FA Cup
 

Accrington Stanley v Worcester City

October 22nd, 2005

FULL DRAW
http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/i...FULL&nid=30172

what do you rekon?

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At home and avoided another Conference side ... can't ask for any more than that!

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Sounds really good to me. Conf north team and not doing so good as yet this season. Bit of caution though we still need to show them some respect as they will be really up for coming to the IES and we don't want to be caught napping due thinking it's going to be an easy match!!!

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Worcester City at home. Player/Manager Andy Preece who scored two against us for Carlisle last season at IES, defenders Des Lyttle who played against us for Forest Green and Rob Warner ex Tamworth. Midfielder Graham Hyde from Hereford. Some players that we already know. Not to be taken lightly.

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It'll be a tough game for sure. Pity we have to come to a ground with below-average gates, as a third of the gate or whatever it amounts to these days won't go very far if we are going out! You'll be glad to know that Worcester are one of the rare breed of footballing sides, not one that resorts to kicking lumps out of the oppo. The Worcester team is a side full of height and pace, which has taken a while to bed in after losing a key player during pre-season. Don't let the league position give you too many thoughts of an easy ride, the squad has been a bit threadbare after an injury-wracked start, playmaker Jai Stanley will defintely be out, as will George Clegg (yes, that one), but Les Hines and Nick Colley may well be back. Apart from Andy Preece, Des Lyttle and Graham Hyde, who have 1000 league games between them, there is other professional experience in the shape of striker Leon Kelly and Canadian International Justin Thompson, while keeper Danny McDonnell is an England Semi-pro International.

You can expect a large Shed Army contingent travelling up for this one, should be upwards of 500 making the trip up the M5/M6.

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Yep, tricky draw for us at Worcester. Be good to play you - don't think we have ever met before in our 102 year history.

We've been in the FA Cup for a couple of rounds already, and both times we've been drawn at home against lower league opposition - always the initial response to the draw being you couldn't really hope for much more. That's what you've got this time. And then we start worrying about banana skins and all that. Anyway, successfully neogtiated Bemerton Heath Harlequins 7-0 and on Saturday despatched Tonbridge Angels 3-0.

Its noted that you're currently second in the Conference and unbeaten at home. Our season's record doesn't exactly compare great with that, what with being third bottom in the Conf North, without a win away from home this season.

Anyhow, it'll be a big day out. We're one of the better supported Conf North sides, and like OldMonkey says, you can expect a few visitors.

I'm sure this a game a lot of our players will relish, but I suspect that they're all going to have to be very good on the day to even get close.

Another name you might know connected with the Club is our coach, Andy 'Jock' Morrison, formerly with Man. City. The squad isn't all full of old professionals - we've got a couple of young lads coming through from the academy this year, breaking into the first team due to our injury concerns.

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Looking forward to a good day out, hopefully we'll bring a few hundred and make it a good atmosphere. Oh, and thanks for beating Hereford on Friday!!

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Some decent fans in Worcester. . . . .

but 500???? you sure?

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I'll let OldMOnkey decide himself if he is being over-optimistic with his estimate of 500 travelling fans. I think you can be certain that around 150 -200 will travel - as for more, it'll depend on just how much this tie grabs them. We've got a lot of latent support in the City for the Football Club. If this were to go to a replay, we would probably get a bigger crowd than you'll get on the Saturday - maybe 1800 - 2200 City fans would turn out. Problem is, they don't turn out regularly for League games. While we averaged 1000 last year, we are almost 200 down this year. May be something to do with the success of Worcester Warriors RFC.

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It's not that long since we took 1000 to Stalybridge for an FA Trophy game, or the Telford game. Two wins against Northwich and Nuneaton would double the following from the usual FA Cup 250.

Any news if it'll be on TV yet? BBC will be showing highlights from three games, and they seem to have this obsession with Accrington still.

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They got taste thats all fella!

