Weston-super-Mare AFC will look to make some FA Cup history for themselves this weekend as they aim to equal their best performance in the competition.
The Seagulls make the relatively short 26-mile journey to face League One side Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday in the first round proper of the FA Cup.
If they are victorious, they will enter the second round for only the second time in their history, the first time coming 21 years ago when they faced Northampton Town in round two.
Weston have had to come through three rounds just to get to this point while Bristol Rovers are entering the competition for the first time this season as a football league club.
They entered the competition in the second qualifying round with a 2-0 win away at Wimborne with goals from Luke Coulson and Nick McCootie.
In the third qualifying round, they were drawn away to Chippenham Town and, after a 1-1 draw in which Reuben Reid scored for the Seagulls, Weston won 3-1 in the replay at the Optima Stadium with goals from Nick McCootie and two from Luke Coulson.
Then in the fourth qualifying round, Weston had a bit of a scare as they were 1-0 down to Lowestoft Town away from home at half time, but goals from Nick McCootie and another two from Luke Coulson rescued them and handed them a tie against League One Bristol Rovers in the first round proper.
The two clubs are separated by just 26 miles but there has never been a competitive fixture between the Seagulls and the Pirates. However, there have been pre-season friendly matches and a few former Weston players have played for Bristol Rovers.
Among them are Billy Clark, David Mehew, Lewis Hogg, Justin Skinner, Mark McKeever and Rollin Menayese.
In fact, Clark, Mehew and Skinner were all involved in one of Bristol Rovers’ most famous FA Cup campaigns in 1991-92 when they faced Liverpool in the fourth round.
After holding the former European and Division One champions to a draw at their home ground – Twerton Park at the time – they faced Liverpool in a replay at Anfield. Despite taking the lead in that game, they ultimately lost.
In some FA Cup symmetry, all three players who connect the clubs – Clark, Mehew and Skinner – also played for Weston in their best FA Cup performance as they lost to Northampton in the 2003-04 season.
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