Football: Hayes happy to take their fans to the Bridge

THE HAYES manager, Terry Brown, will have no qualms about giving up home advantage if the non-League club beat Hull City and book an FA Cup third-round tie against Chelsea.

Just under 3,000 fans packed into Church Road on Saturday to see Brown's men hold their Third Division opponents to a 2-2 draw, but Brown believes supporters will understand if the Conference club, who travel to Boothferry Park a week on Tuesday for the second-round replay, decide to switch the tie to Stamford Bridge if they overcome the Tigers.

"I will leave that to the chairman - he makes the decisions - but I don't think any of our fans would mind going up to Stamford Bridge," said Brown, who could be looking forward to Premiership opposition even if his side lose at Hull.

Thanks to Manchester United's controversial withdrawal from the FA Cup this season, the Football Association, backed by the competition's sponsors, have decided to hand an "AXA wild-card" to one of the second-round losers.

One non-League club who definitely can look forward to Premiership opposition in the next round are Hereford, best known for their Ronnie Radford-inspired defeat of Newcastle in 1972.

Graham Turner's side, 1-0 winners against Third Division Hartlepool, will meet Leicester in the third round, and their manager said: "It brought back memories for me. When I was manager at Shrewsbury we played Leicester in the quarter-finals. We led at one stage but they went on to win 4-2. It will be another money-spinner for the club and could attract Sky television again."

Another TV payday could allay the troubles of the Conference club, who hold an emergency board meeting today to discuss bank demands.

Tottenham's home game with Newcastle, beaten Cup finalists for the past two years, was the only all-Premiership tie in the draw and is a repeat of last season's semi-final, which the Magpies won 2-0.

Another non-League side, either Ilkeston or Rushden & Diamonds, will travel to Sheffield United, while several Premiership teams have tricky away ties. Liverpool visit First Division Huddersfield, West Ham are at Tranmere, Everton travel to Third Division Exeter and Middlesbrough are away to Second Division Wrexham.

Arsenal and Leeds, at home to Blackpool and Port Vale respectively, have apparently easier routes, while Sunderland are at home to First Division strugglers Portsmouth.

First Division leaders Manchester City make the short trip to lowly Chester while Second Division Bristol City will have high hopes of pulling off an upset at the Premiership's bottom club, Sheffield Wednesday.

Watford are at home to Birmingham, who they knocked out of the First Division play-offs last season before winning promotion against Bolton at Wembley.

Derby have home advantage against Second Division Burnley and two top- flight sides, Wimbledon and Bradford, meet First Division Barnsley and Crewe respectively.

Enfield of the Ryman League, who held Preston to a goalless draw at Deepdale on Saturday, will play host to another Second Division side in Oldham if they win their replay.

THIRD-ROUND DRAW

Reading or Halifax v Plymouth or Brighton

Ipswich v Southampton

Norwich v Coventry City

Nottingham Forest v Shrewsbury or Oxford United

Wycombe or Wigan v Wolverhampton

West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn

Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United

Cambridge United v Crystal Palace

Charlton v Swindon

Hayes or Hull v Chelsea

Chester v Manchester City

Walsall v Gillingham

Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City

Tranmere v West Ham United

Arsenal v Blackpool

Sheffield United v Ilkeston Town or Rushden & Diamonds

Watford v Birmingham

Queen's Park Rangers v Torquay

Wimbledon v Barnsley

Huddersfield v Liverpool

Preston or Enfield v Oldham

Crewe v Bradford

Exeter v Everton

Sunderland v Portsmouth

Grimsby v Stockport

Fulham v Luton or Lincoln

Wrexham v Middlesbrough

Hereford v Leicester City

Leeds United v Port Vale

Derby County v Burnley

Bolton v Bury or Cardiff

Aston Villa v Wild card team to be drawn from second-round losers

Ties to be played on 11 or 12 December