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      When is FA Cup third round draw? Stream FREE, TV channel and ball numbers as Premier League teams enter competition

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      IT’S almost time for football fans to find out who their teams will be paired against in the FA Cup third round draw – and Premier League sides have now joined the equation.Manchester City lifted last year’s trophy on the way to their incredible treble in the 2022/23 season.
      Manchester City won the FA Cup last seasonCredit: Sunday Times
      But teams such as bitter rivals Manchester United, record-holders Arsenal and in-form Liverpool will be determined to dethrone them.
      Find out all the info for the FA Cup third round draw below…
      When is the FA Cup third round draw?

      The FA Cup third round draw is scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 3.
      It is scheduled to get underway at approximately 1pm GMT and the build-up will take place between Eastleigh’s second round tie with Reading
      Premier League teams now enter at this stage which will make the draw a little more interesting.

      How can I watch it for FREE?

      ITV will have official coverage of the FA Cup third round draw.
      Fans can also watch the FA Cup third round draw for FREE on the Emirates FA Cup Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts.
      Alternatively, tune into SunSport’s live blog for latest updates as the pairing are announced.

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      What are the ball numbers?
      Here are the ball numbers ahead of the third round draw:
      1. AFC Bournemouth2. Arsenal3. Aston Villa4. Birmingham City5. Blackburn Rovers6. Brentford7. Brighton & Hove Albion8. Bristol City9. Burnley10. Cardiff City11. Chelsea12. Coventry City13. Crystal Palace14. Everton15. Fulham16. Huddersfield Town17. Hull City18. Ipswich Town19. Leeds United20. Leicester City21. Liverpool22. Luton Town23. Manchester City24. Manchester United25. Middlesbrough26. Millwall27. Newcastle United28. Norwich City29. Nottingham Forest30. Plymouth Argyle31. Preston North End32. Queens Park Rangers33. Rotherham United34. Sheffield United35. Sheffield Wednesday36. Southampton37. Stoke City38. Sunderland39. Swansea City40. Tottenham Hotspur41. Watford42. West Bromwich Albion43. West Ham United44. Wolverhampton Wanderers45. Maidstone United or Barrow46. Wycombe Wanderers or Morecambe47. Notts County or Shrewsbury Town48. Chesterfield or Leyton Orient49. Aldershot Town or Stockport County50. Alfreton Town or Walsall51. Blackpool or Forest green Rovers52. Cambridge United or Fleetwood Town53. Bolton Wanderers or Harrogate Town54. Wrexham or Yeovil Town55. Crewe Alexandra or Bristol Rovers56. Peterborough United or Doncaster Rovers57. Eastleigh or Reading58. Gillingham or Charlton Athletic59. Stevenage or Port Vale60. Newport County or Barnet61. Oxford United or Grimsby Town62. York City or Wigan Athletic63. Sutton United or Horsham64. AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate
      Are there replays in the FA Cup third round?
      If scores are level after 90 minutes plus additional time, replays remain in place for the FA Cup third round.
      However, if the reverse fixture is level after 90 minutes plus added time, an extra 30 minutes will be played with the potential for a penalty shootout if there is still no breakthrough.
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      Fixtures for the third round will take place across the weekend of Saturday, January 6 and Sunday, January 7. More

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      I was axed from FA Cup final squad after fight with Fabrizio Ravanelli – now I’m plotting major cupset

