In the First Round of the FA Cup since 1971, Tonbridge Angels go into Saturday’s game with Bradford City looking to create another page in the history books, but they will of course be doing it without their passionate Longmead supporters.

Manager Steve McKimm has been talking to KSN about the fans – both their incredible backing on the run so far and since their big draw; he told us, “It’s obviously disappointing that the fans wont be there, but they’ll love every minute of being associated with a club who haven’t got to the First Round for forty-eight years that have actually got there.

“Even though they haven’t seen it, a lot of them watched it last week (Taunton) and they loved it seeing the pictures around social media and were over the moon.”

“I’ve had so many messages from supporters telling me that they’re happy that we got into this round, they’re disappointed that they can’t be part of it, but us getting to the First Round was for them!

“What we’ll have to do, whoever’s in charge next year, they’ll have to achieve the same again. We know how much of a boost it will be for everyone if we can win, but whilst it will be nice, you’ve got to remember that we’ve done something that the club hasn’t done in nearly half a century – we’ve tried before.

“As some fans will tell you, other managers and other players have tried and not succeeded. We’ve been luck enough to this year, and you do need a bit of luck, and no-one can take that away from us until it done again…”

“We set a goal at the start of the season and that was in my chat to the players, make the first round of the FA Cup! Other clubs have done it, so I said to them why can’t we.

“So that’s one achievement they’ve done so far – they want to go and do better, they want to now get into the Second Round, and if they achieve that, that’s something else for them to be proud of. They’ve done the club proud by getting to the First Round…

McKimm’s own FA Cup experiences – memorable as they are for many Kent football fans – are but a shadow of those of the man in the opposition dug-out.

Stuart McCall currently in charge for his third spell at Bradford City after playing nearly 400 times for the club, as well as a highly successful career at Everton, Rangers and Sheffield United.

He also his own place in the history of the Greatest Cup Competition in the World, being the first substitute to score twice in the FA Cup Final itself back in 1989, but will be only too well aware of the task his side faces at Longmead this weekend.

McKimm spoke about the opposition saying, “Bradford played Southend on Tuesday and that was another game for them since we last played a competitive game (losing 1-0 at both Bolton and Barrow, before Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Southend) so they’ve had a busy schedule and it could work for them or it could work against them.

“They’re a professional outfit so their recovery and stuff like that is second to none – it’s not as if they went to work after playing on Tuesday, or Saturday, or last week, so that will be important for them.”

“We’ve watched tapes, including their game on Tuesday, which hopefully will help! Our training this week has been important as it was key that we got together and go over a few things about what they’re good at and what they’re not so good at!

“But they are a full-time outfit who are going to be fit, they’re going to be strong, they’re going to organised, they’ll have a way of playing – all of which we’ll have to try and nullify, but also stamp our authority on the game and not think afterwards “what if?””