A busy morning at the Waterford FC shop saw supporters come in to pick up new merchandise ahead of next weekend’s FAI Club Orange Cup Final against Derry City.

The Blues face Derry at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, November 8th, and the excitement is growing by the day, with flags going up around Waterford and supporters making plans for the trip to Dublin.

Kevin Burns, who works in football operations at the club and is also goalkeeping coach with the women’s team, said staff had been kept busy since the cup final jerseys arrived.

“It’s absolutely mental. We’ve been in from early doors, and we got a delivery yesterday of all the cup final jerseys,” he told WLR.

“We noticed a bit of a panic during the week, with people coming in looking for them. We’ve been busy unboxing them, getting them up on the shelves and getting all the pre-orders sorted.”

For Kevin, the response has been great to see, particularly after some difficult seasons for the club.

He believes the cup run could bring new supporters through the gates and help build the club’s fanbase for the future.

“Everyone keeps saying it about people jumping on the bandwagon, but I don’t care if we get an extra couple of thousand in the Aviva, and some of that might come back again,” he said.

“It’s created a great buzz. We haven’t had something like this in a long, long time. We’ve been fighting relegation and stuff, so something like this is a huge positive and might get the next generation of fans in.”

Support right across Waterford

The build-up has spread well beyond the city, with communities across the county getting behind the team.

Dungarvan has its bunting up, while more than 50 flags are due to go up around Waterford City this weekend.

“I’m out Dunhill way, and there’s a bus going from Dunhill to the game, which I don’t think I ever would have thought happened,” he said.

Burns, who lives out towards Dunhill, said he had noticed the excitement closer to home too.

“To see it spread from just the city and around the RSC is amazing.”

He also paid tribute to the supporters who travel from the west of the county to follow Waterford throughout the season.

“We have huge support up in Dungarvan, and there are supporters up that direction who bring a huge crowd for every game, never mind just this one,” he said.

Looking beyond the cup final

While the cup final has captured everyone’s attention, Waterford still have league business to take care of as they look to secure their place in the Premier Division.

The team’s form has improved considerably since Graham Coughlan took charge, and Kevin said the players deserve credit for the way they have responded.

“If you take that form and put it at the start of the season, we could have been up near the top,” he said.

“But look, it’s a great run. Hopefully, it continues into next year.”

He added that the players have shown how much the club means to them during a crucial period in the campaign.

“They’ve shown a care for the club, for the badge, and wanting to keep this club in the division. That’s great to see.”

With the final now just over a week away, everyone connected with Waterford FC hopes the current excitement could be the start of something bigger.

For now, though, supporters are getting their jerseys ready and counting down the days until the Blues take to the pitch at the Aviva.