By Matt Badcock
MICHAEL COULSON remembers the last time FA Cup fever came to Scarborough and Premier League giants Chelsea were in town – he was a ball boy!
The 29-year-old attacker was still at school in 2004 when the old club reached the fourth round and lost out to a Blues side featuring Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and the game's only scorer John Terry.
But just three years later the club had dissolved and started again as Scarborough Athletic in the Northern Counties East League.
And ten years on the supporters are dreaming of more FA Cup memories with Hyde United standing between them and a first round proper tie.
“I was a ball boy for the Chelsea game,” Coulson told The NLP. “It was incredible – I remember listening to the draw at school. Everyone had it on, they got Chelsea and everyone was bouncing about.
“We've got Hyde now, which is good because at least one of the teams in our league is going to reach the first round. It would be class if we could.”
The former Grimsby Town and York City winger joined his boyhood club in the summer after a spell in Scotland with St Johnstone.
He's scored 15 goals with Steve Kittrick's side getting off to a good start in the EVO-STIK North in their first season back playing in the town at the Flamingo Land Stadium and reaching the cup's fourth round qualifying stage. Coulson has FA Cup pedigree of his own having played for Barnsley in the semi-final at Wembley against Cardiff City in 2008.
“I scored two goals for Barnsley, both in the third round of the FA Cup,” he said. “One was against Southend and the other against Blackpool.
“Obviously we got to the semi-finals at Barnsley. We beat Chelsea and Liverpool. I came on in the Chelsea game and in the semis at Wembley. It was incredible.
“This year I've played about seven games in the FA Cup! It means so much to the little clubs. You could see how much it meant to everyone last Tuesday when we got the winner in extra-time against Stratford Town. It was a good feeling.”
Catch up with all the weekend's FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifying action in Sunday's @NonLeaguePaper.
*This article originally featured in The NLP, which is available every Sunday.
