United media officer and first team kitman Andy Hall (AH) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) this afternoon ahead of Carlisle's Capital One Cup tie at home to Accrington Stanley, Hall first talking about one of the Blues youngsters making his way into the starting eleven for the game:
JP
Great to be back for a new season, a glorious day as well, I want to talk to you about a couple of things, new strip and a new programme for this season, but I have got to start where we started with the team news, professional debut for Brad Potts at right-back, wonderful news?
AH
It is fantastic, and I don't think that too many people out there are going to be too surprised because he really has blossomed, pushed on and earned his place today I think. Greg Abbott will fully explain the reasons why he has picked him at the end of the game, but the fact of the matter is that that lad has not looked out of place.
Add the other three into the mix, (David) Symington, (Josh) Todd and Mark Beck upfront and they are all the same, even though Toddy has been missing through a niggling injury they don't look out of place. I think with no disrespect to all of the fantastic lads that have gone before and nearly made it, these ones have got a real chance. That has been proven today because it is the first competitive game of the season, two of them are on the bench and one of them starts.
JP
There is nothing like putting pressure on with comparisons but do you remember the last time a decent crop came through United's youth set-up?
AH
There was a little ker-ching sound in the background. No, we have got to be honest, I don't want people to think 'oh, listen to that', but it is a consideration. If clubs like Carlisle United, Accrington Stanley and all of our ilk are going to really push on then you have got to be finding those players in your own system that are going to come through from nine-years old, sometimes if you pick them up later, 13 or 14 or 15, you bring them in, develop them and push them on, and hopefully that is what will continue to happen.
JP
The reason we have Chris Lumsdon is he always thinks like a player and he made a great point as soon as we talked about this as well, with three lads who have come through, all first-year professionals, all right at the start of their careers, all in the starting line-up for Carlisle United or in the squad for the opening day of the season, other young players who were thinking about which club in the area to go to as well are going to sit up and take note of that and suddenly Carlisle might just look a little bit of a better option to players than some of those really big teams where you have maybe not got that chance of getting in?
AH
Absolutely, great point, and one level up from that the coaches who are working at places like Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle, they are going to think about us first before they start to contact possibly Hartlepool and other teams in the north-north-west and northern regions. So, we are in a good position, we shouldn't take it lightly, we shouldn't rest on our laurels with it because the new youth season started this morning with a 3-0 win and you are looking again and thinking there is a crop there you know, but it is up to them to take what has been happening over the last couple of years and develop it and push it on themselves as well.
JP
I know how much it means to the fans of Carlisle United to see what they can consider, I know that not all the lads come necessarily from Carlisle but they have come all the way through and they like to see their young ones grow and make their way in football and in our first team. I am sure we will talk plenty more about that over the course of the season. Let's talk about a couple of things that you have been busy on over the summer, a couple of new kits, right at the back end of last season we saw the new home strip which we will be seeing again today, and we are going to see a new away strip in a week's time I gather?
AH
We are, hopefully we will be using it at Stevenage, we still need to talk to Stevenage and confirm their colour scheme because if we can't match our green one with it then we will have to go with the blue-white-white. So, we will let you know about that midweek or so, certainly with the one with the diagonal stripe across the top, end of the season it was probably a 60-40 in favour split, now it is almost unanimous, they like it.
I am absolutely convinced the green one will go the same way, those who have seen it last night at the launch, those who have bought it today, they are all walking round saying that they like the quality, love the colour. Those who are sat at home and seeing it on the internet aren't convinced just yet, there will still be a few of them in a couple of months time, but I am confident that everybody will like it once they see it.
JP
Why the green stripes then, because I gather it is not a nod to Dave Mitchell's excellent work with the pitch here?
AH
No, it is not his mowing skills at all, it is Eddie Stobart, 18 years of sponsorship, what fantastic support to the club the Stobart Group have been across the board. WA Developments as they used to be helping out with the Centre of Excellence and Stobart Group have continued that as well. So, the relationship we have got with people like that is as vital as getting youth team players to come through the system. Because, without that kind of support, and I will take the opportunity to lump you guys here in as well, I let go Greg Abbott's thoughts from the press conference yesterday.
It is massively important that we have got a two-year deal with yourselves because we can showcase ourselves through Radio Cumbria. It isn't always smooth, you don't always feel like sending me a Valentine's card but I think that we all understand that we are working towards the same aim, the betterment of Carlisle United Football Club. I am delighted that we have got a two-year deal, delighted that Stobart are on board and delighted when you look around the ground boards here, plug for all the sponsors, we need them.
JP
Yeah, don't go through them all now otherwise I might have to cut you off, I didn't know that you knew about the Valentine's card I was sending, I thought that was anonymous. What about the start of the season then, this is the time isn't it for fans, it is that opening day, it is the League Cup this time around, and it is a great start against a side that there is just a little bit in there for fans. Greg Abbott will argue I am sure that there is no need for revenge after they knocked us out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy last year, but for the fans they will fancy setting the record straight there?
AH
And me, that was a horrible game, we had two players sent off, two key players sent off, it disrupted us at the time, we weren't playing that well you know. If you look back to it, I can remember being in the dressing room after the game, the roof was leaking, it was raining really heavily, dropping all over the players, there was a lot of despondent faces, it was one of those occasions, I hope he doesn't mind me telling you, when Greg Abbott opened the floor. There was a lot of honest speaking and I think we kicked on after that, so let's hope we kick on again today and just put that one to bed once and for all.
JP
And we can't wait to see a couple of the new arrivals in there as well, Michael Edwards and Alessio Bugno getting their first starts for United competitively?
AH
Two different characters, Mike Edwards is a leader, you know he might not have a captain's armband on but I tell you what, he will be shouting and screaming. He wil be one of the ones telling everybody what to do and when to do it and how to do it. Alessio Bugno, completely different, what is he? Flair, character, I don't know, we are going to see today, but a lot of excitement about him because he came in and earned himself the contract.
JP
The most creative left-back I have ever seen, but then again it is early days in his career, we wish him the best, we wish you of course the best as well, fingers crossed that we can open up with a nice comfortable victory over the League Two boys?
AH
Let's hope so, it is the big boys in the next round let's remember, and thank you guys once again, it is really important.