The Hythe Town chairman Paul Markland has spoken about last Saturday's visit to Edgar Street. His words sum up what the FA Cup at lower levels is all about.
Here's what he said (published with the kind permission of Mr Markland):
Our thanks for a great day out in the First Round Proper of the FA Cup on Saturday 6th November go to everyone at Hereford United. From the moment we arrived at your ground to the time we departed our fans, players, management and directors were made very welcome by Hereford’s officials, management, stewards and your friendly supporters.
Your full-time professionals were always favourites to win over our part-timers - and win convincingly they did. We had to sound optimistic in the build up: we couldn’t very well say we were beaten before we even turned up at Edgar Road!! With a shed-load of luck maybe we could have pulled a bit of FA Cup magic out of the hat but it wasn’t to be. Our players didn’t disgrace themselves by any means. In fact they went one better than Stockport - but your lads play five leagues above us and it showed.
We all appreciated the Bulls fans (and Chairman) who stayed behind afterwards to applaud our players as they left the pitch
To put it in context we had won six FA Cup games before we met you, beating sides two and three leagues above us, but five leagues above was clearly a step too far. If you win the same number of FA Cup games you’ll be in the semi-final, only meeting teams three leagues above you!
Could this be your year to emulate the 1972 Hereford giant killers? It was great to meet some of these guys and hear their stories. Lots of people in our part of Kent now have fond memories of our day with you and will be following the Hereford United cup and league results.
Our media run up to the game was tremendous: national and local press, radio and TV. A personal highlight was The Sun bringing The FA Cup down to our ground the Sunday before for a photo-shoot. When did any of us ever think that would happen?
A lovely personal memory is of Tim Russon having me winkled out of your main bar, where I had joined our players and the supporters from both clubs, to meet some of your fans in your hospitality lounge. They presented me with a Morrison three blade razor (what happened to the Gillette Fusion Proglide guys?) to remove my ‘cup run whiskers’. A bit of friendly football fun - so thanks, the whiskers are off now. I tried to pass this mantle on to David Keyte but he didn’t look too keen!
Your fortunes seem to be on the up. I can tell you that your new directors are enthusiastic and hard working (a couple were even serving drinks and clearing glasses in the boardroom). I sensed a revitalisation underway on and off the pitch.
Like us you have a young home-grown manager with something to prove and who has been lucky enough to be given the chance to do so. And now, thanks to Hythe Town, you’ve got what I think will be the first of many home wins this season under your belt.
Our team, management and some officials stayed over at the Three Counties Hotel on Saturday for a celebration. Some of our WAG’s who, along with our other noisy 250 fans out-sang your 2000 (even if we couldn’t out-play you), joined us - as did two (welcome) Bulls fans. Ronnie Radford told me that this never happened in his day.
To hear the after-party singing and banter you would think we had won The FA Cup not lost 5-1 eight stages from the final. I left for my (quieter) hotel about 11pm as I had to get up early to be back in Kent for a Sunday lunch and the party was still going strong. I gather there were a few sore heads on the team coach on Sunday - it was apparently very quiet apart from the snoring.
All in all a tremendous experience for everyone at Hythe Town. The first time in over 50 years that a Kent League club has done this and something that is not likely to happen again in our lifetimes, certainly not to Hythe Town Football Club. Thanks for being a part of it.
Now back to reality. We’ve got to concentrate on winning the Kent League, although another cup run may beckon on Saturday when we join the FA Vase at the Second Round Proper stage!
Best wishes to everyone at Hereford United, good luck against Lincoln City and thanks for a great day.
Paul Markland
Chairman
Hythe Town Football Club
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