Hereford United versus Who? – Where?

Hythe Town? Who are Hythe Town? Where is Hythe Town?

Most people will never have heard of the Kent seaside town of Hythe, but I have the dubious honour of having stayed there as a kid while on a choir holiday.

I was eleven and remember that – aside from playing football against some lads from Manchester – it was the worst holiday and dullest place.

Our choirmaster eventually saw sense and kicked me out citing that fact that I was both tone deaf and the spawn of Satan who had no place being in a church anyway! Okay, I exaggerate, but the fella didn’t appreciate my vocal skills, that’s for sure.

According to Wikipedia “a French fleet approached Hythe in 1293 and landed 200 men, but ‘the townsmen came upon them and slew every one of them: upon which the rest of the fleet hoisted sail and made no further attempt’.”

So the French don’t like the place either then.

Hythe Town play in the Kent Premier and the fixture against Hereford tomorrow will be the biggest in the club’s history having never made it to the 1st Round of the FA Cup before.

They are the smallest team left in the Cup and, on paper, you would expect them to take nothing more than a couple of cases of cider back with them to celebrate the achievement of being knocked out at this stage. However, and it may be a cliché, football is never played on paper.

But hold on. Isn’t this fixture what the FA Cup is all about? David versus Goliath? The favourites against the underdogs? Newcastle against, er, Hereford?

The Hythe Town website edi9or is certainly getting excited, This from the home page (http://www.hythetownfc.co.uk/index.htm):

“where do we start....the first Kent League team in 53 years to reach the First Round Proper, a 7th consecutive win, a 6th consecutive F.A. Cup win, a 4th consecutive clean sheet! The FIRST time Hythe Town FC have EVER reached the first round of the F.A. Cup!!!!!!!”

The Kent side are currently mid-table in the Kent League Premier Division (a feeder for the Isthmian League and the 9th level down on in English football’s footballing pyramid), but have played four fewer games than leaders Herne Bay and are only nine points off the pace.

Their goal scorers this season (up to 23rd of October are):

Goals (League Cup and then Total)

Brendon Cass 6, 3, 9

Dave Cook 4, 4, 8

Kieran Byrne 0, 5, 5

Gary Mickelborough 1, 3, 4

Craig Thompson 1, 2, 3

Gary Lockyer 2, 0, 2

Pat Kingwell 1, 0, 1

Lee Shearer 0, 1, 1

Lee Winfield 0, 1, 1

Ronnie Dolan 1, 0, 1

Billy Somerville 0, 1, 1

Damian Abel 1, 0, 1

Hereford have picked up in League Two under the guidance of physiotherapist Jamie Pitman who has been handed the caretaker manager’s job until the end of the year.

Hythe boss Scott Porter watched Hereford’s 2-2 draw at home to Aldershot on Tuesday, which saw the Bulls move out of the relegation zone for the first time this season and said his side – who will head West on Friday and return on Sunday – have nothing to fear.

He said: "They were quite ordinary and if we can stop them playing, then we have every chance."

Brave words? Or a red rag to the Bulls? We’ll see.

One thing is for certain, if Hereford win you my miss my piece if you blink while reading Monday’s copy of The Sun – if they lose I will be spending most of my weekend writing!