Harrogate Town bid for FA Cup glory tomorrow

Harrogate Town are one win away from a potential FA Cup match against a Premier League team.

Town travel to Portsmouth tomorrow to play in the second round of the cup.

The Sulphurites have never reached the third round of the FA Cup, which is when the Premier League and Championship sides enter the competition.

So if Simon Weaver’s men pull off an upset at Fratton Park they can start dreaming of a cup game against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Leeds United.

They face a monumental task: Portsmouth are two-time winners of the cup, having lifted it in 1939 and then again in 2008 under manager Harry Redknapp. They have home advantage and are in good form on the fringes of the play-offs in Division One, which is one division higher than Harrogate.

The match is a reversal of the first round tie from the 2019, when Pompey won 2-1 after Mark Beck had given Town an early lead.

Weaver said:

“It’s a great challenge that’s for sure. Portsmouth are a massive club, as we know from the away support when they played against us last time in the FA Cup, but we go to Fratton Park, which is a great ground to visit, and they have a fantastic partisan support behind them.

“I’ve heard we’re taking a good number away from home, which is superb for us as a club and superb for the players, but it’s a big test again and one that we’re going to relish.”

Kick-off is at 3pm and the draw for the third round takes place on Monday.

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