Hawks reap the benefits – on and off the pitch - from shortest overnight stay in the club’s history

Theo Widdrington celebrates after scoring Hawks' third goal in their FA Cup win at Bath City. Pic: Kieron Louloudis.

Despite it only being an 85-mile journey from Havant to Bath, chairman Derek Pope and CEO Stuart Munro agreed to fund their manager’s request to stay in Bristol on the Friday night.

The move reaped superb dividends on and off the pitch.

On it, Hawks had the best preparation for what on paper was a tricky tie at their National League South rivals.

Off it, the overnight stay gave the squad - containing a host of summer signings - valuable bonding time.

That included numerous games of table tennis and a chance to show off their vocal prowess.

In team sports, that sort of bonding time is priceless.

‘I’m delighted for the board and the chairman,’ said Doswell.

‘Stuart and Derek allowed us to travel up on the Friday.

‘Even if we’d lost today we’d have earnt just over £3,000.

‘We decided that we’d spend some of that, if not most of it, on giving us the best possible chance to prepare.

‘You can’t put a price on things like that.

‘It’s the first time we’ve ever stayed overnight since I’ve been here - it’s the first time we’ve actually gone on a coach.

‘Normally the players make their own way to away games.

‘It was nice for the chairman and Stuart to meet the new players properly - you don’t always get that chance.

‘The new players all sang their initiation songs - Lucas (Sinclair) was very good, he should be on X-Factor, but the French lads … they can’t sing!

‘We only did this (overnight stay) because it was the FA Cup.

‘We were facing a really good side, with a really good manager, and we produced a perfect performance.

‘The lads are all buzzing and it’s going to be a really good coach journey back.

‘These are the sort of things you live for in football … the coach journeys home on a bleak Saturday like this when you’ve just had a great result.’

Not only was it the first time under Doswell that Hawks had stayed overnight, it was the first time the club had ever won a match after travelling up early.

Director Trevor Brock didn’t know the specific number, but said Hawks had previously played over 20 away games after an overnight stay without winning.