Gainsborough boss skips niece's wedding for cup tie

Russ Wilcox was appointed Gainsborough Trinity boss in September 2023

Gainsborough Trinity boss Russ Wilcox hopes he is spoilt for party choices after Sunday's FA Cup tie against League Two club Accrington Stanley.

The boss of the seventh-tier side will miss his niece's wedding for the first-round match.

When asked by BBC Radio Lincolnshire if he is aiming to get to the post-wedding reception after game at The Northolme, Wilcox said: "Maybe, unless there is a party here.

"And if there is a party here, I'll be staying," he continued with a laugh.

Wilcox explained that his family had him in mind when setting the date to tie the knot, with the wedding deliberately not scheduled for a Saturday when Gainsborough play a majority of their Northern Premier League Premier Division fixtures.

"My niece deliberately put it to a Sunday so it didn't involve a football game, thinking we would play on the Saturday," Wilcox said.

"I'll be there Saturday to spend a bit of time with them, then on Sunday morning I'll leave with plenty of time to get back for the game.

"There was disappointment there, but she understands that's how it goes. The game being on TV meant it could have been Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

"For us it's dropped on the wrong day, but for me it has dropped on the right day because we are in the first round of the FA Cup."

It is the second time in as many years that Wilcox has got the non-league side to the first-round proper of the cup.

Last term the Lincolnshire club got to the second round where they were beaten by Harrogate Town.

After getting past National League side Hartlepool in a fourth qualifying round replay earlier this month, Wilcox said his team will "not fear" an Accrington side that are three divisions and 56 places above them in the English football pyramid.