Burscough 3-2 Gillingham
The FA Cup
First Round Proper
05 November 2005, 3.00
Winning clubs receive £16,000



Unibond League Premier Division side Burscough caused a shock in the First Round of The FA Cup when they came from behind to knock out League One side Gillingham.

Home skipper Karl Bell gave his side the lead but substitute Mark Saunders set up Matthew Jarvis to level and then put the Gills ahead to seemingly book a place in the Second Round. 

However things are never certain in The FA Cup and Burscough levelled the tie in the 90th minute when the ball went in off Gillingham's Ian Cox before David Rowan fired in a deflected winner deep into injury-time.

The win guaranteed the Linnets another £16,000 to go with the £21,000 they had already won in prize money by battling through to the First Round for the first time in 25 years.

With plans currently being drawn up for a new £5million stadium on land adjacent to the current Victoria Park ground, chairman Chris Lloyd says the money-spinning FA Cup run is extremely timely.

"It’s a fantastic bonus," said Chris. "This kind of windfall is hugely important, and we’d be struggling without it. We’ve just agreed a price for the sale of our current ground so we’re looking at moving in the next 18 months or so, and this income will be very useful in helping us to get our survey work done.

"You can’t budget for a good cup run, but everyone needs them. I love the romance of the cup, but the money is imperative - probably right through to Championship level.

"It’s not just the prize money, it’s the gate receipts that are generated. Our average gate is about 300, but we are hoping to reach about 2000 for the Gillingham game."

Burscough boast a proud tradition of punching way above its weight in knock-out competition. In 2003, managed by former Aston Villa defender Shaun Teale, the Lancashire outfit became the smallest club ever to win The FA Trophy.

Before seeing off Gillingham, Burscough had already won four FA Cup ties, beating three clubs from higher-ranked leagues.

Former Southport defender Derek Goulding saw his team open their campaign with a 3-2 home win worth £2250 in the First Qualifying Round. A 2-1 success at Droylsden in the Second Qualifying Round was worth £3750, and a 2-0 home victory over Workington in the Third Qualifying Round produced another £5000.

The Linnets then won £10,000 for disposing of Hucknall in the Fourth Qualifying Round. After drawing 0-0 away the rematch saw Burscough run out 6-2 winners – 23-year-old Tony Gray scoring a hat-trick to take his season’s goal tally to 14.

Now Chris believes Burscough can give Gillingham a run for their money. "There’s definitely a strange magic about the place," he said.

"For us to win The FA Trophy was the equivalent of Rochdale winning The FA Cup - and we beat both Aylesbury and Yeovil, who won the Conference that year, which was absolutely unbelievable.

"We are probably the smallest club left in The FA Cup, even if there are one or two others from lower-ranked leagues.

"Derek Goulding has done a fantastic job with a very young squad - the average age is only 22, but the players look at The FA Cup, and see it as something they’ve always dreamed of being involved in at this stage."