Life could not be more different for Terry Eames.

Since taking over as manager of newly-formed AFC Wimbledon in the summer, Horsham-based Eames has not had a minute to himself.

Tomorrow the biggest crowd in Sussex non-league football this season will turn out at Woodside Road, Worthing, as Withdean 2000 host AFC Wimbledon in the Combined Counties League.

An expected gate of up to 3,000 will surpass anything Crawley or Hastings will attract in the Dr Martens League premier division, not to mention the crowd figure should any team repeat Lewes' FA Cup exploits of last season.

More significantly, it will exceed the 2,522 who turned out to watch Wimbledon beat Albion at Selhurst Park recently.

For Eames, the contrast is immense. Last season he coached Sussex County League division three side Forest, who are based a stone's throw from his Horsham home.

To say one man and his dog watch Forest is stretching a point, but you get the general idea. Their biggest attendance all last season was 125 for a promotion clash with local rivals Pease Pottage, while just 22 people watched one game at St Francis.

AFC Wimbledon have averaged more than 3,000 fans for home and away games this season.

When the club was formed by Dons' fans as a protest to what was going on at their club, most notably a proposed move to Milton Keynes, Eames wanted to be part of it.

A Wimbledon fan, Eames also played for the club. With Ryman League experience managing Leatherhead, Dorking and Molesey, he was a perfect choice to become the new club's first manager.

Eames said: "I played for Wimbledon from 1977 to 1981 in the Southern League and when we first went into the League. That is where I want to go (with AFC Wimbledon).

"We had a group of people who were all about the football. It wasn't about politics or money, it was all about going out to perform the best you can. We had a unity and we went out onto the pitch knowing we would get a result.

"I am doing this because I am a fan. While I was at Forest, every game I could go to I went to watch Wimbledon."

The media interest in AFC Wimbledon has been huge. Eames said: "I have still got a full-time job but this is like another job for me. It is taking up so much of my time. Every day I spend three or four hours working on this. I am speaking to all sorts of people all the time.

"It is like a home game every game for us. The Combined Counties League have been fantastic. The other clubs have been so supportive but they are also getting money out of it. We went to Sandhurst first game and the money they earned from the game was double all they took last year. It is good that we are helping these clubs.

"The fans are loving it and it is a pleasure to do what I am doing.

"We want to do as well as we can. We need to get promotion and get up the leagues as quickly as we can. We have a backing and we need to use that. If we go up this year, which will be very hard, I can really see us going on from here."

Eames spent a year and a bit at Forest. When he moved on, he took Julian King with him as coach and has also signed chief goalscorer Ali Russell on dual-registration forms. Saturday's clash will mean just a short journey for Eames.

He added: "It will be a good game. We are doing quite well, although we could do better. We have lost two games but they were games we should have won.

"We are just starting out and when you start out it is hard to gel straightaway."

Withdean are advising people to arrive early, with the ground open from 1pm.

Chief executive Alan Pook said: "We run 17 kids' teams and we will be well represented by them. We will have quite a home contingent.

"AFC Wimbledon are an ex-pro club who have started up again without a ground. There are a lot of comparables with us. We have lost our ground to a pro club.

"It is a shop window for us because a lot of people have watched us this year that didn't last year and they have been impressed."

New signing Ollie Rowland and striker Shaun Grice are both suspended but Withdean will otherwise be at full strength.