Friday was another busy day in the ticket office with fans keen to secure their tickets for the Boxing Day home game against Bradford City [kick off 3pm].
And don’t forget that you can beat the queue this Monday by purchasing your e-ticket right HERE – simply show it on your device at your point of entry and you’ll be scanned in. It really is as simple as that!
The Bantams are expected to bring somewhere close to 1,500 fans, and with home sales already tipping towards the 4,500 mark, and online purchases available over the festive weekend, it’s building up to be a very enjoyable day.
“Players want to be out there in front of big crowds,” manager Paul Simpson said. “I think it’s important for the whole football club.
“We want to generate an interest in Carlisle United and I think we’ve done that since I came back in February. The support has been absolutely fantastic, the way they’ve backed the players.
“I’ve asked for people to give us a chance and they’ve certainly done that. The players have gone out, performed, got results, and now they need to carry it on.
“We’re 21 games in with 25 to go, we’ve got to make sure we give our home supporters something to shout about that encourages them to come back for the next one.”
“There’s an extra noise that goes with the Christmas games, a good feeling about it,” he added. “People are generally coming in good spirits.
“We can’t force supporters to come out, but we really hope they do. I’m quite sure there’ll be a lot of noise coming from the left hand side of the east stand, as I look at it, from the away supporters.
“I hope the numbers we get in will come in and make a hell of a lot of noise as well, support the players, and keep giving them a chance.
“We’re loving the fact we’ve got a home game, it’s a great game to look forward to and we can’t wait to get it on.
“Even looking at the weather forecast they were saying it’s going to be dry up until late in the day, and that’s just perfect.
“Let’s get a good crowd, a great atmosphere and even more importantly let’s get a decent performance that brings a result to keep us going.”
In terms of the preparations, as we head into a busy run of games, he said: “We tried to build slack into it, to be honest, but getting the game rearranged for last Tuesday changed those plans a little bit.
“We had to bring them in on days and for sessions where they wouldn’t otherwise have been here. It’s part and parcel of being involved in football, you just have to prepare properly.
“We’ll train, we’ll do what needs to be done, we’ll do the homework on the opposition and hopefully we’ll be out for all three of the festive fixtures knowing what we need to do to win them.
“We’ve talked to the players and we’re asking them to train properly when we’re in. I won’t be bringing them in on Christmas Day, they’ll be given a programme to work to, when they’re at home.
“We expect them to come in on Monday ready to go and play. Over the years I’ve done all sorts of different things, I’ve had them in training on the day, I’ve let them stay off, and the truth is I don’t think it really matters.
“It’s about the players being in the right frame of mind, being prepared to work as hard as they can, being professional when they’re not in the club.
“Boxing Day is about getting the result. I talk about performance a lot of times - I want a result on Boxing Day, it’s as simple as that.”
As with most involved in the professional game it’s accepted that sacrificing segments of what is traditionally considered to be a family time of year is simply what has to be done.
“I used to hate it over Christmas when I wasn’t working,” he told us. “Even when I was working at the FA and I could do what I wanted, you just want to be involved in getting ready for games and three points.
“It can feel like a bit of a bind playing on Boxing Day, the 29th and the 1st, but it’s definitely more of a bind when you’re not involved in it and you’re clicking your heels wondering what you can do.
“I’m quite sure Jacqui will be sick of the sight of me by the end of Christmas Day and she’ll be looking forward to pushing me out of the door on Boxing Day morning to come to work for the Bradford game.
“To be honest, I was talking to her the other day and I told her I just can’t switch off. It’s always there.
“I’m going to really enjoy Christmas Day, this is the first time in probably ten years that we’ll have all three of the boys with us with their partners, and obviously we’ve got little Lottie now as well as my Mum and Dad.
“We’ve got a proper full house, but that’s why I came back here. I wanted to be working at this football club, which is why I won’t switch off from Bradford, but I also wanted to be near my family, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Having rejoined the club in February, he had a very positive summation of the past 10 months.
“It’s been better than I expected it to be,” he said. “Last Christmas, when I was out of work, I certainly wasn’t expecting to be managing back at Carlisle United, but I was really chuffed to get the call in February.
“It’s gone really, really well. I can’t put into words the welcome that I’ve had and the way the fans have accepted me back at the club.
“It’s been absolutely brilliant. I’m really enjoying my life again and hopefully it carries on for many a year to come.”