Flashback: Looking back to this day in 2014 and Gosport Borough's historic Wembley appearance ...

But the reasoning for the town being deserted now and in 2014 could not be more different.

While the population are currently being advised to stay at home when they can amid the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a joyous feeling six years ago.

The town were gripped by an unforgettable FA Trophy run from a club who were then in their first ever season of Conference South football.

They defeated higher league opposition in Nuneaton Town on the way to booking their first-ever Wembley final date.

Although they failed to lift the silverware on this day in 2014, suffering a 4-0 defeat to Conference outfit Cambridge - subsequently promoted back to the Football League that season as well - it was a day no-one associated with the club will never forget.

None more so than assistant manager at the time, Mick Catlin, who was handed the honour of leading the Borough team out in front of 18,120 fans at Wembley by then boss Alex Pike.

‘The story went back to the semi-final against Havant,' recalled Catlin.

‘When we played the first leg at Havant before the game, Alex decided that whatever happened he said to me, ‘when we get to the final you’ll be leading the team out.’

‘We still had two big games to go before we got to the final so I didn’t really take too much notice.

‘I just thought it was one of his mind games that he was always playing.

‘Obviously, we drew the first game 1-1 and with 10 minutes to go in the second leg I suddenly remembered what he’d said and reminded him of it.

‘He replied and said 100 per cent that I’d be leading the team out - that was the story really.

‘He was good to his word to be fair to him and I got the privilege of leading the team out and having the national anthems.

‘My granddaughter was the mascot, it was a good day all round really - apart from the result.

‘It’s the highlight of my footballing career, without a doubt.

‘Winning at Wembley would obviously be better.

‘It was a strange day because losing is losing, wherever you are, it’s not a nice feeling.

‘To put it into perspective really of what an achievement for a club like Gosport to get there in the first place.'

Borough were accustomed to being labelled with the underdog tag following their rise from the Wessex League to the Conference South.

This was something that Catlin felt worked in the club's favour as they came through the rounds to reach Wembley.

They were given little hope of beating Conference outfit Nuneaton in a second round tie.

Yet they did, winning on penalties in a replay away from home.

A 2-1 quarter-final win at North Ferriby - eventually to finish runners-up in Conference North - was equally as impressive.

That set up a mouthwatering semi-final tussle with Hampshire rivals Hawks, at the time a divisional rival of Gosport but above them in the table.

After drawing the first leg at Westleigh Park 1-1, Tim Sills' doublewrapped up a 2-0 second leg victory.

‘We started in the first round as we were Conference South at the time,' added Catlin.

‘We beat Nuneaton on our run to the final. They were a Conference team going well at that time.

‘That’s when we started to believe that we were going to get on a good run.

‘We beat Hungerford away, 1-0.

‘We had a tough quarter-final away to North Ferriby and they were going well in the Conference North.

‘No-one really expected us to get past that, and no-one really expected us to beat Havant, we were the underdogs most of the way through.

‘We were always the underdogs in the Conference South when we got up there.

‘We got up with back-to-back promotions and it elevated the club quite quickly.

‘We just had that mentality.

‘We’d had a bit of a hodoo over Havant in various games and we were confident we could win it over two legs.

‘But outside of the team I don’t think too many people gave us a chance.'

Gosport dropped out of the National League South at the end of 2016/17.

They have struggled since to rediscover the glory days under Pike, which also included a run to the first round proper of the FA Cup in 2014/15.

And Catlin believes this shows how big an achievement Borough getting to the national stadium was.

‘It was a good achievement and good to look back on,' he said.

‘I looked at Jamie Brown (Gosport captain that day) and said, ‘it doesn’t get much better than this.’

‘I don’t think it has for Gosport since then.

‘It’s taken Gosport a long time to recover.'