This week U's supporter Chris Vessey has spoken to Henry Tomson, a Burton Albion supporter, 30, from Leeds. He will be grilling Henry about the Brewers and more...

CV - Another great start to the season for Burton, but can your boys go one step further and reach the play-offs?

I think the division is very tight this year. As a natural pessimist I'm waiting for the bad run to knock us back and yet we have been dead and buried in a number of games this season and walked away with a point or three in the most spectacular of comebacks. The team is the strongest we've had since I have been watching the club and there is no team we should fear. We have a reasonably small squad, but there is plenty of quality cover and the manager has always sought players that can do a job in a variety of different positions. So, touch wood, fingers crossed, yes we can.

CV - Nigel Clough has done a wonderful job at the Pirelli Stadium, just what has he done in recent times to turn you into the force you are?

It has been a gradual process. Firstly we had to add a solidity to make us difficult to beat. We brought some good experienced heads into the side and have done pretty well with players released or on loan from Football League clubs. In the first few seasons in the Conference creating chances was a problem, then taking them. Obviously Daryl Clare has made a big difference, but this season he has received good support with other players getting in amongst the goals.

The team spirit now is fantastic and the philosophy is work hard to get the ball and get the ball on the deck when we have it. A minor criticism from some quarters last season was that we were grinding out results and perhaps sat back too much (a win's a win though). There have been no such complaints this year as the team seems to have a higher level of confidence in their ability to take the game to the opposition, although a worrying habit of giving teams a head start maybe needs working on.

What has also been pleasing to see is the form of our younger players, particularly John Brayford, who has come through our youth set up and has performed exceptionally well to earn a call up for the England C team. Hopefully he will be followed by a few more in the next few years.

CV - Whilst Burton are classed as 'part-time', surely the likes of Daryl Clare and Shaun Harrad aren't delivering letters and cleaning gutters through the day. What's the actual status at Burton?

Part-full time is my understanding of where we are now. How that manifests itself in reality I am not entirely sure, but it is the gradual process of moving from the traditional definition of a part-time semi-professional club to a full-time professional one. I believe the players are not paid on a 52 week contract basis as they would be if full-time. We brought in an extra training session 2 or 3 years ago but we have players that supplement their incomes through other sources, we also have some that don't.

As for the transition to full-time, in terms of the players I would think it would be relatively painless, in terms of the extra expenditure I don't believe we are ready yet and would like to see a few more through the turnstiles before that occurs.

CV - Who do you feel will be the main players (and why) that could cause Cambridge United some problems on Friday night?

You'll be pleased to know we've got a few. The player at the moment I feel makes the biggest difference to the side is winger Keith Gilroy, he provides the magic spark. If he gets a lot of the ball then you are going to have a very tired right back (although he may switch wings for part of the game). Also John McGrath in midfield has been outstanding and can dominate the proceedings as the fulcrum of the team. When we lost Paul Carden in the summer it was a big blow but John has stepped up to replace him and is a fantastic player.

Up front, obviously there is Daryl Clare who is a great scorer of great goals.The player I have been most pleased with is striker Shaun Harrad. This is Shaun's third season with us, but he didn't have the best of times last year and looked like he lacked confidence in front of goal. Despite this he never shirked responsibility and ran tirelessly for the team. This year he had a good pre-season and has gone from strength to strength. He looks a different player and is just behind Daryl in the goalscoring stakes.

The progression of the team has not really been about individuals, but of the team and there are plenty of others that play an important role, particularly the goalkeeper (in my opinion the best I have seen play for the Brewers) and various members of the back four and midfield, who have been interchangeable at various points this season.

CV - What have been your best and worst memories of life in the Blue Square Premier?

The worst memory was being absolutely destroyed 4-0 (and it could have been more) in a midweek game at home to our bogey side Morecambe and thinking for the first time that maybe we were going backwards and that a change would be necessary. Not nice. In the very next game we went to high-flying Exeter and won, which is probably one of the highlights and in my view an important turning point. It's been pretty good from there on.

Many of the best memories have been games where we have been expected to get nothing against previously unbeaten sides, but pulled off great performances and got a win, such as at Exeter, Barnet and various games against Hereford. This season has been about the comebacks, losing 3-1 inside the last 10 minutes against York and Salisbury, but winning both games. Amazing. Daryl's sensational equalizer in the 7^th minute of injury time after we had trailed by two goals at Halifax was a particular highlight for me.

CV - Myfootballclub.com have just taken over Ebbsfleet United and it's raising a lot of questions - what's your view on this bizarre takeover?

I am not a fan of it. I can see how a fans/community based club can be a good thing, but only if it involves fans of that club, not supporters of assorted clubs the world over. The decision making may prove interesting as some seem to think they should have a vote in the day to day decisions involved in running the club and picking the team, which is entirely unworkable.

What I find odd is that it is suggested that it is about taking the game from the "money men" and giving it back to the fans. Now admittedly the members are not looking to make money or looking at dividend payments, but they are artificially sustaining full time football at a club that appears not to be able to afford it, in much the same way that a "money man" would do.

It appears that many want to interfere in the team's affairs, in much the same way that the worst kind of "money man" might do. Although the motivations and expectations of the 20,000 members perhaps can't be generalized quite so easily, it seems to me that there is this contradiction at the very heart of the scheme. The best thing about it is that it is not happening to Burton Albion. This isn't some fantasy football game they are playing with, it is a football club that means the world to its supporters. The members, as football fans, should surely understand that?

CV - The refereeing in the Blue Square Premier is often under hefty debate, do you think the standard is as bad as people make out?

If you ask me during the game I would say yes, and I have been known to politely inform the man in the middle of this. Overall I'm not sure the standard is so bad.  Some weeks we get the breaks, others they go against us. We seemed to be on the wrong end of a fair few decisions last year, so perhaps the refs are better this year or perhaps my words of encouragement and those of our assistant manager have got through to them.

CV - If i say to you 'Cambridge United', what's the first thing that comes to mind? And have you any particular memories of the U's, good or bad, over the past few years?

Getting a very well earned away point at the Abbey in your first season in this division. We were really struggling at the time and I seem to remember Gilly scored with a rare header and injured himself celebrating. We have tended to get the better of the games against you, but I don't think there has ever been much in it. I would expect a very tough game on Friday. It looks as if Jimmy Quinn has turned things around and the U's are finally making an impact in this league.

CV - And finally... a good game in prospect for both teams on Friday - what's your prediction?

I'll go for a typically exciting 2-2. Maybe we'll grab an injury time equalizer. My advice to anyone going to watch is don't leave the game early!

So it will probably be a 0-0 then...

Many thanks to Henry Tomson for giving his time to answer these questions.

Chris Vessey