He said: "A lot of fans came out and made a conscious effort to encourage players. I am quite sure it made a big impact on the team's performance."

Wilson has often criticised a small section of the Vics fans who aim abuse at individual players.

The most recent incident came during the Kingstonian game when Martin Filson was the notable recipient. Contrary to some reports, Filson remains a Vics player and arrived at The Drill Field on Saturday with Wilson.

The manager admitted there was a sense of defiance in the dressing room before the match.

He added: "The players were determined not to let any dissenters upset them. Equally, after the game they were really pleased with the way a lot of the fans got behind them."

There were no additions to Vics' injury list on Saturday, but there will be no players likely to return for Saturday's home clash with Woking either.

NORTHWICH Victoria have issued an official statement reponding to suggestions the club wasn't founded in 1874, as was originally thought.

A press cutting from an edition of the Northwich Guardian published on October 2, 1875 includes a story about Northwich Hare & Hounds And Football Club changing its name to Northwich Victoria FC.

However, Graham Cookson, Northwich Vics' company secretary, stated in an official statement: "Any serious researcher will know one piece of information viewed in isolation cannot be used to prove or disprove anything."

He added: "Even a cursory examination of the reproduced report shows reference is made to 'last season' ie, the season before 1875/76, so clearly the organisation was playing football then."

The statement, the only one the club is willing to make on the subject, concluded: "Again, 'A Team For All Seasons' acknowledges that the club in its earliest days was a Hare & Hounds club. It may well have been that the title Victoria was not added until 1875, but the organisation, which existed in 1875, was certainly the same organisation which existed in 1874, and possibly earlier than that."

Vics' youth team face Rochdale at The Drill Field tonight in their Youth Cup replay, kick-off 7.45pm.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.