WAYNE Thorne has issued a rallying call to football fans across Wiltshire after Bradford Town were handed a home draw against Leighton Town in the fifth round of the FA Vase on Monday.

The Bobcats defeated Western League rivals Buckland Athletic away from home on Saturday to progress to the competition’s last 16 as Dean Griffiths and Charlie Maddison found the back of the net in Devon.

It means Thorne’s squad are now just three wins away from making a once in a lifetime appearance at Wembley Stadium in the competition’s final.

The first of those three hurdles will be faced on Saturday, February 8, when Spartans South Midlands League outfit Leighton visit Trowbridge Road.

Leighton currently sit 11th in their 21-team regionalised fifth tier having won half of their 18 league games this season.

But Thorne has prioritised generating a hostile atmosphere for their fifth round visitors, and wants to ensure fans experience a proper cup tie.

He said: “Players will massively respect and appreciate all the help they get.

“We’ve had good crowds this year – and crowds travel to teams that are successful. What we need to do is attract the local people.

“If your team isn’t at home on February 8, please come and support us. I hope we can make the region proud.

“Melksham had a great run a couple of years ago, and it would be great if a Western League team could do that again. I’ll be calling on as many people possible to make this a proper cup tie.

“This is the last 16, the temperature will raise up a bit.”

Beating Leighton and advancing to the Vase’s sixth round would write club history.

Only twice before have the Bobcats reached the fifth round – both of those achievements occurring in the last five years (2015 & 2018).

Thorne is determined to re-write the record books, and will do everything in his power to ensure his XI are prepared for the tie.

He added: “It will be a great occasion, and hopefully a big crowd will be there to get behind the boys – we couldn’t have asked for anything more than a home draw.

“You don’t look at other teams until you can face them because they are in other leagues and they don’t concern you.

“But we’ll do our homework – I might have to ask a few favours from people to go and travel to watch them.

“They will be watched, and we’ll prepare for their visit closer to the time. We’ll do everything we can and cover all bases to make sure we have the best opportunity to progress.”