IF WREXHAM survive the drop this season, one Reds fan in particular will have a big smile on his face.

Jerry Allcock, 41, an event planner from Deeside, now takes a big drum with him to every Dragons match he attends. And needless to say, the atmosphere at games, and the singing, has improved noticeably since the one-man beat machine started up in the autumn.

A devoted Wrexham fan since April 1967 - when his father took him to watch a goalless draw against Lincoln at the Racecourse - Jerry has become an instant hit on the terraces over the past few months. He stands right at the back of the Kop, and even manager Denis Smith has publicly congratulated him on his matchday drumming efforts.

In the aftermath of the QPR game, I spoke with the man who grew up in Mold, and who is now the club's secret weapon in the fight against relegation:

PD : What's the story behind the drum?

JA : "I'd been thinking of getting a drum for some time, having heard drums at other clubs, particularly on the continent and in Africa. The disastrous Friday night fixture at Tranmere in September also influenced me. Here we had a great turnout of 1,500 fans behind the goal, but there was no cohesion: I thought to myself: wouldn't it be great if we could get everyone united as one group?"

PD: Were there any other motivating factors?

JA: "The atmosphere was a bit dead generally; games came and went, with us still in the relegation zone. There's nothing worse than a football ground where there is no noise or atmosphere. The thought started to dawn on me that we might be playing at Exeter, Torquay or even Boston United next season."

PD: Tell us about your drum

JA: "It is 18 inches deep with a 15-inch diameter drum skin which is held in place by six tuning screws. Tighten them too much and the drum sounds too high and tinny. The screws need to be adjusted after every match to give it that solid bass sound."

PD: How has it been received this year?

JA: "I started drumming at Huddersfield away, and so far, everyone has been most accommodating; we have not had any problems getting the drum into away grounds. The only hiccup was at Oldham where it was too big to fit through the narrow turnstiles, so three kind stewards opened the main gates for me."

PD: What's your drumming technique?

JA : "All I will say is that it's hard work. I need a glove to protect my hand, but I am learning a bit more every game. But even with a glove, my hand resembles a raw piece of beefsteak after each match. However, it will all be worth it when we stay up!"

PD: What do you think are the prospects for this season?

JA: "A lot of hard work went into getting us into this division by a lot of good people, and I don't think we should give it up without a fight."