7th January 2012
Our FA Cup record against lower division teams seasons is pretty poor.
Leatherhead, Walton & Hersham, Kingstonian, Sudbury
Town, Mansfield, Hereford and Lincoln are all lower
league sides to have sent Brighton crashing to defeat
while we've needed replays against Woking (twice),
Canvey Island and FC United of Manchester. Our old friends from
Wrexham will be looking to add their name to that list
when they head south to The Amex for a third round. We spoke to
Shaun Harris from the messageboard at
www.redpassion.co.uk
for the view from Wales
 Brighton and Wrexham
obviously have a bit of a history with each other as
we both suffered from asset-stripping owners in the
past which lead to a fair few Albion fans to attend
your Fans United Day in 2004. How are things on the
off-the-field side of the club now?
Things have settled
down and are much better. We have the owners the
vast majority of fans wanted and although there is a
lot of hard work ahead at least success or failure
is now in our own hands. The new board is in place,
it has a lot of lifelong dedicated Wrexham fans with
some great experience in both business and football
with Barry Horne. There is a great buzz around the
town with improving gates and loads of fundraising
efforts.
With your
supporters trust now in charge of the club, do you
think Wrexham FC can survive given that a lot of
teams lower down the pyramid rely on rich
benefactors to bankroll them?
We take great heart
from the success of the likes of Wimbledon and
Exeter, both have achieved on field success in a
sustainable way. With the fans rallying around with
fundraising, volunteering and supporting the team
through attending and buying merchandise coupled
with good management controls we think we'll be ok.
Our eyes are wide open with the size of the task but
there is a confidence amongst the fans and an
optimism that we can do it.
You currently
sit top of the Blue Square Premier with big-money
Fleetwood breathing down your necks. Is promotion is
season a realistic aim?
Absolutely, we have a
good team built on an amazing defensive record and a
team spirit that money can't buy. Its going to be
tough but the fans and I think the players believe
we can do it.
If Wrexham do regain
their place in the Football League, how high do you
think they could go?
With the basis of the
team we have league 1 could well be an achievable
goal, it depends upon keeping the players we have
which is never easy when they attract attention. The
management team are without doubt good enough but as
ever in football we'll need a little luck along the
way.
 Dean Saunders left The Racecourse Ground early on
in the season for Doncaster yet it doesn't seem to
have affected you at all. How is Andy Morrell
getting on?
He's an unbelievable
record so far, to be fair I think its Andy and his
backroom team who work so well together. Billy Barr
his assistant takes a lot of credit as well.
Hopefully he can keep it going, there certainly
hasn't been a blip yet!
 Are there any stars in the Wrexham line up who
Albion fans should be looking out for on Saturday
who could go onto play at a higher level?
I think there's a
few. Our 'keeper Mayebi has been a revelation this
season, Curtis Obeng, our right back, has lightning
pace and could easily play at a higher level, Nat
Knight Percival has improved beyond all expectations
this year at centre half to the point where he could
be a Championship player within a few years. Adrian
Cieslewicz has undoubted talent and if his end
product became more consistant he would be a star
much higher up. Matthias Pogba will attract
undoubted attention at some point as well but may be
out for Saturday through injury. Thats just a few
but the whole squad is good enough for League 2 as a
minimum. Watch out for Jay Harris our talisman
centre midfielder and the "Beast" Mark Creighton at
centre half, he's a big lad!
How has the draw been received by your fans.
Don't worry, we won't take any offence if you think
it's rubbish!
I think most fans
fancied United away for obvious reasons! Once the
dust settled though its a decent draw, good day out
at a club we have an affinity with, in what looks
like a super stadium, and if I can be so bold, one
that we fancy we might be able to eak a result out
of!
How much do you know about the current Brighton
side?
Only from reading
recent reports and catching highlights once the draw
was announced, I noticed the recent dip in form but
you seemed to turn that around last weekend. I think
you have an up and coming manager is Gus and clearly
a decent team being sat in the Championship.
We haven't crossed swords since 2004. Are you
looking forward to a first visit to The Amex?
Absolutely, we are
taking 2000 or more which tells you how much the
fans are looking forward to this one!
One of Wrexham's most famous moments came when
they knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup twenty years
ago. Do you think a similar if slightly lower key
shock could be on the cards on Saturday?
If we can replecate our recent clean sheets then
anything is possible. Its the FA Cup after all and
we do have a bit of a track record of giant
killings! Thanks for giving me
the opportunity to answer the questions, good luck
to Brighton for the season but not for Saturday!
Many thanks to Shaun for his insight into the
forthcoming fixture. If we win, you can pop over to the
Red Passion Messageboard
to commiserate with Wrexham fans at the end of
their FA Cup journey and wish them good luck in the
quest to regain their spot in the Football League
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