By Dave Noble - CUOSC

The call in this column last week was for 17 cup finals. The message was clearly misinterpreted and the first of them was akin to the 2010 JPT final with Southampton, rather than Brentford in 2011.

To give us any faint hope of maintaining our third tier status the next 16 need to resemble the result of the latter - if not, then at least the performance and battle of our very first with Birmingham in ‘95.

Time is something any new team needs to gel together, and unfortunately time is something that is quickly running out in terms of fixtures remaining. We can but hope it all clicks into place this weekend against Portsmouth and we can pick up some much needed points.

One thing that is undeniable is the continued progress being made with developing Brunton Park. Further planning applications have been lodged this week to enhance the Warwick Road End amenities and disabled viewing area. The matchday experience is very much in focus in enticing fans to games, even when the results on the pitch are not providing a lot of encouragement.

Nevertheless, it is performances on the grass that are the biggest draw for crowds. Obviously the current state of these is cause for concern and it is testament to the commitment of CUFC supporters that we are still seeing crowds well ahead of what could previously be expected in such a slump of form.

Off the pitch the positive news continues with the awarding of a grant from the Lottery Heritage Fund which will see ‘Be Just and Fear Not’ become the first exhibition post redevelopment at Tullie House in July. The project aims to not only better document and share the club’s history, but also provide a huge programme of community activities.

Bringing United’s rich history to life for future generations will be the bailiwick of the Project Curator, a role currently advertised on the Tullie House website. So if you have the skills and a keen interest in all things Carlisle United. From Broadis to Balderstone, Shankly to Simpson, Twinkletoes to Tony Cullen, the deadline for applications is February 22.

Head over to our website www.cuosc.org.uk to join and have the chance to spend the Cambridge game with us in the Boardroom in our monthly draw. It currently costs £10 for an adult for one year and £5 for seniors and under-18s.