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      NEIL COX’S biggest regret was missing the 1997 FA Cup final for Middlesbrough following a punch-up with team-mate Fabrizio Ravanelli hours before kick off.And York City’s assistant manager is hoping to deliver another knockout blow to former winners Wigan on Friday.
      Neil Cox is hoping for an upset against WiganCredit: Getty
      He missed out on Middlesbrough’s FA Cup final squad in 1997Credit: Getty
      He had a bust-up with Fabrizio Ravanelli before the matchCredit: EPA
      Twenty-six years ago, Bryan Robson’s Boro had just been relegated from the top flight before facing Chelsea in the Wembley showpiece.
      Italian striker Ravanelli was their top scorer but had missed the last two league games with a hamstring injury.
      And former defender Cox told SunSport: “I was asked in an interview before the final what the team should be and I picked Mikkel Beck up front over Ravanelli because he’d been away in Italy for ten days.
      “He read the article just before we had a team picture taken in our suits on the morning of the game, and he wasn’t happy.
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      “I’d just said we needed a fit team but he took offence to it. He spat at me first, throwing a few haymakers before I retaliated before it all got broken up.
      “As it turned out, our friend Ravanelli played 20 minutes without making a run and then his hamstring went. That cost us the game.
      “I had missed a couple of games with a hamstring problem but I was hoping to be a sub, though that incident probably changed the manager’s mind.”
      Roberto Di Matteo’s stunning goal after 43 seconds put the Blues ahead before Eddie Newton made it 2-0 late on.
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      Cox added: “Not being involved is a huge regret as growing up the FA Cup final was one of the biggest games you could be involved in.
      “We’d lost the League Cup final as well, so what could have ended up being one of Middlesbrough’s best seasons in history turned into a nightmare.
      “But that all happened in 1997. I don’t really look back and we’ve got a huge opportunity tonight against the past winners of the competition. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
      Cox moved to York alongside manager Neal Ardley in September, with the Minstermen languishing towards the bottom of the fifth tier.
      While they are still in a relegation dogfight, tonight offers the players a golden chance to put themselves in the hat for the third round.
      York, who have not got that far since 2011, have seen off Needham Market and Chester so far.
      Veteran goalkeeper David Stockdale, 38, will be looking to roll back the years, while top scorer Dipo Akinyemi will provide their greatest threat up front.
      And Cox said: “I had my time, now it is up about us settling our stall out and hopefully getting that bit of luck.
      “It’s going to be tough if they turn up but you never know so it’s about us staying in the game.
      “It doesn’t matter how old you are, the FA Cup is so important, especially for clubs lower down.
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      “Can we get to the third round and have a trip to an Old Trafford or an Anfield?
      “That’s what we’re looking for.”
      David Stockdale will feature for York CityCredit: https://www.instagram.com/yorkcityfc/ More

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      Who is Dorking Wanderers boss Marc White?

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      DORKING Wanderers boss Marc White set up the club in 1999 and has seen the team rise through the ranks ever since.But who is the man at the helm and does he have any coaching badges? Here’s everything you need to know.
      Marc White pictured during a Vanarama National League match between Hartlepool United and Dorking WanderersCredit: Getty
      Who is Marc White?
      Marc White, born October 1, 1973, is an English businessman who is best known for being the founder, chairman, former player and football manager of Dorking Wanderers.
      White founded Dorking Wanderers with friends in 1999 and entered the fledgling team into the Crawley and District League.
      He initially played for the team, as well as running the club and went on to become first team manager.
      White has overseen 12 promotions in 23 years and has seen the club move from the seventeenth-tier of English football to the fifth.
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      In October 2023, fans were left in stiches after the Dorking Wanderers boss went viral following an epic post-match meltdown.
      Dorking lost 2-0 to seventh-tier minnows Horsham in the FA Cup’s fourth qualifying round following goals by Daniel Ajakaiye and Shamir Fenelon.
      And White didn’t hold back when criticising his players.
      He told DWTV: “At the end of the day, they [Horsham] fully deserve to be in the draw and I really hope they get something amazing and life-changing.
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      “So my f*****g s**t players can learn a f*****g lesson because they were so poor.
      “And I will tell you one thing: I will always put my hand up, it’s not about availability, injuries, who was returning, who wasn’t – it wasn’t about that at all.
      “It was about the fact that that team let the fans down 100 per cent, wholeheartedly.
      “Sometimes I get the management team that take the blame part, part blame, some blame, whatever…
      “Today was wholeheartedly a bunch of players that were absolutely s**t.”
      And football fans were left in absolute stitches with what some consider the “best post-match interview of all time”.
      One supporter wrote: “This is the best post-match manager reaction I’ve ever seen.”
      Another commented: “Love your honesty. Managers too often take the can for players’ poor performances.”
      Meanwhile, a third said: ”Need more like Marc. Says it like it is, honest and doesn’t care if he offends. Heart well and truly on sleeve.”
      What role does Marc White play at Dorking Wanderers?
      According to Dorking Wanderers official website, Marc White is currently listed on the senior management and committee section as chairman.
      The website also states that White is the manager of Dorking Wanderers first team, a role he takes on alongside assistant manager Dean Milton.
      Does Marc White have coaching badges?
      As of September 2023, White did not hold any coaching badges.
      A clip of him on the Under The Cosh podcast, explaining in no uncertain terms that he has no plans to get them any time soon, went viral that same month. More

