David meets Goliath in The FA Vase on Saturday when village side Hartley Wintney play host to Hereford.
But the home side’s joint managers Dan Brownlie and Anthony Merrick are insistent this tie means more to them than a pay day.
Hailing from a Hampshire village with a population of less than 5,000, Hartley are set to meet Hereford FC – born in 2014 following Hereford United’s insolvency – who attracted a crowd of 4,026 to Saturday’s Midland League meeting with Alvechurch.
Hartley Wintney v Hereford
The FA Vase
Fifth Round
3pm, Saturday 30 January
Memorial Playing Fields
Winning club will receive £2,500
by Joshua Richards
A sell-out crowd is set to descend on the Memorial Playing Fields for Saturday’s fifth round tie where the winners will bank a £2,500 cheque and move to just two steps away from Wembley.
But the Row have no intention of simply enjoying their big day – they are in it to win it.
“There are two ways to look at this,” says Brownlie, who originally joined Hartley as a player five years ago before assuming his role in the dugout alongside Merrick at the beginning of the season.
“For the club this is a fantastic occasion and they deserve it, because there are people here who work so hard behind the scenes. Not an army of people, you can probably list them on one hand, but they do such a terrific job.
“But for the team this is just another game. We go into it wanting to win and with no fear.
“Any money accrued isn’t going into our pockets, it’s going into ground improvements. We want to win a football match, not to make lots of money.”
The fifth round is previously unchartered territory for Hartley, who go into the tie having lost just four of 37 games in all competitions this term and sit pretty at the top of the Combined Counties Premier Division table.
That record pales into insignificance against Hereford’s though. The Bulls’ draw with Alvechurch ended a run of 27 consecutive victories.
But Merrick, who moved from Cove Rangers last summer, believes it’s his team who should be feared.
“Myself and Dan have only worked together since the start of the season, but we’re perfectly in sync and I think the results show that,” he said.
“We’re flying in the league, we’ve equalled our best ever run in The FA Cup and gone the furthest we ever have in The FA Vase.
“And if you have got any ambition to go and make your mark in the competition then you have to beat a big team or two along the way.
“The club was ready for a push. Teams look at our players but no-one has left and no-one will because they are well looked after. We’re getting it right on and off the pitch.”
