Bully enters cup for first time
Steve Bull makes his first foray into the FA Cup as a manager as he takes his Stafford side to Midland Alliance outfit Coalville in the FA Cup second qualifying round tomorrow (3pm).
Steve Bull makes his first foray into the FA Cup as a manager as he takes his Stafford side to Midland Alliance outfit Coalville in the FA Cup second qualifying round tomorrow (3pm).
Rangers head to Owen Street on the crest of a wave, having marched into the play-off places with a 1-0 win at Gateshead in midweek. Progression into the next round make it a hat-trick of away wins in seven days and victory will be expected.
The Leicestershire side ply their trade some four levels below their visitors, although they have enjoyed success before in the competition. They became only the second side in history to reach the first round proper from the very first stage in 2004.
Stafford have enjoyed success themselves, reaching the second round in 2006, although the furthest they ever gone is the fourth round, way back in 1974.
How Bully would love a repeat of that.
He said: "Realistically, clubs like us are never going to win it, so it is all about getting as far as you can and getting that big draw that can bring some much-needed revenue into the club. Not just that, it would be a fantastic experience for the players as well.
"We have to apply ourselves in these niggly rounds for that to happen. Coalville won't roll over and die for us, so no-one is counting our chickens. They are like banana skins these cup games.
"I will be drilling into the players of what doing well in this competition means to the club. If we could get through to the later rounds and get maybe Leeds or Leicester away, that money into the club could make all the difference."
The prospect of a trip to the lower-league minnows has not been helped by the prospect of losing loan duo Tom Thorley and Jimmy Phillips, along with captain Wayne Daniel and Alex Morris. They all face late fitness tests.
But everyone is allowed to dream in the FA Cup and Bully has a few from memory - even reaching the semi-final stage with Wolves in 1998, before they bowed out to Arsenal at Villa Park.
He said: "I have some great memories of the FA Cup and of cup competitions in general. The semi-final with Wolves in 1998 I remember well and we had some other runs down the years as well.
"The best one for me was the Sherpa Vans trophy final in 1988. To go out there and play in front of 80,000 people at Wembley, I will never forget it. What a fantastic experience."
