Holker Old Boys boss Kevin Watkin hopes promotion glory for his side today could help revitalise football in the local area.

The Rakesmoor Lane club host Golcar United today in the North West Counties Division One play-off final.

The club are eyeing a bumper attendance for the showpiece contest, and hoping Barrow AFC fans will swell the crowd with the Bluebirds not in action today.

Victory would cap an impressive season and Watkin hopes the effect of such success could spread.

“As well as what it would do for us as a club, hopefully it could also get that momentum behind local football as well, which I think has waned a little bit to some extent," he said.

“We’ve got to try and get that enthusiasm back in the town.

“We’ve got a very strong local football community here and we’ve got to remind ourselves how strong it is.

“Hopefully we can do that to encourage other teams and players.

“Some lads have stopped playing with the [Covid] pandemic – hopefully w can give them that inspiration and appetite to restart and strengthen local football again.”

Today’s final sees the sides who finished second and third in the table face off for promotion.

Holker ousted Nelson in last weekend’s semi-final while Yorkshire outfit Golcar got the better of AFC Blackpool.

“It’s refreshing to see second v third in the final – I think it shows the consistency over the year and there’s a reason behind it,” Watkin added.

“They will pose us a very tough challenge, as they have in the previous two games.

“Small details in these type of games make big difference; it can be a moment of quality from an individual, or a mistake.

“If we can maintain our performance levels we’ve set across the season, we’ve got every chance in a one-off game of football.

“We’ve got trust in the group and lads to give it everything.”

On what promotion would mean, Watkin added: “It would be a great achievement for everyone, not least the people that do everything to keep the club going.

“We want to be as high as possible in the football structure.

“The interactions I’ve had lately, whether that’s people at work, social media, walking around the street, you can see there’s interest in the club at the moment.

“It’s nice to have and hopefully we can all benefit from it.

“Like any local club, the last couple of years has seen its ups and downs. We’re on an upwards trajectory at the moment and we’ve just got to keep pushing that and enjoying it like we can.”