FA CUP THIRD ROUND NEWPORT CTY V LEEDS
THEY call it the magic of the cup. It’s not something that’s lost on Mike Flynn, who can quickly recall watching finals of his childhood, first with family in the front room, then with mates in the pubs of his Newport hometown.
For all the gripes with the game in the modern era, stripping it all down to the third weekend where the Davids dreams of meeting, matching and toppling their Goliaths reminds of what is still good, what is still magical about football and the FA Cup.
There will be plenty of it around the city at lunchtime today, welcoming Leeds United and all its sizeable history and stature.
But the magic around the Exiles isn’t restricted to the FA Cup.
Just a eight months ago, Flynn helped his club and his city pull off an act of escapology that would have made Houdini think twice; from 11 points adrift with 12 games to go to survivors in the final minutes on the final day. Just like that, as someone would say.
More than that, the real magic is how the club and the community have pulled closer together than ever as a result.
They say you only realise what you have when you lose it, and coming so close to losing County’s Football League status had its effect.
“Let’s not beat around the bush, I think the club would have probably gone if we had dropped out of the Football League,” admits Flynn, the Newport youth product who was at the club in its earlier days after the 1989 reformation as Newport County AFC before making his way in the game with the likes of Wigan, Gillingham and Bradford before returning home. He was back as a player in time for the culmination of the long road from the English non-league depths to being part of the 92 once more, on the staff when – after financial difficulties – supporters rallied to raise more than £200,000 to complete a Trust takeover of the Rodney Parade outfit. His journey eventually saw him become manager in March.
It hasn’t been easy for the Trust – with last year a case in point – but Flynn has acted as a figurehead for better. What’s gone on since is nothing short of magical.
“You don’t want to know,” sighs Flynn with a smile at the difficulties still being faced for a club aiming to make the best – and to make better – with the little money they’ve got. Though Leeds are no-longer the Premier League giants that were once felled up the road at Ninian Park in this same competition 16 years ago, it’s very much still a third round tie between the have and have-to-makedos.
“We have to share our kit man with our strength and conditioning coach. He doubles up. These are the things people don’t see,” Flynn continues.
“Our analysts come from university, so they are voluntary. Without these people, we would struggle. They all add something and they are part of the team. There is a friend of mine who comes in and helps out, free of charge – whether that be setting up the match day equipment or training ground kit.”
There are many more, adds Flynn, including those who don’t want to be singled out.
“We have had a set of fans put their hard-earned money together to buy us a GPS system, which cost them five figures,” he reveals.
“They also bought us an ice machine. They don’t want to be named as they are not doing it for the limelight. I won’t name them, but they don’t realise how thankful we are. That helps me get better readings for the players.”
And better players. Only on Friday, former Swans youth ace Josh Sheehan signed up in time for today’s televised noon showdown with the announcement revealing the deal had been part funded by County’s Supporters’ Club, a figure known almost mysteriously only as ‘JKM’ and another individual who wishes to remain anonymous. Sheehan will wear an amber shirt with the number 31: the combination of 19 & 12, the year the original Ironsides club was formed.
It’s helping the club push for the play-offs, although this is all about the chance of an upset this weekend and – as significant as the £67,500 prize would be – the opportunity for the club to reach the fourth round for the first time since 1979, ten years before the AFC phoenix took its first steps.
Flynn is quick to praise the players for making it happen having kept faith with many of the squad that kept them up in such dramatic scenes last May, admitting this game is a chance for them to stand proud and showcase their turnaround. “They deserve the credit, they were the ones on the pitch who had to do it,” he says. “It’s been a joy to watch them improve and take the club forward.”
He talks up the work of chairman Gavin Foxhall too, but most would agree the 37-year-old manager is being modest not to mention himself.
“The gaffer is Newport through and through and what the boys went through last year has given us a string affiliation with the club,” says captain Joss Ladabie, the midfielder who opened the scoring against Leeds when the sides met in the League Cup earlier this season, the eventual 5-1 win for the Yorkshire side not a fair reflection for the contest at Elland Road. “Any new signings who walk through the door instantly feel that and they know they’re coming into a