Blyth Spartans v Blackburn Rovers
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Third Round Proper
7.45pm, Monday 5 January 2009
Croft Park
Live on Setanta
Winning clubs will receive £75,000 from The FA
Blyth Spartans manager Harry Dunn believes north-east people power can spur his team to a sensational FA Cup Third Round win over Blackburn Rovers.
A last-gasp Ged Dalton winner against AFC Bournemouth in the Second Round set up a dream tie for the Conference North outfit against Sam Allardyce's men at Croft Park.
Since then, Dunn has been stunned by the generosity of spirit shown by people in the Blyth area and hopes it will inspire his men on the night.
Newcastle United made the club their VIPs for their recent Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur and Dunn has been deluged with good luck messages.
And the Spartans manager is desperate to see the Blyth dream stay alive after the Rovers clash.
He said: "The whole of the north-east has been fantastic recently and is giving us some wonderful support and long may that continue.
"We were invited to a Newcastle United match where their fans gave us a brilliant reception and we are all on cloud nine at the moment."
But Dunn is also serious when he says Blyth will give Blackburn a run for their money - helped by a small but partisan crowd that will cram into every available inch of Croft Park and make it as intimidating as possible for the visit of the Premier League stars.
He added: "Rovers have been given a 1,000 tickets from the 4,000 capacity and everyone but their fans will be wanting us to win.
"The supporters are right on top of the players here so it will be interesting to see how they cope. Anything can happen on the night and in football you always have a chance so who knows."
The Cup run has also had massive financial implications off the field as Blyth have managed to get themselves out of debt thanks to the generous funding the competition receives.
Delighted chairman Tony Platten added: "The FA Cup run has been a dream come true. It's what chairmen of non-League clubs all over the country hope for, but it usually only comes around every 10 years, if ever.
"Our outstanding debts are around the £100,000 mark and we're now able to wipe those out and still have a healthy amount in reserve."