PREPARING for the “biggest game in their history” Lowestoft Town this week received welcome support from Glenn Roeder and Norwich City FC.The Blues, who entertain Northern League Whitley Bay next Saturday, in the FA Vase semi final first leg have been offered the use of City's Colney training facility some time next week - ahead of their “massive” match.

PREPARING for the “biggest game in their history” Lowestoft Town this week received welcome support from Glenn Roeder and Norwich City FC.

The Blues, who entertain Northern League Whitley Bay next Saturday, in the FA Vase semi final first leg have been offered the use of City's Colney training facility some time next week - ahead of their “massive” match.

And with thousands of Lowestoft fans expected to flock to Crown Meadow next Saturday, The Journal can today reveal that around 500-advance tickets have already been sold for the eagerly-awaited first leg - and more tickets, priced at £6 for adults and £3 for concessions, will again be sold at tomorrow's local derby against Kirkley and Pakefield.

Praising Lowestoft's achievements this week, Glenn Roeder revealed he was “pleased by the success” of one of our local teams.

“I am delighted for Lowestoft Town and their supporters that they have reached the FA Vase semi-finals,” the Canaries boss said.

“The fact that they have been drawn against Whitley Bay in the last four has certainly created some interest at Colney. Lee Clark and Paul Stephenson, with their north east background, probably spent a lot of their school holidays on the beach at Whitley Bay, so we know where their loyalties lie.

“But Lowestoft will certainly be supported by Norwich City,” he added. “We're going to let them come down and train for a day at Colney - that is the least we can do.

“We're more than happy to give them the use of the training ground, put some food on for them and look after them and I hope that will give them the best opportunity of preparing for the semi-finals, where they have the chance to get to Wembley.”

And yesterday, joint Blues boss Micky Chapman praised Roeder and Norwich's “fantastic offer.” “There is an opportunity to use Colney next week, and if that comes to fruition it will be fantastic,” Chapman told The Journal.

With Lowestoft just two games away from a trip to the twin towers, and a possible place in the national final of the FA Vase at Wembley, Chapman has called on his players to respond and “bounce back” after his players went “from heroes to zeros” by underperforming and losing their past two games - which included a “disappointing” 1-0 Suffolk Premier Cup semi final defeat against Leiston.

And speaking about Wembley, and the prospects for The Blues, Roeder said: “A lot of those lads would normally only go to Wembley to watch a game, but now they are one round away from playing at what is still the most famous stadium in the world. “Wembley is still the one people all over the world regard as number one.”

To do that, Lowestoft will have to negate the threat of a player that Roeder had on trial while manager of Newcastle United last year - sharp-shooting Bay striker Lee Kerr.

He spent the first week of March last year as a triallist at Newcastle but failed to win a deal with the Premiership outfit, after playing under reserve team boss Lee Clark and in the same team as current City favourite Matty Pattison.

Speaking of Kerr, Roeder said: “He is a decent footballer, probably good enough to play in the Football League. “He's a nice boy and a decent character. He gave it his best shot but he wasn't quite up there with what Newcastle needed. “He will definitely be a threat against Lowestoft - a good player in that league.”