Steelmen are all set for an emotionally-charged derby day

The Steelmen take on Harborough Town in a Northern Premier League Midlands derby in what will be the first home game since the untimely death of long-serving club president and secretary Gerry Lucas.

His passing last week prompted a huge number of tributes from fans, current and former players and the wider non-League football community while a minute’s silence was held ahead of Corby’s 2-0 defeat at St Neots Town last weekend.

On the pitch, a mouthwatering contest between two sides with play-off ambitions looks to be in store.

And boss Attenborough is determined to make sure his team are ready to deliver in front of their own fans.

“Sometimes you realise some things are bigger than football and it pales into insignificance when you think about the service Gerry gave the club,” the Corby manager said.

“There are people who have known Gerry a lot, lot longer than me so I’m probably not in the best position to sit here and pay all these tributes to him.

“All I can say is that in the four or five months I have been here, he couldn’t have made me feel any more welcome. He was brilliant with me.

“I already miss speaking to him on a personal level. It’s a massive loss for the club and he is truly irreplaceable.

“Hopefully we can put on a performance on Saturday to justify the occasion.

“Harborough are a team who have invested heavily this season and they haven’t messed about in trying to get top players in for this level.

“There will be a bit of bite about the game, which is great, and hopefully there will be two good teams going at it.

“We are confident we can get a positive result and if we can get the support we have in the last few games behind us again then there’s no reason why we can’t go and win the game.

“But we have to perform and that’s the long and short of it. It’s no good sitting here saying it, we have to go and do it.”