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      Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 2: Son Heung-min has hat-trick of goals disallowed as Villans leapfrog Spurs into fourth

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      HOW El Tel would have loved this thriller – if not the result.This was breathless, bonkers, barn-storming football fit to please any crowd.
      Watkins’ goal saw Villa leapfrog above Spurs in the tableCredit: Getty
      The in-form England man hit his seventh of the seasonCredit: Reuters

      And an appropriate tribute to the man who delivered us England 4 Netherlands 1 at Euro 96 with some of the most entertaining attacking play our nation has ever produced.
      Tottenham, the club most associated to the late, great Terry Venables, conjured up most of the thrilling fare, at least in a relentless first half.
      Ange Postecoglou had gone full Ange with his team selection after the disappointing defeat at Wolves before the international break.
      With the handbrake off, his Spurs side scored one but should have had four. They conceded two, yet it could have been five.
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      Playmaker Giovani Lo Celso, making his first league start in more than two years, got the ball rolling with a deflected blast.
      But his former Villarreal team-mate Pau Torres headed home in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time.
      It sent Villa boss Unai Emery, who managed them both at the Yellow Submarine, potty in celebration.
      Emery’s half-time tactical tweaks then came up trumps as Ollie Watkins hit a second-half winner.
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      Pau Torres’ header levelled the score going into the breakCredit: Getty
      He headed home well from a brilliant Douglas Luiz free kickCredit: Reuters

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      It pushed Villa into fourth, just two points off top, and saw them leapfrog Spurs, who for all their exciting play have now lost three on the bounce with Manchester City away to come next week.
      Tottenham were 1-0 up at Wolves a fortnight ago heading into injury time, but somehow lost it 2-1. 
      Postecoglou admitted this week he did not like his team’s performance at Molineux nor how his side ‘looked’.
      The Aussie has not been afraid to make bold calls in his brief tenure so far and did so again here, despite injury and suspension robbing his team of several key men.
      He benched the more conservative Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, played a back four full of full-backs, moved Dejan Kulusevski to No10 and brought in the wiry Bryan Gil.
      The brave approach saw his side make an electric start, playing the kind of football Venables, who passed away yesterday (SUN) at 80, would have appreciated.
      El Tel spent four great years at Spurs between 1987-91, presiding over an FA Cup-winning side blessed with Gary Lineker’s goals and Paul Gascoigne’s genius.
      The home crowd gave the much-loved Venables, who also played more than 100 times for the club, a heartfelt send-off by chanting his name and applauding his memory for a minute before kick-off.
      The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium paid respects to Terry VenablesCredit: PA
      With both sets of players leading the minute-long applauseCredit: Reuters
      Then began the madness as Spurs’ players, wearing black armbands in honour of their former manager, made a blistering start that threatened to overwhelm Villa.
      Destiny Udogie, back from a ban, should have scored inside three minutes when played through by fellow full-back Pedro Porro but blazed over.
      Seconds later, Kulusevski cracked the post, Brennan Johnson saw a rebound deflected and Villa eventually, just about cleared, albeit the ball appeared to bounce on Ezri Konsa’s arm in the process.
      Yet Villa missed a sitter to go ahead two minutes later as Torres rose to meet a Lucas Digne free-kick but somehow planted his header wide.
      Midway through the first half we finally had a goal thanks to Lo Celso smacking the ball in off Diego Carlos after Pedro Porro’s corner had fallen to the Argentine on the edge of the area.
      Lo Celso punched the air in celebration, as did his manager, and you were left wondering if this might be the moment at long last for his Spurs career to take off.
      Signed for a whopping £55million back in 2020, the 27-year-old has had an underwhelming stint in North London – and at one point was bombed out by Antonio Conte.
      But his talent on the ball is obvious and with Postecoglou’s style of play, it could be a winning match, particularly in the injured James Maddison’s absence.
      It was a frustrating day for Son, who had the ball in the net three timesCredit: The Sun
      Giovani Lo Celso looks to have breathed life back into his Spurs careerCredit: Reuters

