Greenwich Borough v Three Bridges
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
3pm Saturday August 24

Greenwich is best-known for keeping the international community in time. But the football club has a couple of corking claims to fame as well.

Ian Wright began his rise to world domination by banging in the goals for Greenwich Borough in the mid-1980s. He's a TV star these days and his first club has another showbiz connection as well.

How many teams can boast an actor-chairman who played a hit-man in EastEnders, paid by Dan Sullivan to try and bump off Phil Mitchell (Phil's girlfriend Lisa got in first of course).

The chairman in question at Greenwich is Tamer Hassan, who has kindly given the job of manager, groundsman, director of football and general maintenance dogsbody to his son-in-law Keith Crowhurst.

Part of Keith's wide brief is going well - the Harrow Meadow pitch is in good nick. However, the management part is proving a bit trickier.

Results in the Go Travel Kent League Premier Division have been a bit disappointing to put it mildly; two matches, two defeats, 11 goals conceded.

"Pre-season went well but we froze in our first league game against VCD Athletic and lost 6-1. We then lost our second game 5-0 at home to Maidstone but I was half-expecting that; they will win the league by Christmas," says Crowhurst.

"We've brought in six or seven new players for this season. Last year, everyone signed for us and disappeared. We had trouble fulfilling our reserve and youth team fixtures so this time we've done away with them. We have one team, the first-team, and have brought the discipline back to the club."

Maybe it's to sort out the discipline that Keith will play his son James Crowhurst, a former boxer, at centre-half against Sussex League Three Bridges.

Alongside Crowhurst Junior will be Borough's skipper, Paul Garratt who was Redhill's answer to Tony Adams before he joined Greenwich in the summer. "He's a strong character, a leader," says the manager, who will look to builder Dave Smith to provide the strength in midfield.

The only disappointment is that injury will keep out left-back Tony Russell, who played with Rio Ferdinand at youth level with West Ham.

Greenwich want to get a 25-year lease on their ground which is owned by Greenwich Council. According to Crowhurst, the current agreement is done on a season-by-season basis and the lack of long-term security is a deterent to investment.

Another problem for Greenwich is the size of their crowds. "We used to average 100 fans a few years ago but it's down to about 45 now," says the club's press official Keith Harmer who spends his weekends writing and then faxing match reports to the local media. "I hope the magic of the FA Cup brings a few more in through the door. We did have 220 for our last home game against Maidstone but they have a very big travelling support for our league."

Of course, The Football Association now offers prize money for winners in the competition, the amount rising as the competition progresses.

"It can make a huge difference. The extra preliminary round is worth £500 to the winners but once you get into the qualifying rounds proper you are talking about £7,500 which is a hell of a lot for teams like us," says Crowhurst.

PRIZE MONEY (£500) WILL BE SPENT ON...."Most likely it will be used for upgrading the showers in the dressing-room" - Borough boss Keith Crowhurst

THE WINNERS WILL PLAY...Alton Town or Didcot Town in the Preliminary Round on August 31

DID YOU KNOW...624 teams are entered for this season's Axa-Sponsored FA Cup
* The FA Cup Trail is compiled by Joe Bernsten. The FA.Com will let you know how Greenwich Borough fare in this cup-tie and we will follow the winners through to the next round.

Click here for the all of the Extra Preliminary Round fixtures this weekend...