RICHARD Hill is calling on Eastleigh fans to be the 12th man in their big FA Cup first round showdown at home to Lincoln City on Saturday.

With the Spitfires gunning to reach the second round proper for the first time ever, team boss Hill reckons Spitfires supporters can play a major part in helping to make history.

While the visit of fellow Vanarama Premier outfit Lincoln may not be one of the sexiest fixtures on the first round list, the very fact that Eastleigh are at home gives them a fighting chance of going through.

And while Hill would never be as presumptuous as to suggest that home advantage makes the Spitfires slight favourites, he knows that the better the atmosphere the fans can generate at the revamped Silverlake Stadium, the better their chances will be.

Growing up as a Leicester City fan, the FA Cup was always a really big occasion for Hinckley-born Hill and it pains him that the competition doesn’t always generate the passion from fans that it did in years gone by.

“I hold the FA Cup really highly and I used to get so excited as a kid when me and my old man were going to watch Leicester,” he said.

“Back in those days there were always full houses for FA Cup games, but in the last ten or 15 years attendances haven’t been what you’d have expected in years gone by.

“I just hope that, after all the hype of us getting into the first round for only the second time in our history, the people of Eastleigh will come out and support us.

“I know it costs season-ticket holders more money to pay for cup games and I know it’s near Christmas and money’s tight.

“But this is a special occasion for the club and I just hope we get a decent crowd behind us as opposed to going back down to 400-500 as we had when we played Oxford City last year.

“I’d love to be able to generate a real good cup atmosphere.

“I always like to think our fans treat the opposition with respect but, at the same time, it can make the Silverlake a tough place to come if the fans come out in numbers and get behind us.

“They have done so far this season and hopefully they will continue to do so.”

Eastleigh are unbeaten on Stoneham Lane soil this term – a stunning achievement for a club still acclimatising to their first ever season in non-League’s top flight.