Today, we spoke to a content but slightly emotional Boreham Wood Chairman Danny Hunter, about tomorrow’s Scottish Challenge Cup tie, that is coincidently played a day after the 29th anniversary of his late father Mickey Hunter’s passing.
Mickey Hunter is of course a revered ex-Boreham Wood Manager and is the Chairman’s father. His memory and record shows that he won two promotions and multiple cups and is the man who many say, was the pioneer who laid the foundations to where the club actually sits today.
We spoke to the Chairman about tomorrow’s historic game against Dunfermline Athletic and about his father and in his normal honest way, this is what he said.
“Today’s a day when as a family, we will all remember my Dad’s memory and we’ll remember what he stood for… But tomorrow is a footballing day, albeit a day when the club he managed with such integrity, will go and do its best to honour our town and an old manager’s memory.
“In truth, Dad would of loved being an underdog tomorrow. He would of loved being a no hoper and to be a no hoper against a Scottish Championship side, would of been heaven to him as he’d of fancied himself to get a result.
“What I know is, that his team and this town used to mirror him. I know his teams would of fought tooth and nail to bring honour to him on the pitch and hence honour to our town. And trust me, he would know that a Luke Garrard changing room will be doing exactly the same.
“My father would of been so proud of Luke and our little club today. He would of realised we’re actually now mixing it with some real big boys and if you don’t believe that, then just look at our 1-0 win against Chesterfield on Tuesday, that was perceived as normal haha…
“Trust me, Dad would of loved last year’s fourth place in the National League, he would like me of been so proud of Luke, my staff, our dressing room and our whole Play-off and Wembley adventure.
“But like me, he would of said it’s a memory, it’s an amazing memory, but in the end, we ultimately failed on the day – that was his make-up…
“Dad though would of loved the spirit and energy of Luke, our staff and our dressing room. He would of been in raptures on the day of our 2-1 Blackpool FA Cup win last season and trust me, he would be so proud of the dressing room that will now compete in the Scottish Challenge Cup come 1pm tomorrow.
“Why? because he was us – he is us, and he was local… I am my father’s son, I am a council house gypsy who came from nothing, like all of us, this club somehow made him and makes me feel special and it gave him a cause… I more than most understand that!!!
“So I need to ask our supporters to please get yourselves down to Meadow Park. Please remember it’s a 1pm kick off and let’s not get shown up tomorrow by our Scottish counterpart’s support, by being embarrassed by our own lack of support.
“Why do I say this on my Dad 29th passing anniversary… Well, because at present Dunfermline have sold nearly 425 tickets and we’ve sold just 100 or so. And this is the most prestigious competition other than the FA Cup that this club has ever been in.
“I feel our town if it doesn’t turn out, is letting down our past, they’re letting down their football club and in truth, I really want a Cup Final up at Hampden Park for me, you and our community…
“If we can somehow find another big underdog, old school performance tomorrow. If we can somehow find a way to stick the mighty Dunfermline out of this competition, then we’re just three huge games away from an historic trip to Hampden Park.
“Can you even imagine a Hampden Park date in my Dads day even being on the radar. Could anyone ever imagine Boreham Wood Football Club back then being just a few short rounds from appearing at Hampden Park?
“I can just imagine what my father would be dreaming of today, on the 29th anniversary of his passing… He’d know that we’re now a National League club that doesn’t just tread water. He’d also know we now challenge as a club in his memory.
“He’ll know that we went to Wembley last season as a massive underdog, he’ll know that we played our hearts out in a National Play-off final in 2018 and lost.
“He’ll also know today, that this Cup competition represents a chance to take two or 3,000 of our community up to Hampden Park, the home of Scottish football, in 2019 and he’ll know if Luke and the dressing room can deliver that, then we will have the biggest party in our history, albeit on Scottish soil – now that really is the most surreal of thoughts haha.
“But to have any chance of progressing, we’ll need my father’s values, we’ll need our community to turn out, we’ll need our season ticket holders to turn out and we’ll need our occasional supporters to turn out, for what promises to be an amazing and historic cup tie…
“But whether win, lose or draw tomorrow, can I say today ‘GOD BLESS YOU DAD, THE 29 YEARS FEELS LIKE YESTERDAY AND TRUST ME, WE’LL BE DOING OUR BEST FOR YOU AND THE TOWN TOMORROW.”