Yeah, its probably the same pull for you as Bournemouth was for us & we took 700 there so........:)

See you in two weeks!

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good draw for the stanley. Will look forward to the fixture :) Should be a good atmosphere and game. The FA cup run starts at home :).................

Biggest tie of the round has to be Exeter City v Stevenage Borough...

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Good luck to the Worcester fans. By that I mean I hope you enjoy the ale cos thats all you'll be taking back with you. I'm backing Mullers to find his scoring touch against this lot and fill his boots. Hope they do fetch a few though, its nice to see well supported lower league teams, reminds of the days in the north west counties. Now theres a stroy or two to be told, I remember a time when.....................................

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If it goes to a replay, (i hope it doesn't) woudld it be tuesday 25th ocotber

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No, it would be Monday 24th October. Worcester play their midweek games on a Monday.

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Mr Monkey is having slight delusions.... we never took 1000 to Stalybridge. the reason I know this... the total crowd was only about 800 - but two thirds were City!

We did take 1000 to Telford a while back and a good 400-500 to Tamworth and Belper. But they are a bit closer than Accy. I would be pleased with 200-250... it could be more. I guess it all depends on how much the local paper talks up the tie. Also if we suddenly put in a run of form and beat Nuneaton and Northwich the next games out I would reckon that would put an extra 100 or so in the coaches.

Don't be surprised by Worcester's support levels. You lot probably didn't notice when we were one of the really big non-league clubs back in the late 70's and early 80's. The club was founder members of the old APL (now Conference) and regularly used to apply for league election. We are still a well supported club and would probably be a bigger force if not crippled by a £700,000 debt.

Really looking forward to the match and good old sing song. I reckon that you will find us tough to beat as the new manager & his assistant very much start building the team from the back forward. We have lots of experience and quality in the back 4/5. If only we had some top strikers I would almost be optimistic.

My prediction - a draw at your place and then we lose back at the Lane when we are actually forced to attack!

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Should be a good game and a tough one for the Stanley. I really hope we get past the 4th Qualifying Round this year, as last season was a bit of a let-down.

Hope all the travelling fans have a good trip and I'm sure you'll all be made welcome. I just hope you all go back disappointed. ;)

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It was a right kick in the teeth to be knocked out by leigh wasn't ot :( But this year is a new campaign so hopefully another run like the season before last wouldn't go amiss to the club..

Chelsea away..3rd round :rolleyes:

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I wouldn't underestimate Andy Preece after what he did against us when playing for Carlisle but I reckon our lads'll be well up for it after not getting to the first round proper last year.

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Zayno - you can stuff chelsea 3rd round, would prefer the money spinning tie at the Theatre of Dreams, and if Exeter can get a 0-0 draw, well we could just be Man U's banana skin (dreaming I know lol). %age of gate money of a 67,500 crowd - well you never know, they might be able to build a roof over ta coppice end as well

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truthfully IF WE get to the third round and IF we got united away how many fans would be take? Exeter took a very lot!! Doubt we would match it :(

Ahhh the dreams :)...:happy8: :happy8:

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course we would you look at how many we took to bournemouth at the other end of the country and really not that big of a team in trem of englsih football. where as man united would be THE team to beat and is close by so loads would go....... oh the FA CUP things that dreams are made of!!!

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yeah and don't forget 15 of us flew down to Bournemouth (the aeroplane 15)

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Well if we drew Manchester Utd in the Cup you'd wouldn't have to fly, you could drive there. Oh... hang on... on second thoughts.... ;)

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I'm sure we would match them ... just remember how many we took to Ewood Park to play Crewe Alexandria in 1992 ;)

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...and how many we took to Turf Moor for the Scunthorpe tie the season afterwards.

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Anyway, please don't judge us on how many fans we bring, judge us on how we perform on the pitch. You may be interested to know that Preecey hasn't been picking himself in the starting eleven recently, though whether he does or not against you is of course his own decision.

