It may be missing the point to talk about financial implications just days before an FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round, but with £20,000 on offer to the winner of Saturday's (October 26) tie between St Albans City and AFC Sudbury, not to mention a chance to draw a league team in the First Round proper, a good cup run is worth considerably more than team-spirit these days.

But if supporters have glanced at City's station on top of the Premier Division and assumed Sudbury will be an also-ran by Sunday morning, Saints co-manager Steve Cook warns caution: "I went to watch them last week and was very impressed. They're a hard-working side that don't stop from the first whistle to the last."
 

[From the Watford Observer online, posted on October 24, 2002]

NOSTALGIA NOTE: St Albans City beat Sudbury 2-1 to progress in the competition, but then lost to Stockport County 4-1 in the First Round Proper, as it's known. Hopefully the Saints will progress this year too; their 2014/15 FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round tie takes place tomorrow (Saturday, October 25) at home to Concord Rangers at 3pm.