      Watkins thought he had levelled 23 seconds later as he headed in Digne’s cross, but a forensic VAR check eventually adjudged him offside.
      Rodrigo Bentancur was making his first Spurs start since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in February.
      So there was understandable anger from the home players when the Uruguayan was crunched by Matty Cash’s naughty tackle.
      It took its toll as on 32 minutes, Bentancur hobbled off and was replaced by Hojbjerg.
      Son Heung-min thought he had doubled the lead just before half-time with a peach of a strike, but again he had strayed offside.
      Torres then made up for his earlier wastefulness with a thumping header from Douglas Luiz’ free-kick with virtually the last touch of the half.
      Emery hauled off the booked Cash and the ineffective Moussa Diaby at the break, bringing on Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey who both had a quick impact.
      Bailey struck the woodwork when his shot was spilled by Vicario, who then kissed the loose ball as he gratefully scooped it up.
      Bentancur’s injury hell looks set to continue after being on the wrong end of a tackle by Matty CashCredit: Reuters
      The story of the game as Villa leapfrogged SpursCredit: The Sun
      While Tielemans played a smart one-two with Watkins just after the hour, allowing the England striker to fire past Vicario and put Villa back ahead.
      Villa came close to another as Digne’s dangerous free-kick was tipped away and Watkins then flicked agonisingly wide.
      Yet Postecoglou’s men pressed on just as he wants them to, no matter the scoreline, and Emi Martinez had to be at his best to deny Johnson and then Hojbjerg from range. 
      Spurs had the ball in the net again with five minutes to go but once more it was ruled out for offside Son, who had turned home the rebound after Porro hit the post.
      It was not to be for the hosts who are now going through a rough patch of results after such a fine start to the campaign – even if the entertaining football keeps on coming in N17. More

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      My dad won FA Cup, played in Premier League and was face of FIFA 95… now I’m making my own way in football

