The FA Cup is one of the world’s oldest sporting competitions, one where anyone can play anyone and anyone can beat anyone. It is a place of giant killers and upsets and an opportunity to make a name for yourself and your club.
This is where Blue Square Premier side Mansfield Town now finds themselves after a win over fellow non-league side Lincoln City. Mansfield Town has won the right to have Liverpool come to One Call Stadium to play in front of their hometown fans on January 6th. It is expected to be a quick sellout even with an increased capacity of 7,888 seats available for the match.
ISN spent some time chatting with one of the Stags’ stars, striker Louis Briscoe. A veteran with over 100 appearances under his belt, Briscoe is still only 24 years of age. Last year he had 12 goals, second on the team only to talismanic forward Matt Green, who finish second in the league with 29 goals.
This is obviously a special occasion for all involved, but it all goes back to the victory over the Red Imps.
“It was an amazing atmosphere,” Briscoe stated. “The fans got right behind us. And we got it quite full in our small stadium. It was a great occasion to play.”
Keep in mind that Briscoe scored the game-winner against Lincoln City as the 2-1 win punched their ticket to advance in the FA Cup, a competition that is special for a lot of reasons.
“It is a great occasion where the best teams in the world can play some of the lower league teams, trying to be like the big teams.”
But with the game being at home against one of the world’s iconic clubs, it holds a special meaning.
“It is going to be a pleasure. It is going to be great for our team, our players, staff, all the fans, and the town in general.”
The players on the pitch realize the multitude of the match, considering the worldwide audience and all the media attention.
“This is once in a lifetime for us players at this level. This will be one of the highlights of my career.”
In other words, for a few days Mansfield players will get a taste of the top-flight, what it is like to be an EPL footballer. Fans get the best of both worlds, a great game of football and seeing their local players go to battle with the likes of Suarez, Gerrard, Reina, and more. But Briscoe assures us that there is a lot of quality in the Blue Square Premier.
“I don’t there is a lot of difference between the league we’re in and League Two. There are some great players and great teams in our division. It is just the case of getting out of our division really.”
But does this mean that the Stags will beat Liverpool? The pundits would be probably say no, but this is the FA Cup, where anything can happen.
“We want to go out and try to win a game of football. That is the mindset of every game we go into.”
You would think this match would be a nerve-wracking affair, but Briscoe believes it is exactly the opposite.
“There is no pressure and no expectations. In our league, we are one of the bigger teams and we are expected to win every week. It will be a nice change to not have that pressure. We can just go out and enjoy it and embrace the moment.”
And they will do just that, embrace the moment of playing against the very best in a competition where anyone can win.
“When you are on the pitch, you forget about the outside interest and you concentrate on your own game.”
And Mansfield Town’s players can always depend on their supporters, die-hard fans that believe in their club. It is a once-in-a-lifetime match for them too.
“They are the people that got us through the next round. They made it a great atmosphere. They brought us a long way. There is nobody better than our fans.”
Best of luck to Mansfield Town FC as they try to make history again. If there is a giant killer in this year’s cup, it might as well be the Stags of MTFC.
