The UK’s first supporter-owned club, Enfield Town, are hopeful of making history and booking a place in the FA Cup first round proper for the first time tomorrow.
The obstacle in Enfield’s path is a trip to fellow London side Cray Valley Paper Mills, who are based in Greenwich borough.
Enfield manager Gavin Macpherson states he will treat it as a regular game, but understands what a win would mean to his club and fans.
He said: “It is the supporters that I want it for. They are the soul of the football club. It would be fantastic for Enfield.
“I got to the first round with my previous club, and it galvanised the team and enhanced performance.
“It brought us closer together. It was an experience that we could all draw on as for us it was like reaching the final.”
Enfield defeated Halesowen Town 2-1 in the third qualifying round to bring them just one win away from the first round of the FA Cup.
Enfield will be looking to write their previous wrongs, as they have lost in the fourth qualifying round on two occasions: in 2015/16 to Chesham United, and in 2017/18 to Maidstone United after a replay.
The Towners sit fourth in the Isthmian Premier League, with four wins out of seven.
Macpherson was very complimentary of his opponents and admitted that it would be a tough trip.
However, Enfield are not the only team wishful of an FA Cup run.
Cray Valley manager Steve McKimm is striving to take his side to their second cup appearance in the club’s history after they made the FA Cup first round for the first time three years ago.
The club went on to lose 1-0 to Havant & Waterlooville in the first round, but the experience is still one that McKimm is looking to replicate.
He said: “It would be a tremendous thing, not only the financial gain for the club but also because of the opportunity for the players to maybe, and it is a big maybe, go up against a full-time football club.”
The first and last time YOUR Cray Valley PM FC reached the Fourth Qualifying Round of the @EmiratesFACup, 24 October 2020, this happened!#COYM
— Cray Valley PM FC (@CrayValleyPM) October 11, 2023
Video courtesy of Maidenhead United FC. pic.twitter.com/j12ZyKO7rD
The Millers’ last two FA Cup matches were away from home, which they drew and then proceeded to win on replay at home.
McKimm said: “If that trend is anything to go by, winning games at home in the FA Cup, then it’ll be a great thing for us.
“But on the day, anything could happen, and all we’re going to do is put our best foot forward to and win the game against a very good Enfield side.”
Credit: Inspire Socials
Featured image credit: Philosophy Football via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 licence
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