Historic day for Fleetwood hero Pond

Pond, who turns 31 on Sunday, has been at the club since 2003 and has been an ever-present figure as the club has risen from the North West Counties to League One.

And the centre-half - who made his 400th appearance at the Banks’s Stadium too - is set to break a 50-year-old record by overtaking Jack Ainscough’s all-time appearance record.

If Pond had not already carved his name in the club’s history books during his 13 years at the club then he is truly cementing his legacy by overtaking Ainscough’s tally.

Ainscough joined the club from Blackpool in 1954 and Pond equalled that record against the Seasiders in Town’s 0-0 draw last Saturday.

And now Pond is hoping his record breaking appearance is not just memorable on a personal level but also for the club as they could possibly seal their League One status at Walsall if results in Blackpool’s game against Wigan and Doncaster Rovers’ game against already relegated Crewe go in their favour.

He said: “I will break the all time appearance record for Fleetwood Town on Monday.

“It will be a proud moment but there are other issues on the mind for the club and that is to win the game and stay in this league.

“I don’t really want to take anything away from the team at this moment in time.

“The focus should be on the team and survival in League One and then once we are safe I can look back on my achievement.

“I just want to win the final two games and seal survival.

“It would be very nice to score a goal on Monday.

“I’ve not scored in the right goal yet this season. I scored down the road (in the wrong net as Blackpool won 1-0 earlier this season.)

“Set-pieces are a big part of the game now, I don’t think any of the centre halves other than Marcus Nilsson have scored this season so Monday would be a great time to get a goal.”

Pond is already a record breaker with his name going in the Guinness World Record books as ‘the most football (soccer) divisions played in for one club by an individual’.

The accolade came as after six promotions in ten seasons Pond played in his seventh different division for the club when he captained the side in their first ever League One game against Crewe in 2014.

And he says the Walsall game will be another highlight of his career if he they can win their survival fight.