The FA Cup comes to Kent for Cray's televised tie

DESPITE being the second oldest football club in the world, Cray Wanderers have never got anywhere close to holding the FA Cup - but that changes on Sunday, writes Stephen McCartney.

KENT BOUND FOR ONE DAY:  The FA Cup will take pride of place at Hayes Lane on Sunday as Ryman League Division One South side Cray Wanderers get their FA Cup campaign underway.
Photograph courtesy of www.thefa.com

The promotion chasing Ryman League Division One South club, who celebrate their 160^th anniversary in two years time, could get their hands on the most famous piece of silverware in Sunday’s preliminary round clash at Hayes Lane.

Current holders Portsmouth paraded the FA Cup before their Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Fratton Park today, before it makes its way to Bromley on Sunday.

Ian Jenkins’ side welcome the winner of Tuesday night’s extra preliminary round tie between Chichester City United and Crawley Down.

The Wands defeated newly promoted side Merstham 3-0 at Hayes Lane today and the lure of the television cameras for Sunday’s preliminary round tie should attract a whole lot more than the 139 fans that watched the club’s rise to eighth place in the table after four games.

“ITV’s cameras will be at Cray Wanderers’ FA Cup match on Sunday for ITV’s new imitative to promoted the FA Cup from the earlier stages,” club spokesman Faizal Khan told www.kentishfootball.co.uk today.

Mr Khan added: “There is also a strong possibility ITV will be turning up with the FA Cup itself, with complements of the Football Association.”

Mr Khan said that Dominic Cameron, the managing director of ITV.com will also be attending the game with his family and Cray Wanderers’ chairman Gary Hillman urges Kentish football fans to attend the game to support the team on this historic day.

“This is going to be a historic day for Cray Wanderers, being chosen to be filmed on live camera,” Mr Hillman told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Bring the family to the game and say you were there to witness a little bit of history this weekend.

“This will be another landmark achievement for the Wands in their impressive success story under manager Ian Jenkins, who is now in his fifteenth year at the club.”

Jenkins will hope to do a lot better than Bulmers Cider Kent League side Faversham Town fared in their televised extra preliminary round clash.

Sussex County League side Horsham YMCA, relegated after two season’s in the Ryman League, came away from Salters Lane with a 2-0 victory, as the Lilywhites missed out on a home Kent derby against in-form Tunbridge Wells in this round.

Sunday’s full game will be available to watch on ITV.com with highlights on ITV and Setanta Sports.

It’s also FA Cup weekend for www.kentishfootball.co.uk, as we’re covering the preliminary round tie between Sevenoaks Town (Kent League) and Folkestone Invicta (Ryman One South) at Greatness Park on Saturday, before joining ITV at Hayes Lane on Sunday to see Cray Wanderers earn a mouth-watering trip to Ryman Premier League side Sutton United in the next (first qualifying) round (13^th September).

Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.craywands.co.uk