The lure of the Emirates FA Cup is so strong even renowned Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has been bitten by the bug – at Biggleswade United.
Having interviewed some of the biggest names in the sport, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham, it’s fair to say Balague was a shock appointment as the director of football at the Spartans South Midlands League club in October 2014.
Yet the 42-year-old, who was approached by United chairman Chris Lewis about the role via email, has embraced the challenge and is intent on building strong foundations at Second Meadow.
Biggleswade United v Desborough Town
The Emirates FA Cup
Extra Preliminary Round
3pm, Saturday 15 August
Second Meadow, Biggleswade United FC
Winning clubs will receive £1,500 from The FA prize fund
Click here for the full Extra Preliminary Round draw
And with Desborough Town lying in wait in the extra preliminary round on Saturday, Balague admits he cannot wait to get his first taste of football’s oldest competition.
He said: “Having been in England for many years I know what The FA Cup means to the English clubs. It’s a special competition.
“Everyone wants to win it. This game will be my first involvement in The FA Cup and I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s a huge day for many reasons, firstly we want to give the fans a good show but we also want to have a good run in the Cup for the success it brings and also the finances – that is crucial to clubs like ours.”
Cristian Colas, formerly academy chief at Sabadell in Spain’s second tier, will lead the side this season alongside a mixture of Spanish and English coaches at the Bedfordshire-based outfit.
The 31-year-old actually got his hands on the famous trophy last Monday and he says he will be doing all he can to ensure their FA Cup dream stays alive for as long as possible.
“We saw the huge amount of respect English fans have for The FA Cup”
Cristian Colas Biggleswade United boss
Colas said: “I don’t think I’ll be holding it at Wembley next May but I’m really excited for the challenge ahead.
“It’s no doubt going to be tough, but we want to go as far as we can. We at least want to make it past Desborough and see where it takes us.
“To finally be part of the oldest cup competition in the world is amazing.
“We got to see the Cup when it was brought to the ground and we saw the huge amount of respect English football fans have for it.”
United have reached the first round qualifying on three occasions, and as recently as the 2013-14 season, but opponents Desborough have fared slightly better in the past.
The 1926-27 campaign will live long in the memory at Waterworks Field, not only for the fact they reached the first round proper, but because they came so close to earning a replay against Doncaster Rovers.
Emirates will sponsor The FA Cup for the next three years
However, fog brought a premature end to the original tie with the scores level and ‘Ar Tam’ eventually lost the clash 3-0, but the history has not been lost on current boss Ian Walker.
“Who knows how far we can go? Repeating that would be fantastic but it would be great just to get past Biggleswade United,” said the former Corby Town midfielder.
“It’s a great tie for us. Obviously we’d prefer to be at home, but to get Biggleswade is a real challenge and we’ll give it the best we can.
“They seem to be a club who are really laying the foundations for something, it’s a great initiative they’ve got and I’m sure Guillem has got some big plans for them.
“We have a young side but it’s filled with quality and there’s a real buzz about the place.”
