‘We walked off and beat racism. Now can we just beat Yeovil?’

Pre-match preparations at Haringey Borough FC are hectic at the best of times for Tom Loizou. Toilets need cleaning, floors wiping, catering supplies have to be stocked and thirsty fans need serving in the bar. Then it’s off to the dressing room to discuss tactics with the players before sending them on to the pitch as he takes his place in the dugout.

“I’m the only full-time employee at the club, so I’m responsible for it all. Luckily, I have a fantastic team of volunteers but the buck stops with me,” said Loizou, whose title of first-team manager belies the plethora of roles he carries out at his beloved club. “I bet Premier League managers couldn’t do what I do.”

On Tuesday night, Loizou will have his considerable workload cut out even further as his team face Yeovil Town in an FA Cup fourth qualifying round match that has come under intense scrutiny – and not for footballing reasons.

It was ordered to be replayed by the Football Association after Loizou instructed his players to walk off the pitch after racial abuse was aimed at them by some visiting fans during the first match last weekend, plunging the little north London club into the spotlight for its big stand on an issue that is again dominating the game.

Since walking off in the 64th minute at their Coles Park ground, the club has featured on national and international media, been praised in the House of Commons and found itself at the centre of a police and FA investigation. Some players have been so affected by the abuse and the ensuing publicity that a psychologist has been drafted in.

Two men, aged 23 and 26, have been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault.

“It’s been a traumatic and tumultuous week,” said Loizou. “I’ve asked the players to come in early on Tuesday because the hardest thing will be the team talk and getting them to focus on the game. This whole affair has left them feeling very down.”

Tuesday night’s match is expected to attract four times Haringey’s average home crowd of 300, while extra security and police will also be on duty. There have also been numerous requests for accreditation from journalists but, as Loizou confesses, there is no press box, so “they will just be scattered around the ground”. Two local MPs and other politicians are also expected to attend.

“The level of interest has been bonkers,” he added. “I’ve already got enough on my plate, and now this.”

Haringey’s stand came just five days after England players threatened to walk off the pitch during their Euro 2020 qualifier against Bulgaria in Sofia because of racist chanting. Striker Raheem Sterling and defender Tyrone Mings, who were targeted that night, have also sent Haringey messages of support. But chairman Aki Achillea maintains that, regardless of these events, Haringey would have still taken the same action because of what the club has come to embody.

“The Yeovil match was not the first time we’ve encountered racial abuse, but it was the worst we’ve faced,” he said. “When I walked into the dressing room our centre-half was in tears, the captain was shaking and our goalkeeper was wiping spit out of his hair. We couldn’t go back out to play and had to honour what we’re about.”

Located just a short walk from illustrious Premier League neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, Haringey Borough lies in one of the country’s most diverse areas, which is reflected in the make-up of the club. It attracts players from more than 20 different ethnic backgrounds, from the development team upwards, with nine in the first team alone, which is made up of players originating from Cameroon, Portugal, Jamaica, Nigeria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, England and Spain. Loizou is of Greek-Cypriot origin, and his backroom staff originate from Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and England. Haringey’s passionate fans are an eclectic racial, gender and age mix drawn from the local community. Known for their self-deprecating humour, some even receive free season tickets for their loyalty.

The club, which plays in the Isthmian League, is run on a shoestring budget, registering a loss each year, and the highest paid first-team player is on £100 per week. The most the players receive in terms of a pre- or post-match meal is a free kebab, made by one of the devoted volunteers-cum-supporters who are its lifeline.

Figures released by Kick It Out earlier this year showed that reports of racism in English football rose by 43% last season while, factoring in all forms of discrimination, abuse in the professional and grassroots game increased by 32%. Haringey officials maintain that the roots of the ugly face of the beautiful game lie off the pitch rather than on it, but regardless of the level, the time has come for all of football to take action.

“Racism is in society so it’s going to be in football but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a little club like us or England, what we both did is how all the game needs to respond,” said Achillea.

What awaits Haringey if they win on Tuesday is a place in the first round proper of the FA Cup, playing at home to Conference side Hartlepool United, which could provide a major boost to its coffers and the careers of its players.Last year, Haringey made it to the same stage of the competition, playing at home against League One AFC Wimbledon in a match that was televised live by the BBC, earning the club £100,000, and moves to bigger clubs for some of the team. But even if they do not hit such giddy heights again, the club has already scored a major victory. “We owed it to our players and fans to stand up to racism. I’m very proud of what we’ve done,” said Loizou.