Bogie’s boys hope to sting the Bees
Nov 7 2009 by Steve Brown, The Journal
WHISPER it quietly round Gateshead, but Ian Bogie is looking to take a leaf out of Blyth Spartans’ book.
The Tynesiders boss knows his side will not win the FA Cup. But having seen the Spartans’ cup exploits last season, not to mention that he boasts first-hand experience of both sides of knock-out upsets with Preston North End and Port Vale, Bogie believes nothing is impossible.
If there are to be shocks, as so often there are, why not them?
Not that Gateshead are getting ahead of themselves. All too aware that today’s opponents Brentford are reigning League Two champions armed, in Carl Cort, with a former Newcastle United flop with a point to prove, Bogie anticipates a stern test.
Furthermore, the age of DVDs lessens his own side’s mystique. But Bogie remains cautiously hopeful, and of a good crowd too.
“It’s a massive day for the club, we’re looking forward to it and it’d be nice for the public to get behind us,” said Bogie, without Michael Mackay (cup-tied) and Chris Swailes (suspended), while Darren Forsyth has joined Dunston UTS on loan.
“We have to be realistic and admit that we’re not going to win the FA Cup but it’s a nice break from the league, and takes the pressure off. We’ve earned a tie against an established Football League club and if we can progress, and get a plum draw in the next round, it’s worth a lot of money to the club.
“That’s massive for any non-league club, get a favourable draw and it can set you up for years. We’ve seen what happened with Blyth Spartans last season, and the likes of Havant & Waterlooville playing at Anfield.
“It’s a great carrot for minnows to play against the big boys. I’ve been on both ends of that.
“I was at Preston, a club steeped in history, when they lost at Whitley Bay (in 1989) and I scored when Port Vale beat Everton in 1996, when they were the FA Cup holders. Lesser-named players can rise to the occasion and you never know, we could be playing Newcastle United in a couple of rounds. But we’re not getting carried away and singing from the rooftops. It will be a very difficult, tough game.
“We respect Brentford, they won League Two last season, they’re a League One club now. They won’t be naive, they’ll know what to expect and approach it in the right manner.
“With DVDs now, it means no one goes into the unknown in games any more, everyone’s aware of each other. They’ll know our threats and our weaknesses and we’ll know theirs. They have Carl Cort, who’ll want to come up here and put the record straight after not having the best of times at Newcastle.
“He’s a difficult customer to handle but we’ll give it our best shot. There are always a couple of shocks, hopefully we can be one of them.
“These are good times at the club and that would be the icing on the cake.”
