Needham Market boss Kevin Horlock has told his players, 'don't play in fear', as they head to League One Burton Albion in the FA Cup first round on Saturday.
The former Ipswich Town and Manchester City star has helped guide the Step 3 Southern League Marketmen to the furthest they have ever been in the FA Cup - an historic run for the club.
And while he knows they are rank outsiders for victory at the Pirelli Stadium, playing four steps below Burton in the football pyramid, Horlock also knows upsets happen.
“You just never know in football," he said.
"That’s the magic of the FA Cup. It’s been done before and no doubt it’ll be done again. Hopefully that’s when we play them.
“I believe in them. I believe in what I’ve got. They’re good players. I’ll tell them to just be free, go and play. Don’t play in fear. Don’t worry about mistakes.
“Go and play with a bit of freedom and if you can get young, talented players to do that, the results can be amazing.
“The lads will obviously be a bit nervous, but that’s okay. I think that gives you that bit of an edge. No one gives us a chance anyway, so it’s a win-win.”
Horlock knows exactly what a long run in the oldest cup competition in the world feels like, having drawn Premier League Southampton in the fifth round when he was playing for Division Two Swindon in 1996.
A tie with eventual winners Manchester United was on the line and Swindon were just minutes away from the quarter-finals.
“I actually scored with a right foot shot which is rarer than anything, trust me,” recalled Horlock.
“We were 1-0 up with about five minutes to go and Gordon Watson came on and scored for them really late on and we lost fairly comfortably away from home.
“That’s the furthest I’ve got and probably my fondest memory, even though we just didn’t see it over the line.”
Needham are one of three Pitching In Southern League Central sides in the first round proper, having defied a two-division gap to knock out National League Maidstone 1-0 in the last round.
The Bloomfields outfit are also set to take 400-500 fans to Staffordshire to support their team, who will be travelling up on the day.
“Like against Maidstone, we’ll have to be at our best across the board, we’ll have to have a little bit of luck no doubt, and we probably need Burton to have an off day,” said Horlock.
Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in/
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