Tadcaster Albion boss Paul Marshall guided Harrogate Railway to the second round of the FA Cup in 2002 and the achievement remains of greatest ever involving a Non League team
Paul Marshall is keen to add further chapters to his own and Tadcaster Albion’s incredible FA Cup story.
Marshall is still famed for guiding Harrogate Railway to the second round proper in 2002 when the Station View outfit played Bristol City live on Sky Sports.
Marshall has since performed lesser known miracles with Taddy in his favourite competition.
His Tadcaster almost beat FC Halifax Town three years ago and then only 12 months later, they pulled off a huge shock by thrashing higher league Skelmersdale United.
Taddy will host Evo Stik Division One North side Spennymoor Town tomorrow and Marshall wants to create more historic moments.
“It would nice to have a similar run, but I always think it will never be achieved again what we did (with Harrogate Railway) as the lowest ranked team ever to get the second round post war.
“We scored the most goals ever in the FA Cup so there was a lot of history made when we did it with Harrogate Railway.
“It would be lovely to do it again.
“The FA Cup has been very good to me and I have won a lot of games in it, even with Tadcaster.
“We got to the third qualifying round against Boston and we nearly won at Halifax so we have had some great runs so it would be nice to have another.
Railway remarkably scored 32 goals on their way from the Preliminary Round to the glory of the second round and it began with a 2-2 draw with Whitley Bay.
Harrogate beat Bay 5-4 after extra-time in the replay before seeing off Esh Winning, Chester Le-Street, Workington, Marine and Slough Town to reach the second round.
Looking back at 2002, Marshall added: “When I think about it, to get through seven rounds was unbelievable.
“We played about eight games as we drew with Whitley Bay and Chester Le-Street.
“We got out of jail in fashion in the first game (with Whitley Bay).
“We drew 2-2 at Whitley Bay after they had won the Vase so it is similar to Spennymoor.
“Everyone said we wouldn’t get past Whitley Bay and we did so everyone is saying we won’t get past Spennymoor so let’s hope history repeats itself.
“When we played in the replay, they were down to nine men and we were winning 3-1 and they pulled it back.
“I was hanging my head over the barriers like Kevin Keegan at Anfield and then young Andy Sunley popped up and lobbed the ‘keeper from about 40 yards.
“Sunners was only 16 or 17 and we won and it was an amazing result.”