I'm expecting us to win because Rams are in a lower league, says Cray Valley boss Steve Chapman

CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) manager Steve Chapman says he is hoping for a large crowd against AFC Croydon Athletic on Friday evening.

The Millers welcome The Rams to Badgers Sports Ground in Eltham to contest a FA Carlsberg Vase First Round tie.

AFC Croydon Athletic thrashed Fisher 6-0 in the last round and are sitting in the top five in the Combined Counties League Division One table with six wins and four defeats from their first ten league games.

Cray Valley, meanwhile, are in seventh-place in the table with five wins and three draws from ten games and are eight points adrift of their tenants Erith Town, who lead the table.

“This will be our first ever Friday game under floodlights and we’re hoping for a big crowd,” said Chapman.

“Although they beat Fisher 6-0 in the previous round, we still think it’s a winnable game for us.”

Cray Valley officials have had the forward thinking to bring the game forward to a Friday night.

Tenants Erith Town have also been drawn at home – to Lingfield – and that game will take place at Badgers Sports Ground on Saturday afternoon (3pm).

Chapman said: “I have said to our committee I wouldn’t mind the odd Friday evening game because I think we can draw bigger crowds and create more revenue for the club and also it gives us a Saturday off to maybe have a look at football ourselves.”

When asked what he is expecting on Friday, Chapman replied: “I’m expecting us to win because in reality they’re in a league below us and I think we’ll be well equipped on the evening to deal with their strike force.

“I’ve looked at their results recently – they’ve won as many as they’ve lost – and they’ve scored as many as they’ve let in so I’m hoping we’ll be able to outscore them on the night with our strike force.”

Cray Valley will scoop £900 in prize money from The Football Association should they get past the Rams.

“The prize money is massive, especially for small clubs like ourselves where the gates are not big every week so we’re very much dependant on prize money and sponsorship,” said Chapman.

“I just want to make it clear we’ve got a very good committee and a very good president but we’re run without the president’s money. All the money we generate is via sponsorship and the gate.”

Cray Valley have a reputation of being a big budget club in the Southern Counties East.

“It is a reputation,” said Chapman. “We’re not a big budget club. We’ve got the majority of our players are on very modest wages and they might be one or two that are on a higher wage but at the end of the day we’ve got players like Laurent Hamici who want to play because of circumstances rather than money and everybody believes he’s on a very reasonable wage.”

Reflecting on their start to their league campaign, Chapman said: “To be honest we’re disappointed really.  I’d like to be up there with the top three and with the pace setters by now.

“I don’t think we’re out of it yet but we certainly have to be a lot more consistent with our performances.”

Visit Cray Valley’s website:  www.cray-valley.co.uk

Cray Valley (Paper Mills)  v  AFC Croydon Athletic
The FA Carlsberg Vase First Round
Friday 18^th October 2013
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Badgers Sports Ground, Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, London SE9 5HT