History could be made this weekend as Didcot Town eye a place in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup for the first time, writes Matthew Bruce.

A fourth qualifying round tie at home to Ryman League Premier Division side Brentwood Town on Saturday is all that stands in the Railwaymen’s way, leaving joint manager Ian Concannon dreaming of breaking new ground.

“If we can get to the first round proper then obviously the history books will have to be rewritten,” he said.

“But we’ve got to treat it like any other game of football.

“The lads have done really well in this competition and they know how important this is to the club.

“When you have the reward of a potential meeting with a big Football League club in the next round it’s a pretty big incentive.”

Clubs from League One and League Two enter the competition in the first round, offering the potential of a big tie for the winners of Saturday’s game.

But with £12,500 prize money also up for grabs, the financial rewards of victory are also considerable.

“For any non-league club, a decent run in the FA Cup can be crucial,” said Concannon.

“It can set you up for the whole season, because the rewards on offer are massive.

“We’ve done well so far in terms of prize money – it’s certainly better than being dumped out at the first attempt as we were last season.”

Concannon and joint manager Jamie Heapy were key members of the Didcot side which famously lifted the FA Vase in 2005.

Now Concannon hopes the public’s response to their latest cup run will match that of a decade ago, when thousands cheered them on in the final at Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane.

“Lots of people are looking forward to the game and we’ve had a lot of press attention already,” he said.

“The town is buzzing at the moment and hopefully people will come out and get behind us, just as they did when we won the Vase.

“Jamie and I have experience of this kind of thing and we know how to handle it.

“As long as we play the game and not the occasion we’ll be fine.”