How Jim's Whirlwind Week Changed His Life Totally Forever

He’s by no means a big gambler, but it’s a safe bet that he’ll see your rollercoaster ride and raise you his early summer 2007 experience.

The Morecambe captain became the third man to ever lift a trophy at the new Wembley but coming from behind to beat Exeter City, promoting the club to the Football League for the first time in its history, was just a subplot within the story.

Like all hardbacks worthy of print, there’s agony and ecstasy in almost equal measure.

For Bentley, now AFC Fylde manager after his 17 years and 763 games of service to the Shrimps, it was seven days that changed his life.

“My friend and old team-mate Mike Howard had booked his stag do for the day after the Promotion Final,” he recalled. “Just think what I would have been like in Benidorm had we lost!

“We got on the beers as soon as we got back in the dressing room. We had a few in the hotel then on the coach back that night, as you do.

“I got home and watched the game back, still drinking. There was no point in going to sleep by that point, Mike’s dad was coming round to get me at 4.30am to take me to the airport.

“To cut a long story short, I was in Spain by 10am and carried on drinking. I actually didn’t sleep until Tuesday!

“I remember we were in a sports bar out there on the Monday. I got chatting to a lad - it was the FA Cup final on the Saturday, Chelsea v Manchester United, our play-off final was a day later.

“He asked if I watched it, and I said I did and we spoke about what a boring match it was for the new stadium’s first ever final.

“Then he turned to me and said ‘you should have done what I did and watched the game on Sunday, it was brilliant’. Then I told him. He was stunned that less than 24 hours later I was standing next to him, beer in hand!

“We didn’t have to buy a drink for a while, the guy and his mates made sure of that.”

Morecambe went up following a pulsating final in front of over 40,000. Lee Phillips headed Exeter in front, before Wayne Curtis saw his penalty saved penalty. Gary Thompson levelled for Morecambe before Danny Carlton's sensational run and shot in front of their fans created history.

There were a few people missing from the skipper’s promotion party at Wembley, one of which was his dad.

Telford great Jack Bentley, who scored 431 goals for the club, went into hospital the weekend of the final. Tragically, he never got to see his son play again.

“Dad came home from hospital while I was in Benidorm,” he said. “It was a routine operation, he’d never been ill in his life, but he was gutted to miss the final. He told me to make sure I lifted the trophy and I’m so glad I did.

“As soon as I got back from the stag do, it was the open top bus parade around Morecambe - so yes, back on the beers!

“At 1am I looked at my phone. I had a few missed calls from a number I didn’t recognise. It was from the hospital, dad had been rushed in. I got a taxi straight there.

“He died with mum and I with him. One of the last things he did before being rushed in was to watch the local news and see us all on the parade. I had the trophy in my hand, mum said he was so proud.

“I went from the highest of highs to the worst moment of my life within hours.”

While for some the final was a blur, 13 years on proud Bentley says he remembers exactly how Morecambe did it.

“It was hot - so, so hot,” he recalled. “Exeter started well, and inside the first ten minutes I saw the ball out and as I back-peddled I started to struggle.

“There was just no oxygen. I wondered how I was going to get through it - you can’t understand how hot it was.

“We went a goal down and I remember saying to the boys that there’s no way we’re losing this. Then Wayne, who was brilliant for us, missed a penalty. A lot of teams would have thought it wasn’t their day.

“By the point it honestly felt like just another game. We were getting back on top, it could have been any match in any ground.

“We had a history of coming from behind that season. We had lost twice in the play-offs but it couldn’t be number three, not this time.

“We found the equaliser and then with six minutes left, we needed some breathing room. One of the lads hacked the ball clear from inside our box.

“I remember thinking ‘brilliant, a breather, good work’ but then Danny Carlton grabbed the ball and just ran. His finish was incredible. We were on our knees but all found energy to celebrate.

“I remember running and running but having to dodge our manager Sammy McIlroy who celebrated too much and was lying on the turf in his suit! It summed up the madness pretty well.”