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      KRISTIAN THORSTVEDT may be trying to emulate his father’s achievements in football.But it would take something sensational for him to outdo Erik… in the game.
      Thorstvedt earned 97 caps for his countryCredit: Alamy
      Thorstvedt in action for the Norwegian national teamCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      Erik Thorstvedt is best known for spending the final eight years of his career between the sticks for Tottenham.
      The Norwegian played for Viking and Eik-Tonsberg in his homeland before a two-year stint at Borussia Monchengladbach in the mid-1980s.
      A season at Goteborg followed before he was snapped up by Spurs in 1988 – four years after they initially tried to sign him but he was denied a work permit. 
      The 6ft 4in goalkeeper – nicknamed The Viking – joined as the replacement for Ray Clemence but had a nightmare start when he allowed a weak Nigel Clough shot to squirm through him as Spurs lost 2-1 against Nottingham Forest. 
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      But he put the blunder behind him to become a popular figure at White Hart Lane, racking up 51 clean sheets in 195 appearances.
      His greatest day for the club came in May 1991 at Wembley as he got his personal redemption against Forest in the FA Cup final.
      Tottenham, led by superstars Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne, ran out 2-1 victors against Brian Clough’s side that featured a young Roy Keane in midfield. 
      Thorstvedt became the first Norwegian to win the FA Cup – with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, John Arne Riise and Erling Haaland among those to follow suit – and the following year was the second to appear in the newly-formed Premier League.
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      The 97-cap international stopper featured for his country and the 1994 World Cup but retired in 1996 after a series of back injuries and ‘Jumpers Knee’ condition that required 13 operations as Ian Walker took over as Spurs’ No1.
      But before hanging up his gloves and stepping into a post-playing career in coaching, administration and punditry, Thorstvedt etched his name and face into football folklore.
      The goalkeeper was selected as the poster-boy for EA Sports’ FIFA 95 game – with an image of Thorstvedt diving to make a save the front cover for that year’s edition.
      Thorstvedt was succeeded by the likes of David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe on the beloved video game before the major rebrand this year. 
      And with that incredible list of world-beating talent to grace the EA Sports’ covers, Erik’s son Kristian knows he has his work cut out to make it to the same dizzying heights.
      The goalkeeper helped Tottenham win the FA Cup in 1991Credit: Getty – Contributor
      The goalkeeper graced the front cover of FIFA 95Credit: EA Sports
      The 24-year-old, born in Norway following Erik’s retirement, has also made the grade as a professional footballer after breaking through at Viking. 
      But unlike his father, Thorstvedt Jr is shining as a midfielder and helped the Norwegian club to promotion in 2018 as the young player of the year.
      He joined Genk in January 2020, winning the Belgian Cup in his first full season.
      But in 2022, the senior Norway international was on the move again when he signed a five-year deal at Sassuolo in Italy.
      Thorstvedt missed out on Euro 2024 qualification alongside Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
      But that does mean he will have the summer off to brush up on his golf skills, relax with his glamorous girlfriend Mille and spend time with his family – including dad Erik and his four siblings with sister Charlotte who is a model and former MTV presenter. 
      Kristian is dating girlfriend MilleCredit: Instagram @kristianthorstvedt
      Kristian Thorstvedt joined Sassuolo on a five-year deal in 2022Credit: EPA
      Thorstvedt is now international team-mates with Erling HaalandCredit: EPA More

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      I was a right-back but Neil Warnock played me up front after his wife had a dream… I scored a hat-trick in 6 minutes

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      NEIL WARNOCK once decided to play a right-back as a striker after his wife had a dream.During his time as manager of Crystal Palace, Warnock was told by his wife that if he played Danny Butterfield as a striker then he would net the winning goal in an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Wolves.
      Danny Butterfield scored a hat-trick for Crystal Palace against WolvesCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Neil Warnock played Butterfield up front after a dream from his wife SharonCredit: PA

      Wife Sharon had a vivid dream that the defender would settle the tie against the West Midlands outfit.
      Warnock as the trusting husband listened to his wife and opted to use the second choice right back up front.
      The experiment was a great success as Butterfield went on to score a perfect hat-trick for the Eagles.
      He said: “We were selling Victor [Moses] so there was a space free up top, which I was never going to fill.
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      “But in a training session with Neil Warnock I played up top and Neil being Neil went ‘we will go with that tomorrow’.
      “There were rumours that I would be up top in the dressing room and then we turn up to the game and he has written it up on the wall.”
      “It was a free hit for me to do something when no one expected it, it was a funny one and I should have had a fourth.”
      The hat-trick is the current record for the fastest scored by a Crystal Palace player.
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      Butterfield added: “To be a part of the history of Palace with the hat-trick is a real bonus.
      “I am sure it will be beaten one day.”
      Team-mate Darren Ambrose has also revealed that the decision to play Butterfield up top was not solely down to his performances in training.
      During an appearance on talkSPORT, he admitted that Warnock was influenced as his wife Sharon dreamt that Butterfield would send Palace into the next round.
      He said: “We got a draw away and we’re playing them at home.
      “So we’ve come in and we’ve all sat down and he said, ‘Right, my wife Sharon, she had a dream last night’.
      “And no one really laughed because that was what he was like. And he said, ‘She dreamt that my right-back scores the winning goal today’.
      “And we were like, ‘Okay.’ ‘So Danny Butterfield, you’re playing up front.’
      “And he wasn’t even the [first-choice] right-back at the time, he was a fringe player because Clyney was playing right back at the time – Nathaniel Clyne.
      “We all just started laughing then and he was like, ‘No, I’m being serious.’
      “And I was taking centre with him, and even then I was looking over to the bench like going, ‘Gaffa, is this a joke? Put him back to right-back’.
      “And I think about 12 minutes later, he had a perfect hat-trick – Danny Butterfield. And we won the game 3-1.”
      It is not the only time Warnock trusted his wife’s premonitions as he once dropped Paul Ifill for Sheffield United as a result of them. More

