This is a football town

Last updated : 10 April 2009 By Tony Scholes
And he's looking for a lift from the fans and wants the fans to create the sort of atmosphere we had in the big Carling Cup ties on the Turf, particularly the night against Spurs.

"We know we don't have, in terms of numbers, what other clubs have," Coyle said. "But when there are fourteen or fifteen thousand here there's a far better atmosphere, with all due respect, to other clubs who might have 33,000.

"This is a football town and there are certain football clubs you equate with being a real football town, where people have grown up with the history and tradition. I've played in some big, big stadiums, 80.000 and what have you, but I've never encountered an atmosphere like the night we played Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor in the semi-final.

"That was with 20,000 or so, so that tells you, if you can recreate that atmosphere, and the stadium is conducive to that atmosphere, our fans have got to realise the role they can play.

"Our fans are so vocal, and when they are and the players are champing at the bit to get them a result, that's a potent force and a formidable threat. The support is vital, as it has been from day one, and to be fair to the fans they've been nothing short of magnificent and long make that continue.

"When you have that level of support, particularly when it's so vocal, the players respond to that, and hopefully that will be the same again against QPR."

Coyle is very much concentrating on one game at a time and added: "We have the blinkers on and that's what we will continue to do. We are not getting ahead of ourselves and I know people tend to do that.

"We know things are in our own hands and we have to remain focused. You don't get the chance to have a successful season every year and we are trying to build a project here. Nothing is guaranteed, but we know when we are at our best we can win games and I have great belief in this group."