River is rising like a Phoenix to spark Truro

for League One footballers to come to grounds like ours. It’s like a Sunday league ground and the not- so- nice pitch and not- so- nice changing rooms would give us an advantage.

“If you’re from Charlton you probably don’t even know where Truro is. They all think we live on a farm. That’s the truth of it.”

Truro, aka The White Tigers, are not a collection of straw- chewing farmhands but, at a club run on gates of 500, they are all part- timers with proper jobs. They include a barber, a teacher and a naval dockyard fi tter among their number.

“It’s a shame the Charlton game is on a Sunday because we’re all back at work on Monday morning. I haven’t any holiday left so I’ll be in,” said Allen. “I’ll be up at 5.15am to be in work at 6.30am.

“I’ll be knocking the scratches off yachts to make them as good as new until the buzzers go at 5pm and I’m allowed out. We are running around for the rich people. The yachts that we are grafting on are worth millions.

“It’s hard work having a proper job and revolving it around football but I’ve been lucky because my boss understands that I have to leave early sometimes.

“I had to miss one game this year but apart from that he has been fi ne with it.”

Truro train twice a week but because none of a scattered squad actually live in the city, they are put through their paces by manager Lee Hodges, who played 195 games for Plymouth Argyle, across the Devon border in Exeter. Truro’s geographical isolation does make life complicated but despite all the obstacles they lie sixth in the Vanarama National League South.

“Any game this side of London is a bit of a bonus for us; it’s the games the other side which can make for a long day. For a midweek game, we often get back at 3am and then have to be up for work,” said Allen. “We’re used to it. It’s normal. I enjoy the travelling ”

Truro have knockout pedigree having won the FA Vase in 2007 but the FA Cup is where the real magic lies. More than 1,000 supporters will be travelling from the South- west for Cornish football’s moment in the spotlight.

It has been a long wait but Truro are determined to keep Saint Piran’s Flag fl ying beyond this weekend. And they are used to defying the odds.

They all think we live on a farm