."
Jones himself was overjoyed at the news of his availabilty for the final, after the big striker had expected to miss the most important match of the season for the Mariners, Jones saying :
"I am made up but didn't expect it. I was watching Sky Sports all day to see if there was any news but then Grez (assistant manager Graham Rodger) phoned to tell me.
"It is unusual to have it overturned but a lot of people have worked hard on my behalf and the gaffer put a good case in. It would have been a blow to miss the occasion after a long hard season - I just can't wait now."
Cheltenham go into the clash with a virtually fully-fit squad to choose from, the only absentee for the Robins being long-term injury victim Jamie Victory. The left-back having come on so well from a recent groin operation that he may have actually been able to feature in the game if the Gloucestershire effort had been short on numbers. Town have lost only one of their last eight games as the form team going into the play-offs, that single defeat did come at the hands of Grimsby though when they lost 1-0 at Blundell Park on the 21st of April. Gary Jones scored the goal that night in a win for the Mariners that denied League Two champions Carlisle automatic promotion at the time.
Now that Gary Jones had his red card from the play-off semi-final second leg rescinded he should partner Michael Reddy in attack, although as Grimsby boss Russell Slade has explained, both are struggling a bit with injuries. Defender John McDermott is definitely missing with a thigh problem picked up in the semi-final first leg away to Lincoln, while midfielder Curtis Woodhouse will play his last game for the club before retiring to become a boxer. Another player struck down with a thigh injury is ex-Swansea right-winger Marc Goodfellow who may be missing from the Mariners substitutes bench. Town have won both games against Cheltenham this season, winning 3-0 at Whaddon Road way back in the middle of October in the first meeting between the two sides in the regular campaign. Grimsby, like the Robins, are also in good form, having only lost one of their last nine games, and that coming by the way of a 1-0 defeat away to Carlisle in early April.
The match is broadcast live on SKY Sports Two from the Millennium Stadium, kick-off at 3pm. The referee for the game is Paul Taylor from Waltham Forest in North London.