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      Former FA Cup winners THROWN OUT of competition as non-league club opponents are handed big away tie

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      BARNSLEY have been booted out the FA Cup.The League One side fielded an ineligible player in their first round tie against Horsham.
      Barnsley have been kicked out the competitionCredit: PA
      Rules were broken as Aiden Marsh (right) played in the replay between Barnsley and HorshamCredit: Getty
      In the first meeting between the two, the non-league club forced a replay with the game ending 3-3.
      Barnsley then won the next match 3-0.
      Aiden Marsh was on loan at York City when the first game took place before he was recalled three days later to start in the replay.
      The Tykes have therefore been kicked out the tournament as punishment.
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      Horsham will now play League Two side Sutton United in the second round.
      Barnsley, who won the FA Cup back in 1912, released a statement following the news.
      It read: “An administrative error was brought to our attention regarding the eligibility of a player who played in last Tuesday’s game with Horsham FC.
      “The club has fully cooperated with the investigation and has accepted the FA’s decision.
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      “We have been in contact with Horsham FC and would like to thank the club and Chairman for their understanding and cooperation throughout this process.
      “We would like to apologise to our fans, players and staff for this regrettable error.
      “This mistake – although unintentional – falls way below the high standards we set at this club and is simply not what you deserve.
      “We have already conducted a full internal investigation and have subsequently put safeguards in place to ensure this will never happen again.”
      The FA said in a statement that the player “was not correctly registered” and that Barnsley’s mistake “constitutes a breach of FA Cup Rule 103”.
      Horsham will travel to Sutton for the second round tie to be played on December 2. More

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      I won the FA Cup during eight years at my beloved Arsenal but needed time to become a fan again after difficult exit

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      CARL JENKINSON’S heart belonged to Arsenal, but he needed time to become a fan again after a difficult exit from the club in 2019.Injuries and hard times on loan forced the 2014 FA Cup winner to depart the team of his dreams.
      Carl Jenkinson said he ‘needed time to become a fan again’Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Jenkinson, 31, is always keen to talk about his love for Arsenal and boyhood trips to North London to watch the Gunners.
      But after he left the club permanently in 2019 the right-back found it difficult to become a fan of the club again.
      He told the Athletic: “It was difficult. I was so sad that it had come to an end.
      “I needed a bit of time to get over the fact that I wasn’t a player anymore.
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      “I think I just needed a little bit of time to become a fan again. It took a while but now I’m safely back in that bracket. And I love it.
      “It’s nice. I’m at a point now where I’m enjoying being a fan again.”
      After shining in League One with Charlton, Jenkinson joined his dream club in 2011 when Arsene Wenger saw potential in the then-19-year-old.
      The Essex-born star’s time at Arsenal took off when he replaced Bacary Sagna who faced a second broken leg of the year at the start of the 2012-13 campaign.
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      Jenkinson thrived at the Gunners for the next two terms earning his first England call-up and securing the FA Cup.
      In 2014 he moved across the capital to join West Ham on loan to further his development which went well enough to extend his contract for another season.
      However, things took a turn for the worse as his time at the Hammers quickly came to an end due to an ACL injury.
      The ex-England star then failed to regain his form and a shoulder injury cut short his loan stint at Birmingham City, ending his Arsenal career entirely.
      As a lifelong Arsenal fan, leaving the club was a heartbreaking decision that filled him with grief.
      Jenkinson added: “It was hard to leave Arsenal in the end, and I never really wanted to.
      “I know my dad would have loved for it to have gone on forever but it doesn’t always work like that.
      “I think I realised in myself that I wasn’t at that level anymore to play for a club like Arsenal after I busted my knee.”
      The former Gunner went on to play for Nottingham Forest until 2022 before joining his current team Newcastle Jets down under in Australia. More