Mullins bidding to pop Suds’ bubble

BUT TV TIE MEANS WORLD TO MINNOWS

HAYDEN MULLINS reached two FA Cup finals as a player and now bookies are offering another 5,000-1 miracle on AFC Sudbury to win it at his expense.

Colchester head coach Mullins was assistant boss when they suffered a first-round upset against Marine, who went on to host Tottenham, last season.

And he has warned his players not to approach tonight’s booby-trap 15 miles across the Suffolk border with any superiority complex at Sudbury’s tiny MEL Group stadium.

Mullins was suspended in 2006 when West Ham were pipped on penalties by Liverpool in Cardiff.

But he played in Portsmouth’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea at Wembley four years later, and he is determined not to be the fall-guy live on the BBC.

Mullins said: “The bookies are offering the same odds on Sudbury to win the cup as Leicester to win the title five years ago – and it’s our job to make sure we spoil the script.

“Our attitude will have to be spot-on. If we go strolling into the game thinking we’re the bigger club, we won’t be making life easier for ourselves.

“The FA Cup is still a magical competition, and although the romantics will be siding with the underdogs, who knows where it could lead if we reach the next round.”

Chairman Andrew Long revealed the Isthmian League North minnows have already had a lightbulb moment in their quest for an upset on TV.

At the BBC’s request, the Suds had to crank up their floodlights from 200 to 600 lux.

Long said: “When the BBC sent me a list of their requirements, the sheer logistics of their matchday operation were astonishing.

“But in the same memo, they informed me that AFC Sudbury would command the largest global audience of any event on Friday evening – and that blows your mind.

“Our game will be shown in more than 70 countries, so this really is an opportunity to put the club on the map.

“And it will literally be our chance to

shine because the BBC are bringing huge banks of lighting rigs that we’ve got to put somewhere.”

Sudbury will receive a £50,000 broadcast fee, plus £22,629 in prize money if they go through.