csconstantine.com

{ MAN UTD VIA GETTY IMAGES

Wayne Rooney swaps shirts with Crawley Town's David Hunt at the end of the match

The souvenir hunters were out in force at Old Trafford.

Anything not nailed down was quickly hoovered up. Signed shirts, pictures and programmes were carefully packed away while one tourist from the Blue Square Premier took away a piece of grass to ensure he would remember Saturday 19 February 2011 for the rest of his life.

In fact, so much memorabilia was gathered to commemorate the biggest day in Crawley Town's history that they could have done with another coach to take it all back to Sussex with them.

Heaven knows where manager Steve Evans found space to fit the bottle of red he had been handed by Sir Alex Ferguson as a parting gift.

David Hunt, the midfielder on loan from Brentford, bagged the prized shirt of Wayne Rooney. "He [Rooney] was stood next to me. I'd got the whack in the face so I think the shirt was an apology," said the former Crystal Palace player.

Sergio Torres, one of the names to stand out during this season's FA Cup, was as inventive at the final whistle as he had been throughout Crawley's historic run. "When I was coming off I thought, 'I need to have a memory of this day', so I put a bit of grass in my socks," said the Argentine who has gone from shelf stacker at Boots to FA Cup hero. "I've put it inside my boots and now I'm going to frame my boots with the grass because I'm not going to wear them again."

Then there was the moment a member of Ferguson's back-room staff knocked on the visitors' dressing-room door at Old Trafford after the whistle.

The mood inside was sombre as realisation sank in that an adventure which had started in Wales four months earlier with a fourth qualifying round victory over Newport County had come to an end after a rare Wes Brown goal.

Yet the United official was the bearer of more gifts and the atmosphere lifted. "We've gone in after the game and a member of staff has come in and given us a load of signed shirts by all the big players – the Rios and Giggsys," said Evans. "I said to Sir Alex, they set the standards on the pitch because they're top of the Premier League, but they set the standards off the pitch as well."

But for all the keepsakes, mementos, blood, sweat and tears, it was Ferguson's body language at the end of the tie which Crawley's players should freeze-frame and store away in their memory banks as the United manager failed to camouflage his relief after an uncomfortable experience at the hands of the non-Leaguers.

"Some came in and didn't do themselves justice. No doubt about that," said Ferguson after his fringe players fluffed their latest audition. "We might have some players who don't understand what the FA Cup is all about."

For Bebe, in particular, it was a chance to put right all the wrongs following United's shambolic Carling Cup exit at West Ham. He failed. What now for Gabriel Obertan? The French player has had 18 months to blossom at United yet there were times when he looked out of his depth against opponents from the fifth tier. The presence of 17-year-old countryman and midfield talent Paul Pogba on United's substitutes' bench ought to tell Obertan he faces being left behind if he does not step up.

It says everything about United's performance that the most positive news for Ferguson was that André-Pierre Gignac, the in-form Marseilles striker, will not face United in the Champions League on Wednesday after suffering a groin injury.

To be fair, United did what was needed. They are through to the sixth round and a scrappy, disjointed, lacklustre performance against Crawley will be forgotten if Ferguson brings the FA Cup back to Old Trafford in May. But while United's focus now shifts to the Champions League, Crawley, denied a stoppage time equaliser when Richard Brodie hit the woodwork, must now lift themselves as their quest to win promotion to the Football League continues at home to Southport tomorrow.

Scorer: Man Utd Brown 28.

Subs: Man Utd Rooney 6 (Anderson, h/t), Smalling 6 (Rafael, 54), Fletcher 6 (Fabio, 69). Crawley Brodie 7 (McAllister, 63), Cook 6 (Gibson, 69), Rusk (Smith, 81). Booked: Man Utd Brown, Rooney. Crawley Torres. Man of the match McFadzean. Match rating 6/10.

Possession Man Utd 47% Crawley 53%.

Attempts on target Man Utd 4 Crawley 3.

