Club legend Alan Jack is dreaming of an historic FA Cup run as Sheppey United make the four-hour pilgrimage to take on South Wales outfit Merthyr Town this weekend.

After years of early exits, Sheppey are now in sight of their best FA Cup run in living memory, and volunteer Jack will be hopeful that his side can progress beyond this weekend’s third qualifying round.

More: Sheppey fear nobody ahead of South Wales trip

Jack, 70, is approaching his 15th anniversary as a servant of the Ites, having first joined the club in 2009 during a time of struggle.

He played a vital role in the club’s restoration after more than a decade of underperformance both on and off the pitch.

Since then, he’s become a Jack of all trades – from treasurer, to historian, to matchday secretary, he has been an ever-present figure at the Isthmian South East side.

Jack is one of countless volunteers who play integral roles at non-league clubs across the country, with opportunities to get involved now available through the Pitching In Volunteer Hub – and can’t wait for Saturday’s big match.

“The only memory FA Cup memory I’ve got is that we used to go out early in every round,” he said.

“This is the furthest we’ve got in the FA Cup in living memory, so it’s a big game.

“We got this far not so long ago (2020-2021) and played Eastbourne Borough and only just lost. But we got there and we enjoyed it.”

Sheppey United have enjoyed domestic success in recent years, earning promotion from the Southern Counties East Premier Division in 2022.

However, the significance of the club stretches far beyond results on the pitch.

Jack has hailed the Ites’ success at bringing the Isle of Sheppey together – citing former chairman Matthew Smith, who is recognised to have saved the club from potential dissolution back in 2012.

Jack added: “Matt’s motto used to be ‘the club from the community for the community’.

“It's just nice to see 500 supporters from the island that we wouldn't have had on a Saturday [in their 2-1 win over Sittingbourne on Saturday], if we weren't here.

“We’ve got a mix in our support now. We’ve got the old supporters that used to go to the old ground plus we’ve got a mix of all the new youngsters that never knew the old club, so it's a massive support we’ve got.

“The last game of the season, not so long ago, we had 1200 supporters turn up so that was a record in modern history for the club.

“It’s helped the local community to enjoy football again. It's brought the whole island back together.”

Find volunteering opportunities at your local club by visiting https://pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk/