Enlarge imageBy Mark Meadows
YEADING (Reuters) - Yeading goalkeeper Delroy Preddie believes the pressure is all on Premier League Newcastle United rather than his minor league side when they clash in the FA Cup third round today.
The semi-professional club from the West London suburbs lie six divisions lower than Newcastle but are nine points clear at the top of the Ryman League premier league having won 16 of their 22 games this season under charismatic manager Johnson ’Drax’ Hippolyte.
By contrast Newcastle are languishing in 14th in the Premier League after a disappointing first half of the season and Preddie, who works in benefit fraud by day, feels a ’giant killing’ is not out of the question.
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
"There is no pressure on us. The pressure is on them and touch wood you never know," he told a news conference at the club’s The Warren ground.
"I would assume they will be professional and treat it like a Premier League game. We are going to have to play out of our skins but we are pretty serious about what we do."
Yeading’s home tie has been switched to West London second division side Queen’s Park Rangers’ stadium as The Warren can only hold around 3,000 but Preddie would play Sunday’s game anywhere.
"We’d play them on the car park across the road," he said. "To have a game of this magnitude is mind blowing but if you can’t enjoy something like this it is not worth playing."
Yeading have already had to negotiate six rounds of the FA Cup giving Preddie the chance to hone his shot stopping ability, although a dream meeting with Alan Shearer may be scuppered as the former England captain continues to struggle with injury.
"We all know what they are about and while the euphoria is nice we are trying to keep our feet on the ground," he said.
The game will be shown live on television and Preddie believes it will be a chance for some of Yeading’s better players to showcase their skills, especially 22-goal top scorer DJ Campbell.
"It is great for the young lads because it puts them in the shop window. It is everything we have always dreamed off," Preddie mused.
