United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) on Friday evening ahead of Carlisle's League One game at Notts County tomorrow, Hall first looking back on the Cumbrians defeating Huddersfield 4-0 at Brunton Park in the first leg of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Northern Area Final on Tuesday night :
JP
You know have probably got to start planning potential trips to the capital, but not mentioning that anywhere in the club or near any players or pretty much anyone, but still having to plan it?
AH
No, we have got to be honest and say that we can't ignore it, especially when you have got yourself a first leg lead. With the game last year, the Northern Area Final, we held back a little bit because it was more in the balance. But, you can't take anything for granted, but with a lead like that you have got to start to think to yourself that we have got a real chance.
So, you get the feelers out and you do start to plan for it but you always do it sensitively because when you are walking into the manager's office he has either got a game in a situation like we are in at the moment, Saturday-Tuesday, that he is planning for, or a session. So, you have got to make sure that you time it right because what you can't do is take the focus away from the real work that is ahead of us at the moment.
JP
One prominent fan alone has told me that 27 buses and 12 hotels have already been provisionally booked for Carlisle United fans. So, you can't just sit and wait can you otherwise there might be nowhere for the team to stay?
AH
That is exactly the reason why you have got to do it, and I think Greg (Abbott) has been great actually this week. Because, there have been a couple of times when I have had to go in and I have had to say that I have had to mention the W word, what do you want to do about this, this and this? He sort of rolls his eyes at me and then gives us the steer and off we go and get it done. I think everybody is aware at the club that you have got to plan for it, but not take it for granted.
JP
Obviously, we are right in the middle now of that transfer window that I know everyone in the footballing world rather hates. But, it has been a very interesting period for fans, still plenty of work to do that Greg has even alluded to as late as this evening. What sort of a period has this been for the club in terms of getting everything together?
AH
It is busy and I don't quite remember a January like it to be honest with you. Because, the people that I work with closely with, the managing director (John Nixon), the manager, the assistant manager (Graham Kavanagh) and all the people around them are constantly trying to make things happen and make things work to try to benefit the club.
I have never really seen a situation like it where, everybody keeps mentioning what we want to achieve as a club, and there seems to be a real focus on trying to get the players in that will make that happen for us.
Again, it is not something we can take for granted, we have seen player signings that work and player signings that don't and that is why I think there is so much background work going on as well to try to make sure that the two/three/four, however many players that Greg does sign who come in are the right ones for this football club.
JP
And obviously you are the man in charge in your role as media officer at promoting Carlisle United, talking about the things that are good, talking about the things to be worked on. How has this last week or so been as a period in that role with the two fine results that the club have had?
AH
Well, it is fantastic, but again I think Greg nailed it when he said you have not got to get carried away. Don't get carried away with the good things, don't get carried away with the bad things.
Because it is all about, look at last season, 60 games we played in total last season, that is what it is all about over the course of that season is the 60 games that you play, it is how you have done at the end of it. When you look back at it all if it has all been good then you can pat yourselves on the back, if it is hasn't that is when you have to answer the questions.
JP
Both Graham Kavanagh and Peter Murphy in the last couple of weeks have talked about the fact that the club are aware that they need to try to squash this idea that they don't raise their game for the so-called lesser teams.
Of course you have done that against Bristol Rovers, but then again you have gone and beaten another of the really big teams in the division (Huddersfield), how focused has everyone been this week, the remainder of this week, in terms of making sure Carlisle give the right performance against Notts County?
AH
Well, the thing to remember about Notts County is that they have spent a lot of money and they are on the back of a promotion and they are actually on the back of a really good run of results. So, again, they are not a team that you can take lightly. But, you are right, it is something that everybody is aware of even though the manager is trying to deflect that away from the lads a little bit in the answer that he gives.
I think he is right to do that because he has got to try to protect his players, build them up ahead of games as much as he can. But, everybody is aware of the fact that sometimes it looks that way, I wish we could explain why, I wish we could explain why we can beat Southampton 3-2 and then lose against Tranmere 2-1. Nobody can tell you why that happens, if we could then I think we would be top of the Championship, let alone fighting for a top six in League One.
JP
Just finally, one that I know you are not responsible for but I am going to put you on the spot. Tiddleface, where on earth does that come from for poor Tom Taiwo as a nickname?
AH
We have got a master of nicknames at the club called Dennis Booth and if he has any hassle whatsoever with anybody's name when he first meets them or if he is walking down the corridor, and says who are you again then you get a nickname.
Mine is Bosnia Bill simply because I was in the Army and I once served in the Balkans. Tommy Tiddleface, I think it is because he happens to be one of the shorter members of the group, so Tommy Tiddleface is a sort of a literative or whatever it is, but that is what he came up with and it stuck.
JP
I can see it happening now, I can see the evolutionary process there of Dennis Booth being unable to say Taiwo, so Tiddleface, that will do.
AH
That is exactly it, and it was with Zigor Aranalde, he didn't even try, he just said you're Bob.