Newport County manager Graham Coughlan has said that he is looking forward to hosting the “biggest team in the world” as Manchester United will travel to Rodney Parade for The FA Cup fourth round.
Coughlan, who comes from a family of Man United fans, said that he struggled to come to terms with the idea of facing what he called “the biggest team in the country, in Europe and the world.” The League Two outfit were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg by Eastleigh, despite the National League side being down to ten men for a majority of the game.
The fourth-round draw put added pressure on the replay, with The Exiles getting a 3-1 win to set up the lucrative tie. Hosting the Red Devils, with the game set to be shown on BBC One television, will earn Newport in the region of £400,000.
The club will be making the most of the opportunity of the financial rewards, with a club statement sharing that they will be erecting a temporary stand for the game on the 28th of January, as well as their league game against Welsh rivals Wrexham this weekend. The new stand is set to see the capacity of the ground grow to 9,000.
Manchester United booked their place in the fourth round having beaten League One side Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium. Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes got the goals in the 2-0 win, with the FA Cup looking likely to be their only remaining opportunity of winning silverware this season.
Newport County have had many famous nights in the cup competition in recent years, and Rodney Parade will be filled once again for the arrival of the 12-time cup winners. Speaking to BBC Sport Wales, Coughlan said: “It’ll be a hell of an occasion.”
“Just to have Manchester United coming to Rodney Parade is a hell of an achievement. I don’t know when it will sink in, I’m sure my family are doing Irish jigs around the house at the moment.”
Writer’s View
The FA Cup fixture is set to be a huge occasion for Newport County and their fans, adding to their history of famous nights in the competition.
The added bonus of the financial rewards has come at a great time, with new Chairman Huw Edwards, formerly of Swansea City, looking likely to take over the club soon amid a wait for approval from the EFL.
