Its FA Cup First Round weekend and for Gillingham boss Steve Evans, it’s the start of potentially another run in the greatest Cup competition in the world, but with one thing notably missing – the fans…
Evans conceded that one of the highlights of the season just won’t be the same COVID style. “Absolutely for sure,” the Gills boss conceded.
“I think it will take something away from every club who plays in the First Round. Some of the boys from the lower levels on Non-League football that have made progress would have had full houses, sold out towns and sold out villages behind them especially if they’re at home, and they’re not going to be able to have that.
“I do think that that’s the magic of the Cup, when you look at previous highlights and previous Cup shock’s you’ll see what it means to players and supporters together. And as I’ve said many times, football is not the same and will never be the same without supporters.
Supporters that as the Gills boss recalled had a great Cup run just twelve months ago. He said, “we had wonderful memories from West Ham coming to us, in front of the television cameras and having a packed Priestfield. But you don’t get those magical days if you can’t deal with the first and second round.
“The FA Cup will always be a priority for me as it’s such a magical competition and has given me some of the best days of my life that I will remember forever. I’d love another cup run in a magical competition where you can test yourself against the best coaches and players in the world.”
But with supporters missing from Priestfield again this weekend, the Gills boss said, “Undoubtedly there will be an advantage to Woking this weekend having no crowd in the ground, the winners for me are the League clubs who go to Non-League clubs where the fans are hanging over the barriers and the Non-League clubs who are going to League clubs.”
Evans then admitted that he had the one of the Kent Non-League sides in the draw in mind for a possible upset.
“I’ve actually had an eye on the Tonbridge v Bradford game for a surprise with the staff. Stuart (McCall) is a wonderful guy and wonderful manager, and Bradford City is a wonderful football club.
“There is an example who would be bringing many supporters to Tonbridge on the weekend… I wish Tonbridge every success, I’ve been to Longmead when I was at Crawley, I wish them every success but I’m sure that they know that they will have to play exceptionally well as it’s a good squad that Stuart McCall’s got… it could be an upset, it could be a draw and go to penalties, there’s every chance!”
“The fact that ties are now going to be decided on the day, I think means that it just becomes a more difficult task for the higher ranked clubs and that will continue all the way through the competition.
“If you’re playing a Premier League side and you get to sixty-five, seventy, seventy-five minutes and the opposition manager knows that its going to penalties which becomes and is a game of chance, it’s a game of who knows what happens. Then every time you get that, then you know it increases your chance of beating a club higher ranked than you!
Thinking of Saturday’s squad along with Tuesday EFL Trophy tie with the Arsenal under 23s, Evans confirmed that he will use all his squad ahead of a blank weekend after the clubs trip to Lincoln City on Saturday week has been postponed by international call ups.
“Its important that we sharpen one or two up in these next two games,” Evans told us, “its important that some of the lads get game minutes but it is also important that we make progress in the FA Cup, so between Saturday and Tuesday every player who is capable of starting a game will start!
“By not going to Lincoln next week, it does give us a wonderful opportunity to clear up niggles and knocks etc.”
Evans confirmed that keeper Jack Bonham was back in goal for the weekend after completing the concussion procedures following his injury at Ipswich ten days ago.