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| Exiles promotion trophy bus tour | Exiles promotion trophy bus tour |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The streets of Newport were lined with black and amber as hundreds of Newport County fans lined up to cheer the team's open-top bus victory parade. | |
| County were presented with their trophy for topping the Blue Square South at Saturday's home game against Dover. | County were presented with their trophy for topping the Blue Square South at Saturday's home game against Dover. |
| They won 3-0 to become the first club to reach 100 points in a season, securing their promotion to the Blue Square Premier. | They won 3-0 to become the first club to reach 100 points in a season, securing their promotion to the Blue Square Premier. |
| Newport's mayor presented the Exiles with a crystal football on Sunday. | |
| The team had secured promotion weeks ago, their highest place since going bust 21 years ago. | The team had secured promotion weeks ago, their highest place since going bust 21 years ago. |
| More than 4,000 black and amber fans turned out for last month's 2-0 win over Havant & Waterlooville which guaranteed their team's promotion to non-league's big-time after 15 years in the Blue Square South. | More than 4,000 black and amber fans turned out for last month's 2-0 win over Havant & Waterlooville which guaranteed their team's promotion to non-league's big-time after 15 years in the Blue Square South. |
| Some from as far away as Hertfordshire and Plymouth were in the faithful at Spytty Park. | Some from as far away as Hertfordshire and Plymouth were in the faithful at Spytty Park. |
| We keep pinching ourselves to check that we're awake and it not all a bit of a dream Supporters' club chairman Bob Herrin | We keep pinching ourselves to check that we're awake and it not all a bit of a dream Supporters' club chairman Bob Herrin |
| Jeff Challingsworth, secretary of Newport County supporters' club, said: "I don't think a lot of people held out hope for us after the old club went bust in '88. | Jeff Challingsworth, secretary of Newport County supporters' club, said: "I don't think a lot of people held out hope for us after the old club went bust in '88. |
| "It's taken 21 years to get to where the old club went bust. We have been in the doldrums long enough. | "It's taken 21 years to get to where the old club went bust. We have been in the doldrums long enough. |
| "We've gone through a lot of battles and all those years in exile. | "We've gone through a lot of battles and all those years in exile. |
| "Hopefully, we will go that one step further and get back into the football league." | "Hopefully, we will go that one step further and get back into the football league." |
| Bob Herrin, chairman of the Newport County supporters' club, said: "This season has just exceeded all our hopes and dreams. | |
| Mayoral reception | Mayoral reception |
| "It's just been fantastic. We keep pinching ourselves to check that we're awake and it's not all a bit of a dream." | "It's just been fantastic. We keep pinching ourselves to check that we're awake and it's not all a bit of a dream." |
| Next season will see County rub shoulders with the likes of former football league sides Wrexham, Kidderminster and Mansfield, as well as prospect of possible promotion back into league itself. | Next season will see County rub shoulders with the likes of former football league sides Wrexham, Kidderminster and Mansfield, as well as prospect of possible promotion back into league itself. |
| He said: "As fan I would like to say we we're going to go in and have a go at it, and not stay there long. We have a side that is good enough to stay in there and consolidate. " | He said: "As fan I would like to say we we're going to go in and have a go at it, and not stay there long. We have a side that is good enough to stay in there and consolidate. " |
| The players' bus tour began at Newport Stadium at 1130 BST on Sunday and travelled along Corporation Road, Clarence Place and Queensway to a reception at the civic centre. | |
| Mayor Councillor Glyn Jarvis congratulated them on the "amazing achievement" for club and the city. | |
| He told them: "This success brings football league status that much closer." | |
| The return bus journey to the stadium was to be via Queensway, Clarence Place, Chepstow Road, Somerton Road and Nash Road. |