Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield has said his side’s preparation has been ‘normal’ ahead of this weekend's FA Cup tie at Wealdstone, despite the fixture kicking off in the morning.
The second round match in Ruislip is due to start at 11.30am, making it the first time since 1986 that the Chairboys will play a competitive fixture before midday.
The fixture has been confirmed as a sell-out with more than 4,000 spectators expected to cram into Grosvenor Vale on November 30, and Bloomfield, whose side has won their last 10 games in all competitions, is looking forward to the contest.
A victory over their Non League opponents will see Wanderers enter the third round stage of the FA Cup for the first time since 2021.
A win over Wealdstone would also be Wycombe’s first at the second hurdle since beating Leatherhand in the 2017/18 season.
Bloomfield said: “We train at 11:00am every morning, so it's just a normal preparation for me.
“It's slightly different to your usual Saturday and it's just the travelling time, but we have to make sure we prepared as it’s an earlier start.
“We're staying overnight, so we're approaching it like we would any other away game because we want to be up and at them.
“The last thing we want to do is not have the right preparation.
The TV cameras are there and there's a reason for that.
“The expectation is on us and we have to make sure we turn up and perform.
“No alternative to that.”
The FA Cup holds now prisoners and we have seen in recent seasons several giant killings in the competition that have been aired live on TV.
Most notable examples include Oldham Athletic’s 3-2 win over Liverpool in 2013, Newport County’s 2-1 victory against Leicester City in 2019 and in last season’s edition, Non League Maidstone defeated high-flying Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys were odds-on favourites and would eventually secure promotion to the Premier League that year.
Bloomfield, whilst complimentary of Wealdstone manager Matt Taylor, hopes to be right side of the scoreline tomorrow lunchtime.
He continued: “There's a reason why we've been put live on the telly and there's a reason why there's a lot of attention around the game
“As soon as I saw the draw, I thought that we might be a game that gets some attention because it’s a Football League team away at a Non League side.
“It's the type of story and scenario that the early rounds produce, so for us, it's about being psychological and the way we approach the game.
“We need to make sure at it.
“We’ve played them a few times during pre-season in the past, they’ve got Max Kretzschmar who we of course know, and I did my UEFA B Licence with Matt Taylor about 10 to 12 years ago and he’s a top guy.
“But we have to make sure that we enjoy it, we relish it and embrace the moment that we've got.”
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