FA CUP: Grecians hope to overcome the odds again
Having overcome the odds to hold Manchester United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford in their third round tie 11 days ago, Exeter City are hoping they can cause an even bigger shock against the FA Cup holders at St James' Park tonight.
It would rank as arguably the biggest upset in the history of the competition if the Nationwide Conference side were to beat the Premiership giants, but Grecians supporters are dreaming of the ultimate giant-killing, and it seems that FA cup fever has taken hold of the City.
"It is almost impossible to quantify what this game has done for the club and the city," said the manager of the club's shop, Kelly Ingleson. "At the start of the season, we had 1,000 'centenary' kits made. At the end of November we were fairly confident there would be some left at the end of the season. Not only have they all gone, so have the training tops, the T-shirts andvirtually everything else."
A sell-out crowd will descend on the 10,500-capacity St James' Park ground tonight, and most will be cheering on the underdogs, along with millions across the country who will no doubt be watching the game live on the BBC.
The local Odeon cinema is also showing the match on a big screen and manager Jason Poulson says the 700 seats in the theatre are almost all spoken for already.
Grecians boss Alex Inglethorpe is also getting caught up in the excitement, but he remains realistic and admits whatever happens tonight, the two big cup fixtures have made a huge difference to the club.
"We are in a no-lose situation," the 33-year-old manager said. "As a club, we have cleared a massive debt. And as a team, we have drawn at United. No matter what the score is on Wednesday, the club will have come out of the FA Cup with a lot of credit and in a far healthier condition."
Inglethorpe's esteemed counterpart was full of praise for the way everyone conducted themselves at Old Trafford, in what was a massive occasion and an amazing result for the Conference club.
Sir Alex Ferguson said: "The manager showed great dignity and expertise for such a young man and Steve Perryman helped with his experience. There were no hand jives, jumping up and down and euphoria. They handled the whole thing very calmly. They stopped for a glass of wine after the game and were great company.
"It was a great day for football. The FA Cup was enhanced by the performance of Exeter."
However, the United boss insists he will be taking no chances with his team selection for the replay after a weakened United side failed to break down the spirited Grecians at Old Trafford. Ferguson has named a strong squad for tonight's match, with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo all set to start.
"I am taking a strong side and hopefully we will get the result we want," said Ferguson. "We expect a different type of game, a different Manchester United. Whether Exeter will be able to cope with that is down to the romance of the FA Cup."
Gary Neville is also in line to return after recovering from a virus, as the United boss confirmed: "Gary is back and fit. He is fine. He's had 10 days training and will play. It has been a surprise it has taken him so long to shake off the virus. It persisted in the lad. We have done all the blood tests and checks and he is perfectly all right now."
Good luck to the Grecians!!