Its one hell of a tough eight days for us. Northwich at home on Saturday, and then another toughie mid-week at home to Nuneaton, before we travel in hope to Accy. Hopefully, all of the squad that play those two will emerge unscatched and free of disciplinary punishment, and that we may even have one or two of our long-term injured back to face you - namely left-back Les Hines (ex-Hednesford) and right-sided midfielder Nic Colley (ex-Tamworth). Our midfield play-maker Jai Stanley is virtually certain to be out for weeks.

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I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the fact that George Stewart, one of the most prolific goalscorers Stanley ever had in their football league days, was signed from Worcester City in 1954. I had the pleasure of seeing him play many times - a real gem. Thanks a lot Worcester!

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Apparently, you paid us 500 quid for him. A bargain by the sound of it!

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It was, although we also had to pay £1000 to St Mirren, his club before Worcester, with whom he was still in dispute. He was worth every penny, though - 136 goals in 182 appearances and we sold him on to Coventry for £3,750 in 1958.

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I've just read our history book about this particular time. It says that then-City manager "Bill Jones made many signings before 1954/55 started. He was particularly adept at signing players out of contract with League Clubs. The player was then listed 'at a fee' by his former Club, and if no League Club came up with a suitable offer the player was able to play outside League football. In the days of the maximum wage, players were often better off playing in non-league football with a day job.".

So, before the 54/55 season, we signed players from Clyde, Stoke, Birmingham, Milwall, Swansea, Walsall, Cowdenbeath, Middlesborough and Stewart himself from St.Mirren. No wonder then that Accy also had to pay St.Mirren, and that he played just seven games for City (scoring twice).

The point being that Stewart wasn't a long-term City player who had proved himself in the Southern League and was moving upwards and onwards. He was a full-time professional, temporarily released, who we managed to make a small profit on through wheeling and dealing. I doubt his name would mean much at all to long-standing City fans.

I see also that our home gates averaged over 3,500 in that season, and were consistently at that level thoughout the late 40s/50s.

Oh, and here's a little question for you. Do any long-standing Accy fans know of City's most famous scalp in the FA Cup? As a clue, you've got to be thinking the late-1950s.

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Liverpool in 1959.

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Yeah, that would be the one.

Of course, it means absoultely sweet FA now, but in a desperate search for portents, that was the last year City were captained by a player who had previously appeared in a Wembley FA Cup Final. Until this season! Roy Paul then, Graham Hyde now. At the time, Liverpool were pushing for promotion, like yourselves, and our away form in the league was poor (no need to comment!). If the gate is announced at Accy as 15,111, then I'll know we're on to something special!!

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Andy, I think if you take the 1 off the end of that figure, you'll be nearer the mark!

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anyway, forget Chelsea or Man utd in the third round, lets first dispose of the friendly chaps from Worcester, then I'd like Blackpool away in the 1st, Wrexham away in the 2nd followed by Burnley Or Blackburn in the third (would the other in the 4th be too much to ask?)

Can anybody remember who we would have got in the 3rd round after disposing of Crewe?

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I think we'd have had a glamour tie against Marine.

Interestingly, Crewe were knocked out on the 5th Round by Blackburn Rovers. ;)

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You might find this piece in our local Worcester paper to be of interest ...

http://www.thisiswcfc.co.uk/worceste...ITY_LANE0.html

BTW, your manager and scout will have seen us lose 1-0 at home to Nuneaton Borough on Monday night, following on from our Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Northwich Victoria.

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I must say that the chap from Worcster sounds like a very likeable person. Just hoping that the game is a good clean injury free (for both teams) and that the team that wins is the team that plays the best on the day (COM'ON STANLEY!!!!)

Would love to be at the game but saddly have to work and if I turn up it means someone ill/injured and I dont want that

Would really like for Stanley to have a run in the cup like a couple of season ago and see if the money from the cup can get the roof on for the fans to shout it off!!!!

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DOWN WITH THE ROOF!