FA Cup: Gosport Borough relishing Colchester United visit
- Published
Gosport beat ninth-tier side Willand Rovers to reach the FA Cup first round proper
Gosport Borough boss Alex Pike says his players will "relish the challenge" of trying to upset League One Colchester in the first round of the FA Cup.
Borough have made it through to the first round proper of the competition for the first time in their history.
And Pike says it will be a proud moment for the club, who in May played at Wembley in the final of the FA Trophy.
"The cameras are always looking for a banana skin, hopefully we will provide that," Pike told BBC Radio Solent.
FA Cup first round facts | |
|---|---|
First-round winners will receive £18,000 in prize money | League One leaders Bristol City, the highest ranked side at this stage of the draw, are away to Gillingham |
Northern Premier League Division One North side Warrington Town and Conference South team Gosport Borough are appearing in the first round for the first time | Three-time FA Cup winner Phil Neville made the draw along with Derbyshire FA's Community Coach of the Year Tammy Snape before a 300-strong audience at the National Football Centre at St George's Park |
The tie will played on the weekend of 8 and 9 November, and Pike says everyone at the club was delighted to get a home tie.
"After getting there for the first time in our 70-year history everyone was hoping for a league team and we're quite lucky to get Colchester," he added.
"It's important for our fans, we've had three away ties so it's nice to be at home; that will bring its own headaches.
"Our capacity is 3,500 so we'd like to get to get it up to 6,000. That means lots of planning for temporary stands, safety certificates; but it's a lovely headache to have."
With the U's having several former Premier League players in their squad including midfielder David Fox and striker Freddie Sears, Pike is fully aware how tough the tie will be.
"It will be extremely difficult," Pike said. "But I have a bunch of players that I trust and admire and they will be relishing the challenge."
- Published27 October 2014
.png)
- Published23 March 2014
.png.webp)
