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18/03/2005 Aiming for Anfield

Aiming for Anfield

The final countdown is underway to the Semi-Finals of The FA Sunday Cup, in partnership with Carlsberg.
The four remaining clubs are busy making their final preparations for the penultimate stage of the nation's flagship Sunday League Football competition, which celebrates its 41st anniversary this season.

Seaburn who play out of the Crosby Sunday League will take on Bradford's Albion Sports at Marine FC.

Liverpool Business House side Canada Edinburgh Park will take on Gossoms End from the Berkhamsted Sunday League at Burscough FC.

The Semi-Finals will be played on Sunday 20 March, and at stake will be the chance to play at the world famous home of Liverpool FC, Anfield in the final.

Formerly known as Dickie Lewis, the Crosby Sunday League side are currently in their second season as Seaburn FC.

Seaburn underlined their cup pedigree from the word go knocking out 2002 champions, Britannia in the First Round.

Manager, Carl Burleigh pondered that football was a weird and wonderful game.

"We had two sent off and five booked. Britannia emerged unscathed. Somehow we still managed to win comfortably."

Having overcome Durham's Hetton Lyons Cricket Club in the quarter-finals, Seaburn are now fully focused on the job in hand.

"It's going to be a tough game, I've heard Albion Sports are a good side, we're not going to take this game lightly.

"The FA Sunday Cup is a competition that's held in very high esteem in Merseyside, it's the one that all the Sunday teams want to take part in, and we are extremely proud to be part of it.

"It's a great achievement to get to the Semi-Final stage � and it would be a dream for the lads to run out at Anfield in The Final."

Albion Sports FC were formed back in 1974 and this year celebrate their 30th anniversary.

The club narrowly missed out in becoming 2000 FA Sunday Cup champions as they went all the way to The Final, but lost out to Prestige Brighams.

Currently at the top of the Bradford Sunday Alliance League, manager Kuwinder Sandhu is clearly delighted with the way his team have performed so far this season.

"We've played a relatively new and inexperienced side this season and think we have done tremendously to get this far." he said.

"The whole club is buzzing with excitement - we're really looking forward to the match against Seaburn. It would be a dream come true for us to win the competition, and to win it at Anfield, would make it all that more special."

However, he is not underestimating Albion's Semi-Final foes. The lads are under no illusions, we know we have a difficult game ahead of us.

Canada Edinburgh Park FC was initially formed in 1965 as Canada FC and was made up of dock workers from the Canada Dock in the port of Liverpool.

A side with good Sunday Cup traditions, they have been entering the competition since the 1960's and have been to the Semi-Finals on no fewer than four occasions. Last season they lost out in the Semi-Finals to eventual champions, Nicosia.

Lee Cooper is in his first season as player/manager of Canada and has high hopes of this year going all the way.

"It's great to have got to the Semi-Finals again. We've played well throughout the competition this year, and are confident we can progress further", he enthused.

"We've got a good, young side and the lads are raring to go. Both teams are going to be massively up for it, it' could be a very close game."

Gossoms End FC was formed in 1981. The name originates from a quarter-mile stretch of road in Berkhamsted, where the Rose & Crown, the pub the team is run from, is situated.

The club has enjoyed regular success and have become the most successful club in history of the Berkhamsted Sunday League, winning eight championships, seven challenge cups and four senior clubs.

With just 90 minutes standing between them and the final at Anfield, manager Phil Casserley can't wait for Sunday.

"We've had a tremendous run so far this season - this will be our biggest challenge yet - playing the tournament favourites.

"It means everything to get this far - it's a great reward for all the hard work everybody puts in at the club.

"We're all really excited about the game - although we know little about the opposition - it goes without saying that they are going to be formidable opponents, and it's going to be extremely tough to secure our place in The Final."



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