Stourbridge boss eyes AFC Telford Cup stunner

Thursday 23rd September 2010, 12:05PM BST.

Stourbridge boss eyes AFC Telford Cup stunner

Stourbridge boss Gary Hackett believes his minnows have a “one in 10 chance” of making AFC Telford United victims of an FA Cup giantkilling.

The Glassboys come to the New Bucks Head on Saturday for an eagerly-awaited second qualifying round clash.

Telford will start as favourites against the Zamaretto Southern League premier division side – but former Shrewsbury winger Hackett is in bullish mood.

He guided his club to the first round proper last season and has his sights set on another famous run.

“There’s no doubt it would be a massive upset if we were to win,” said Hackett.

“In some ways the pressure is on Telford because they’re the Conference side, they’re at home and they’re riding high in their division.

“If we played them 10 times they’d possibly win nine but we have to hope it’s that other one on Saturday.”

Stourbridge fought their way through four rounds last season before falling to League One side Walsall.

“Last year was absolutely amazing,” added Hackett. “It was the first time in the 133-year history of the club that we had reached the first round proper.

“The FA Cup has been good to me. As a player people look back to my Shrewsbury days – I was in the right place at the right time with my goal against Ipswich (in the fourth round in 1984) that was on the credits on Match of the Day for a long time afterwards.”

Stourbridge include former AFC Telford goalkeeper Lewis Solly in their ranks, while assistant manager Jon Ford played for the old club.

And Ford holds a special place in the club’s history – having scored the last goal by a Telford player at the old Bucks Head.

He netted the second in a 2-1 win over Stevenage in April 2000 before the ground was demolished for redevelopment.



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