Referee L Probert (Wiltshire). Att 74,778.

Agences de presses

Labels: Crawley, Independent, leave, prized, scalp, souvenirs, Trafford

{

The massive Manchester United fan cannot wait to lead out his Sun-sponsored side for their FA Cup fifth-round clash at the home of his boyhood idols.

Mills has never played at the Theatre of Dreams but did visit the stadium on a tour as a special present for his 24th birthday two years ago - and we have the picture to prove it.

The defender and his brother Daniel were photographed with the Premier League trophy.

And Mills, who makes a very happy return in today's late kick-off, said: "It was a brilliant day out.

"I've always been a United fan so my mum and brother decided to take me to Old Trafford for my birthday. The tour was full of excited kids - but none of them were as excited as me. I must've been the oldest person there, other than the mums and dads. But I didn't care, it was excellent.

"We got to see the dressing rooms, the trophy cabinets and behind the scenes at the stadium.

"I had goosebumps the whole time I was there. The only thing we weren't allowed to do was go on the pitch.

"I was a bit gutted about that at the time, so I am looking forward to making up for it on Saturday."

And Mills hopes United gaffer Alex Ferguson fields his strongest line-up so he can face his idols.

Mills, 26, said: "I don't have just one favourite United player, I have loads and Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand are just three of them.

"I would love them all to play just so I can say I've played on the same pitch as them."

Despite his Spanish Christian name, the only bullring Brummie Mills has seen is the one next to New Street Station!

He added: "There are no Spanish connections in my family, my mum just loved Spanish names.

"So I was always going to be a Pablo or a Pedro."

Mills was earmarked as one to watch when he broke through the ranks at Derby, representing England youth along the way.

But he never got to fulfil his potential at Pride Park and after 64 first-team games in four years, he moved to Rotherham, where his love affair with Crawley began.

In a bid to get him back to full speed after fitness problems, the Millers sent him out on loan to the Broadfield Stadium for a couple of months in the 2007-08 season.

After returning to Rotherham, he signed a new two-year deal and led them to last season's League Two play-off final, only to lose 3-2 to Dagenham at Wembley.

The out-of-contract ace received offers from several league clubs but with fond memories of Crawley still fresh in his mind, he returned.

Mills' men are on course to win promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's history.

He added: "We know what United can do to us if they're on fire. But we're not going there just to make up the numbers and we have a few winners in our dressing room, too.

"Everyone body is writing us off but we can't be frightened. Anything can happen."

Agences de presses

Labels: allowed, pitch, Trafford, wasnapost

{ • Non-league side play league leaders in FA Cup on Saturday
• 'We know it will be tough, but we can dream of winning'

Sachin Nakrani The Guardian, Friday 18 February 2011 It's not quite Old Trafford, but Broadfield Stadium is home to Crawley Town, who are second in the Blue Square Premier League and are pictured before their departure for Manchester. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe for the Guardian

The Crawley Town manager, Steve Evans, has somewhat undermined his insistence that his team will go into their FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester United on Saturday with the serious intention of winning by taking them on a visitors' tour of Old Trafford.

Players and staff took in the sights and sounds of United's stadium on Thursday, shortly after arriving in Manchester. That Crawley, who sit second in the Blue Square Premier League, should prepare for their first game against Sir Alex Ferguson's men with a tourist excursion will only strengthen the belief that they are not genuinely geared up to cause what would arguably be the greatest FA Cup shock of all time.

However, Evans was adamant that the Sussex-based club are focused on testing the 11-times winners of the competition. "We are one of the teams that could go and get a positive result [against Manchester United]," said Evans, who took over at Crawley in May 2007. "We know it's going to be a tough afternoon, but we can dream of winning."

Crawley, who are 35-1 to overcome United, beat Derby County and Torquay United en route to becoming only the sixth non-league side to reach the FA Cup fifth round since the second world war.

Agences de presses

Labels: Before, Crawley, enjoy, Guardian, Manchester, Trafford, United