http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/3412719.stm
Roman's romantic trip
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer
If Soho Square's power-brokers had hand-picked an FA Cup tie to silence cynics
claiming the competition had lost its glamour, Scarborough meeting Chelsea
would have been first choice.
They would have gratefully engineered an unlikely collision between the
Conference minnows who came close to extinction, and the Premiership giants
fuelled byfootball's largest chequebook.
So when the luck of the fourth round draw put the perfect romantic package in
place, the unique appeal of the FA Cup was summed up in an instant.
It will be on public display when Chelsea take their collection of world-class
talent to Scarborough's 6,899-capacity McCain Stadium on Saturday.
And the magic of the FA Cup means cash-starved Scarborough will fancy their
chances against a team assembled at a cost of ￡112m by billionaire owner
Roman Abramovich.
While Abramovich has been emptying his chequebook without a second glance,
Scarborough chairman Malcolm Reynolds is forced to count every penny.
But as a return on an investment, the ￡2,000 Scarborough spent on signing
striker Mark Quayle from Nuneaton Borough in July has proved every bit as
sound as Abramovich's spree.
Quayle's winner in the third round replay against Southend landed Boro a
potential ￡500,000 jackpot.
The deal that brought him to Scarborough was the result of the careful
financial management they have required since the Seasiders entered
adminstration, reportedly owing the Inland Revenue close to ￡300,000 a year
ago.
Reynold said: "Nuneaton wanted ￡3,000 for Mark. We did the calculations on the
overall package and had to accept it was too much. Several calls later we
asked if they would consider knocking a thousand off."
Nuneaton did - and the results will be there for all to see when Chelsea come
to town.
The ￡2,000 spent on Quayle pales against the ￡17m Chelsea splashed on
Damien Duff, but for Scarborough the effect has been just as spectacular.
"This game against Chelsea will change the entire history of the club," said
Reynolds.
"I know Manchester United are the Premiership champions and one of the biggest
clubs in the world, but Chelsea are the most glamorous around."
The man who worked in merchant banking in Austria is no Scarborough version of
Abramovich, insisting: "The only thing Mr Abramovich and I have in common is
that I visited Moscow during my days at the bank."
Boro are currently in the process of selling the McCain Stadium for development
and planning a brand new ground nearby.
But the McCain will be an adrenalin-fuelled inspiration for Russell Slade's
side as they pursue their dream - and more financial rewards - on Saturday.
Chelsea, in contrast, will have that traditional feeling of unease every
Premiership club experiences when they visit unfamiliar surroundings.
The McCain Stadium will not provide a welcoming atmosphere with its compact
stands and open-air terracing.
It is all in stark contrast to Chelsea Village, with Stamford Bridge the focal
point of a complex that includes an hotel, bars, restaurants and a nightclub.
But on Saturday all men will be equal in a tie that sums up why, despite
complaints of fading grandeur and managers such as Sam Allardyce almost
celebrating Bolton's exit, the FA Cup is a competition like no other.
The hero should be Chelsea's Adrian Mutu, a ￡15.8m Romanian international who
earns a reported ￡62,000-a-week.
But it could also be Quayle, a 25-year-old striker released by Everton and now
the hero of Scarborough via Notts County, Morecambe and Nuneaton, plus loan
spells with Telford and Chester.
And no-one can say the stage is not set for a shock because playwright Sir Alan
Ayckbourn has a theatre in Scarborough, while Anne Bronte is buried there.
Now the Conference side will be hoping to write a dramatic chapter of their
own by beating Chelsea.
----- SCARBOROUGH FACTFILE -----
Manager: Russell Slade
Team value: ￡2,000
Estimated wage bill: ￡400,000
Record signing: Martin Russell - ￡102,000 from Leicester City March 1989
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------ CHELSEA FACTFILE --------
Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Team value: ￡150m
Estimated wage bill: ￡80m
Record signing: Damien Duff - ￡17m from Blackburn Rovers July 2003
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SCARBOROUGH 看來真的是一個很小的球隊, 應該還稱不上俱樂部吧
豪華的切爾西感覺好像是要下鄉出賽, 場地似乎很陽春
又是一場小蝦米對大鯨魚的比賽
由於對場地的不熟悉,希望我的眼鏡不會破掉,加油!!
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