It’s a big day for Bracknell Town as the Pitching In Southern League Premier South club head to EFL League One, Cambridge United, in the first round proper of the Emirates FA Cup.
This is the second season in a row that they have made it through to this stage of the competition. Last term they faced Ipswich Town in front of the cameras and this time around they have already beaten Harrow Borough, Havant & Waterlooville, Poole Town and Dagenham & Redbridge.
It has all the ingredients to be a cracking tie and even the wet and grey conditions failed to dampen the enthusiasm as the players and supporters set out on their journey to the Abbey Stadium on Saturday morning.
“Both myself and Dodds [co-manager, Jamie McClurg] are extremely proud of this group and what they have achieved together to reach the first round proper in successive seasons,” co-manager, Carl Withers, told us live and direct from the team coach on the way to the game. “You only need to look at the quality of teams they have had to beat along the way to reach this stage of the competition and they are fully deserving of their place this afternoon.
“Preparations have not been ideal with postponements, but it’s the hand we’ve been dealt and our focus hasn’t changed. The boys have prepared as best we can this week, and taken on board all the information we have given them.
“We are under no illusion of the challenge in front of us, but we feel we have the players to hurt them and the message on the day to boys will be have no regrets and leave everything out there as we are not ready for this journey to end just yet.”
Cambridge United manager, Mark Bonner, added: “Bracknell have had a decent start, certainly in the cup competitions they’ve been very good. They’ve got good pace in wide positions, cross the ball well, can play and build from deep in the pitch and have shown good counter-attacking threat.
“We will be a strong team certainly and we want to win the game and progress in the competition. We certainly won’t be messing about with it.”
Let battle commence…
We also send our very best wishes to Chesham United who also represent us in the Emirates FA Cup today with a home tie against Maidstone United.
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