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United the prize, but boss Hill doesn’t care about the money...he wants them at Silverlake
7.45pm
EASTLEIGH boss Richard Hill believes his players are ready to write their name into FA Cup folklore.
The National League side are desperate to set up a fourth-round tie with mighty Manchester United – and then they want to stage a game no one will ever forget.
Eastleigh tackle Newport County in a third-round replay tonight with prize money of £105,000 for the winners, plus a dream home tie and live BBC coverage which would turn them all into national celebrities.
That would be worth a fortune to Eastleigh chairman Stewart Donald, even though their Silverlake Stadium holds only 5,192 fans and would need to pass safety checks to host such a Davidv-goliath tie.
Switching to a neutral venue could earn them extra cash but Hill said: “The prize is absolutely massive. Forget what it could lead to financially, I don’t get involved in that. The financial side could be good but just to get Manchester United to the Silverlake would just be massive.
“I don’t have any input in that. I think that will be left to the people who make those decisions.
“But Manchester United coming to the Silverlake in an FA Cup fourth round... it would probably never happen again.
“If we get through and if it’s decided that the game should be moved, then I have to accept that. But you’ve got to remember that United coming to Silverlake would be a massive legacy for the chairman to leave. The chairman of the football club, Eastleigh Football Club, got to the fourth round of the FA Cup and got Manchester United to the Silverlake.”
Former Oxford midfielder Hill, 60, says reaching the next round would be the biggest achievement of his career and that has been the focus of his pre-match team talk. He used to play with United No.2 Steve Mcclaren in their days at Oxford and the former England boss has already been in touch.
Eastleigh held Newport to a draw in the first game despite being reduced to 10 men and Hill says every player will have to be at the top of their game to win.
He added: “My message to the players was that right now it might not mean anything to get to the fourth round. But in another 15 or 20 years, when there is a little snippet in the match programme, or the local paper, it will mean something. You can say: ‘I was part of that.’ It means something further down the line.
“I had a message from Steve Mcclaren. He’s a very good mate of mine from Oxford back in the 80s. He sent me a message of good wishes, so I appreciate that.”
Newport are langushing in 17th place in League Two and have lost nine of their 14 away games. But they go into tonight’s replay on a run of three draws and two wins in their last five.
Eastleigh, who lost 1-0 at home to Southend on Saturday, are 11th in the National League, with 10 wins and 10 defeats from their 27 fixtures.
Bookies can’t split them and offer both sides at 11-8 to clinch a victory. The draw is around the 5-2 mark. ■■NEWPORT manager Graham Coughlan hopes to land an FA Cup date with Manchester United – 45 years after the red Devils reduced him to tears. United supporter Coughlan was four when they fought back from 2-0 down to 2-2 against Arsenal in the 1979 Cup final before allowing a late Gunners winner. ”I shed a few tears,” he recalled.