SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 13 hrs 51 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
W
FA Cup | Third Round
Jan 6, 2019 at 2pm UK
 
WL

0-2

 
FT(HT: 0-1)
Hughes (13'), Deeney (74')

Man on the mic turns into coach on the sidelines as Tyler prepares for Watford

:Headline: Man on the mic turns into coach on the sidelines as Tyler prepares for Watford: ID:346079: from db_amp
Woking are bidding to reach the FA Cup fourth round for just a second time.

Woking assistant manager Martin Tyler wants to write another memorable chapter in his boyhood club's FA Cup history as he prepares for "the game of a lifetime".

Tyler, best known to most football fans as a Sky Sports commentator, became an unpaid member of the club's coaching staff in May following the appointment of manager Alan Dowson.

The non-league Cards famously beat West Brom en route to a fourth-round meeting with Everton in 1991, as well as taking top-flight Coventry to a third-round replay six years later.

Those moments are chronicled inside the Kingfield Stadium and Tyler, who first watched Woking in 1953, hopes to add to the timeline following Sunday's sold-out third-round clash with Premier League Watford.

"It's really nice out on the side of the stand where they've got all the history," said the 73-year-old.

"And we hope maybe something from Sunday will go up there as well and we'll have a little bit of a part of it.

"We've got the game of a lifetime for Woking and to be involved in it as one of their own, as somebody who came here at eight years old, it's an incredible feeling.

"I have two parallel lives – one you all know about and one you don't know about.

"Now these parallel lives collide on one particular Sunday afternoon and I can't wait."

In-form Woking, the lowest ranked team left in the tournament, go into the game second in the Vanarama National League South.

Boss Dowson admits to having little knowledge of the Hornets as he does not watch top-flight football, leaving Tyler to pass on information gained during his media duties

Tyler, who has been assisting Dowson at a handful of non-league clubs since 2005, was in the Cards' dugout for the game against Hampton & Richmond on Boxing Day before commentating on Watford's defeat to Chelsea at Vicarage Road that evening.

"We haven't got a clue what the Watford team will be," admitted Tyler.

"But, I guess, through work I'll know where they play and what one or two of their strengths and weaknesses are. Obviously we've talked about it.

"We're not babes in the wood, but it is a massive gap. It is their (the players') day and we are thrilled for them."

Despite the hype of the televised clash with Javi Gracia's Hornets, Dowson has insisted that an immediate return to the National League remains his priority.

The former Millwall, Bradford and Darlington defender had to build the Surrey club's squad from scratch after he joined from Hampton & Richmond last year.

He has used the tie to motivate his players to seven successive league wins but fears how they will react when their cup run is eventually ended.

"It's been great leading up to the game because we've said to the players, 'If you don't perform, you won't play against Watford'," said Dowson.

"And it's got the players on it and they've been brilliant, they've won seven on the spin.

"The concern is how we pick them up maybe when the whole thing is over. That's the biggest concern."

Cards midfielder Max Kretzschmar is a major doubt for the match with a hamstring problem.

amp_article__346079 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-01-05 22:55:14:
html db last update - 2021-03-09 11:51:31 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Martin Tyler

Click here for more stories about Watford

Share this article now:
Read more about Martin Tyler Football
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds38257670284282
2Leicester CityLeicester37264774334182
3Ipswich TownIpswich38249580493181
4Southampton36227773472673
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom381991059362366
6Norwich CityNorwich381871369541561
7Hull City371610115346758
8Coventry CityCoventry3715121059431657
9Preston North EndPreston37168134954-556
10Middlesbrough38166165352154
11Cardiff CityCardiff38165174351-853
12Sunderland38146184845348
13Watford381212145351248
14Bristol City38138174245-347
15Swansea CitySwansea381210164858-1046
16Millwall381110173650-1443
17Blackburn RoversBlackburn38119185164-1342
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth381011175462-841
19Stoke CityStoke38118193553-1841
20Queens Park RangersQPR381010183650-1440
21Birmingham CityBirmingham38109194259-1739
22Huddersfield TownHuddersfield38815154261-1939
23Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds38115223061-3138
24Rotherham UnitedRotherham38311243077-4720
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .