United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) ahead of Carlisle's League One match away to Rochdale, Hall first talking about the Blues fans turning out in force at Spotland in the penultimate game on the road for United this season :
JP
Into the final few games of the season, but away from home we are expecting a very good Cumbrian following today?
AH
Yeah, we can see it filling up directly opposite right now. I have got to be honest and say the fans have been fantastic with us this season, travelled all over the country, I have never known anything like it working with the club for 11 years. The amount of long distance away trips we have had is unprecedented, so pat on the back to them for helping us to achieve what we have achieved.
JP
One more stonker to come of course for the Carlisle fans down at Dagenham on, let's face it, the day after the royal wedding, so no traumas there trying to get down for that one I am sure for them. So, it appears the lion's share of them have made this one their last weekend of the season in terms of following Carlisle away. You just couldn't stop seeing Carlisle coaches on the way down?
AH
It is brilliant, it is a Bank Holiday as well isn't it so people are off work and they are able to dedicate a bit of time to supporting the club that they love, and here they are. I have seen some fantastic followings here over the years from Carlisle United, this is going to rival it and if we can give them a performance to match it then it will be noisy.
JP
Just looking around, I am not entirely convinced, but there was talk amongst some of the Rochdale people that they might actually outnumber the home fans here today, the Carlisle fans. There is talk among them they think of there maybe being around 2,000, I think that is maybe a little optimistic on their part. But, there is talk amongst the Rochdale people that Carlisle could bring that many today in terms of those paying on the door as well?
AH
It is possible, that is key to those who are going to walk up and pay to get in, because certainly the ticket sales back home in Carlisle were somewhere 500 and 600 I believe at close of play. So, it might have been a little bit more, but yeah, it would need a lot of people to actually decide to come here on the day, and if they do then even with what is there now it will be noisy from Carlisle.
JP
I will put you on the spot here, can you remember the last time Carlisle did outnumber the home fans at an away match?
AH
I can't no.
JP
I think, I could be wrong, but I think it was the Macclesfield away leg in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy when Carlisle made it to Cardiff that time where they lost to Swansea in the end.
AH
Very, very possible, Brian Horton was their manager, remember it well.
JP
I remember him and Paul Simpson having a bit of a to-do at the end as well.
AH
That is why it sprung to mind.
JP
Look, this is one of those final games of the season, it almost has that sort of feel to it for Carlisle, although Greg Abbott with a completely unchanged squad clearly as a manager not treating it that way?
AH
He has just told them in the dressing room, it was the bulk of the pre-match team-talk, was to not let this go away from us, they are going to go for it are Rochdale, they have got a real chance of getting into the play-offs, but we have got a real chance of finishing fairly high up the table ourselves. So, that is what we have got to concentrate on and if we did anything other than go out there with a committed performance today then that lot opposite wouldn't be too happy about it.
JP
Their highest finish is second in the Third Division ever, Rochdale, if they were to win promotion which they are looking to do via the play-offs, whatever they do next season will be the highest they have ever been as a club, they will not let this one go easily for Carlisle today?
AH
No, they won't, Keith Hill is a vrey good manager and we saw it ourselves when we had that season in the play-offs when we almost infact got ourselves automatic promotion, it was really difficult the following season. I don't know whether that is a mental thing, I don't whether it is a coincidence but the number of teams that happens to, if you either fall short having got this close having just come up, or if you get in there and then fall short it seems to hurt the next season. Keith Hill has been in the game long enough to know that, so he will want to push them to keep going to keep the momentum going.