Ex-Blyth Spartans midfielder eyeing FA Cup upset with current club Newcastle Blue Star
Blyth Spartans face Newcastle Blue Star in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon
Ex-Blyth Spartans midfielder Sean Reid is hoping to invoke the spirit of Cape Verde when his current side Newcastle Blue Star come up against his former employers in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup this weekend.
Marc Nash’s men will travel to their Ebac Northern League Division One opponents on Saturday afternoon for a clash that will see its fair share of reunions. Nash himself used to manage at the KD Stadium, while Reid is well-versed with Spartans having spent more than one stint at Croft Park earlier in his career.
And to that end, the experienced talent has had plenty of kind words to say about both Blyth and their fanbase. Looking ahead to the looming cup tie, he said: “It’s not nice to see where Spartans are now because that club is probably where my heart lies after spending so long at that club.
“The fans are amazing, we had some great times, although that was when I could run a bit quicker than I can now. The fans have stuck with them throughout such a difficult time and I know there will be others that will come back because I believe they are now heading in a better direction and I would love to see them get as high as possible under Nashy and Woody.”
But the 34-year-old is also hoping that Blue Star can cause something of an upset against a Spartans team who currently play in the division above them, and to that end, he’s taking inspiration from African minnows Cape Verde, who bloodied the noses of both Spain and Argentina at this summer’s World Cup in North America.
He said: “Look at the World Cup, that has shown what can happen with the right attitude and commitment. Cape Verde showed that against Spain and Argentina. We will go and have a good go at them and see what happens. We know it’s going to be tough but our lads will thrive going into that environment, and they will love the challenge.”
The winners of this weekend’s fixture will host Morpeth Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup later this month.