Tipton captain aiming for a blinder

By day he is a carpet and blind fitter, but Tipton Town captain Danny Bragoli will be will be going for FA Cup glory at Carlisle.

Like most of the club's players, Bragoli has had to juggle preparations for the teams pivotal match in the first round with a full-time job.

The 24-year-old has his own business, Wolverhampton-based Interior Direct Ltd, which he launched in 2008.

He said: "It is difficult to compare playing football with my full-time job. They are both physically demanding - I put the same ethics into my business that I do as a player.

"I have a lot of responsibility in both. I love being captain of Tipton Town. It is a great honour to lead a team with such fantastic players.

"If I had to say one I would say the football is harder. In my business, I'm working hard but it's a bit more at my own pace.

"But at Tipton Town - with what we want to achieve this season - we have been going all out.

"We're desperate to take it to the next level and there's not a player in the squad who is not good enough to do that."

Bragoli's business requires him to work across the Midlands.

Normally the box-to-box midfielder works Monday to Friday - starting at 7.30am and finishing at 6.30pm.

This means Bragoli often faces a quick turnaround at his home in Collins Road, Wednesbury, to get to training for 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

On other occasions he has to work Saturday mornings - just hours before a match.

He said: "It can be tough but that's just the way it goes. With the way things are at the moment you have to take whatever work you can.

"A lot of the lads are in the same position."

Bragoli played for Shrewsbury between 2000 and 2004 and then for the Wilmington Hammerheads in America.

He has figured for Hednesford and Chasetown and boasts international experience playing for Wales under-14s, 15s and 16s.

But he admits Saturday will be the biggest game of his career and is determined not to let Carlisle pull the rug from under his team's feet.

He said: "It's definitely the most important match of my life. I played international football as a kid but at my age now it means so much more.

"If we could get a draw and bring them back to our place - that would be a fantastic."