The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Season 2006-2007
First Round Qualifying
Saturday 16 September 2006, 3pm

 

FA Cup winner Tommy Taylor brings his King's Lynn team into the FA Cup this weekend - although he reckons some of his players don't even realise he once lifted the famous trophy.

Taylor was a member of the West Ham side that defeated Fulham 2-0 at Wembley in 1975 before he moved into management.

Following spells in charge of Cambridge, Leyton Orient and Darlington in the Football League he is now manager at Southern League Premier outfit King's Lynn who take on Tring Athletic on Saturday.

But Taylor reveals: "I don't think half my team even know I once won The FA Cup! But for me it is still a great competition, even for a smaller club like us.

"It makes me proud to have a winners' medal because there have been some really great players who haven't got one.

"I actually don't remember much about the Final. One minute you are in the changing room getting ready for the match and the next you are on the coach going home. But at least we had the trophy and that was the main thing.

"We had some really hard games to get to The Final, playing Arsenal and Ipswich along the way. The Final saw both teams play some good football but we scored the two goals."

Taylor says he will not use his FA Cup Final experiences to rally his troops ahead of their game against Tring, but says a decent run in the competition will help everyone at the club prove their ability.

"King's Lynn are not going to win the Cup, but we want to go as far as we can and knock a few teams out along the way," he explained.

"We've got a few players who have come out of the professional game and this is a chance for them to win some matches and then maybe pit themselves against one of the really good teams again.

"Personally, I really miss not being a full-time manager in the league and I would love to get back in there.

"If we can do well in The FA Cup and get a bit of publicity along the way, then it will put all our names back in the spotlight."