Stoke FA Cup clash is Crawley’s ‘biggest day’
Bristol Rovers V Crawley Town 14-1-12 (Pic by Jon Rigby)
CRAWLEY manager Steve Evans has billed Sunday’s FA Cup Fifth Round tie at home to Stoke City as the biggest sporting event in the town’s history.
Crawley have made so much history in the past 18 months, and this fixture is no different as the Reds host a Premier League club for the first time ever in a competitive match. While the trip to Old Trafford in February 2011 was a huge sporting day for the town, the Reds boss argues this is even bigger, as the Broafield and the expected record attendance will be in the spotlight.
“Without question it is the biggest day in the sporting history of Crawley,” Evans said. “Manchester United was huge and is unlikely to be repeated. It is fantastic, a Premier League club is coming to town. This is not a Premier League club XI, this is the biggest cup competition in the world and from speaking to (Stoke manager) Tony Pulis they are taking it as seriously as the Premier League.
“All the big names will be there.”
A packed Broadfield Stadium will welcome the Potters to Crawley for Sunday’s 12noon kick off, and with the Stoke fans’ reputation for being the noisiest in the Premier League, Evans wants the Reds faithful to ensure a hot reception.
“Our supporters can help create history,” Evans said. “But I think our supporters appreciate the size of the task. Stoke have the likes of Peter Crouch on £100,000 a week, and people like Jonathan Woodgate earn fortunes. I am looking forward to pitting my wits against them. From that point of view it is the biggest sporting occasion in the town’s history, and that is a fantastic credit to everyone at the club, and the fans, they have been awesome.”
Stoke are reportedly ‘down to their last few tickets’, as Crawley look set to beat the attendance record set back in 2004 when the Reds beat Steve Claridge’s Weymouth en-route to lifting the Dr Martens Premier Division title.
And without getting swept away in the romance of the competition, Evans insists his side have a chance of causing one of the biggest upsets in recent FA Cup memory.
“If Stoke play at their best they will give us a drubbing,” he added. “But if they are a notch below that and we are at our best we could be in for one of the most amazing results in decades.”
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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