FA Cup provides answer to Accrington Stanley question

For most English football fans, Accrington Stanley will forever be associated with a fondly-remembered television commercial for milk from the 1980s.

In it, a football-loving urchin tells a friend that if he does not drink his milk he’ll only ever be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.

His friend replies: “Accrington Stanley? Who are they?” and fans of the perennially unsuccessful Lancashire club have never been allowed to forget that line, or the response: “Exactly!”

For those long-suffering supporters this weekend’s FA Cup fourth round tie with Premier League Fulham offers an opportunity for their club, which only a few months ago was on the verge of bankruptcy, to make itself synonomous with something other than the dismissive scorn of a ten-year-old.

Accrington, currently 11th in the four tier of English football, are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition and their run has already assured the club’s near-term financial future, as well as taking them a stage further than either Liverpool or Manchester United could manage.

But manager John Coleman sees no reason to settle for that.

“Fulham will have had our (3rd round) game against Gillingham watched and they will know it won’t be a cakewalk,” he said this week.

“My lads are sky high at the minute. Fulham hold no fear for them and, to be honest, my players would feel happy and confident if they went out to play Real Madrid just at the moment.”

The demise of United and Liverpool, beaten respectively by Leeds and Reading in the last round, has left Chelsea as the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the Cup.

But the holders have a potentially tricky fourth round assignment in the form of a lunchtime trip to Championship side Preston, now managed by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s son Darren.

Arsenal are involved in one of three all-Premier League ties with Arsene Wenger’s men looking to maintain their recent momentum at Stoke on Sunday.

Everton take on Birmingham while 2008 winners Portsmouth entertain Sunderland in the other clashes between top flight clubs.

Having seen their side beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the third round, Leeds’ huge army of supporters will relish another afternoon back in the big time when they travel to Tottenham, while Reading’s reward for knocking Liverpool out was a home tie against Burnley.

That match is a rerun of last season’s Championship play-off semi-final, which Burnley won thanks to a memorable goal from Scottish striker Steven Thompson, before going on clinch promotion to the Premier League.

“That game will live in the memory for a long time and it was an amazing occasion for everyone connected with the club,” Thompson recalled.

“But it’s different now. Reading are a good team, especially down at the Madejski. They’ll be looking to take another Premier League scalp, so we need to make sure we’re still in the Cup come Saturday night.”

Wolves plan to pitch Belgium winger Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, their transfer-window loan signing, straight into action in their meeting with Crystal Palace, who are having a good season and challenging for a place in the Championship play-offs.

Other ties with the potential for an upset include League Two Notts County’s home tie with Wigan and Scunthorpe’s Sunday date with Manchester City.

4th round fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)

Accrington Stanley v Fulham, Aston Villa v Brighton, Bolton v Sheffield Utd, Cardiff City v Leicester, Derby v Doncaster, Everton v Birmingham, Notts County v Wigan, Portmsouth v Sunderland, Preston NE v Chelsea (1245 GMT), Reading v Burnley (1245 GMT), Southampton v Ipswich, Tottenham v Leeds, West Brom v Newcastle, Wolves v Crystal Palace

Sunday

Scunthorpe v Manchester City (1600 GMT), Stoke City v Arsenal (1330 GMT)