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FA Cup 1st Round preview: Paulton boss Jones prepares for the biggest match in the club's history

Published: Thursday, 5 November 2009, 6:53PM

Paulton Rovers are the story of the FA Cup so far this season, and their passage to the 1st Round proper was richly rewarded with a home tie against Norwich City, live on ITV1 this Saturday from 12.20pm.

The Canaries have made their own headlines in recent football history - from Delia Smith's outbursts to beating Bayern Munich - but all eyes will be on the Zamaretto South & West League side at their Winterfield home this weekend.

While his team blossom on the field, Paulton manager Andy Jones has been struggling to keep his flower business on track since Paulton were pitted into the biggest game in their 128-year history.
 
"It's been a mad week," Jones told ITV.com/football. "I haven't really been to work since the draw.

"We are a small village team and we rely on volunteers just to get us through week-by-week. So far this week I've been working on the toilets, fencing, stands, kits, advertising, speaking to the press and even becoming involved in the 2018 World Cup bid!"

And although he may be with a non-league team, Jones employs the language of the most professional Premier League manager when he insists: "Once the press conferences are over on Wednesday, we'll be getting down to business."

Paulton's ride to the 1st Round proper has seen them defeat Blue Square South leaders Newport County, along with Zamaretto League counterparts Bideford Town, Tiverton Town and Didcot Town.

While focusing all his energies on beating Norwich, the diligent Jones doesn't want his team distracted from the league.

"We won 2-0 at the weekend which was good for morale, but I won't say it was a decent performance," says Jones. "As much as we told everyone to forget about Norwich, you could tell it was playing on their minds - and who can blame them?"

Jones promised he will not abandon his attacking principles, no matter who the opposition: and he hopes Norwich might be knocked off their stride by their unfamiliar surroundings.

"Norwich will not know what's hit them," he said. "I'm not sure they'll be able to fit all their kit into our dressing room, let alone the players. It's a tight pitch with the gap between touchline and spectators very small. It will be a culture shock. There'll be 2,500 people in the ground but it will feel and sound like 25,000.

"I'm sure [Norwich boss] Paul Lambert will look around his squad and pick some players on the fringes who he thinks will be good enough to beat him and that's his choice as a professional. But Newport County did that in the last round, rested a few players, and we beat them."

Norwich beware then - and for the neutral, you can't help dreaming that Jones's flower business will be on the back-burner for a little while yet with his team in the 2nd Round of the FA Cup.

Watch Paulton Rovers v Norwich City LIVE on ITV1 from 12.20pm on Saturday - and on Sunday, Northwich Victoria v Charlton Athletic, from 1.15pm (followed by the 2nd Round draw live)