Keeper relishing Day in the sun

Stevenage goalkeeper Chris Day is relishing the chance to be part of an FA Cup upset as the League Two side prepare to welcome Newcastle.

Day, 35, will be between the posts at Broadhall Way when Alan Pardew's side travel to Hertfordshire on the back of putting five past Premier League rivals West Ham on Wednesday. But the former QPR, Crystal Palace and Watford keeper is not concerned and has instead turned his attention toward causing another magic moment in the famous competition which holds a special part in his heart. He said: "I'm a Tottenham fan myself and growing up my first real memory was the 1981 FA Cup final. "Ricky Villa's goal stands out as a memory for me and the FA Cup was the only real live football you got to see so it's always been special. "It is what makes this country special. It gets watched around the world and it's probably the best cup to play in. "We are trying to keep a level head. We'll respect Newcastle as a team but we won't do anything different." Any comfort the npower League Two side could take from the absence of the Magpies top scorer Andy Carroll was tempered in midweek when stand-in Leon Best hit a hat-trick against the Hammers. And Day has admitted that his team-mates will have to resist the urge to be star struck as they line up against some of their heroes. He said: "In years to come I am sure we will look back at this game. "At the end of the day we are playing against players who we all watch every Saturday evening on Match of the Day. "It's brilliant to be on the same pitch as these guys but we have earnt that right and we can't forget that. "It's a level playing field for 90 minutes. We were going out of the Cup in the first round at MK Dons until we scored a 94th-minute equaliser and this is our reward. "We need to give a good account of ourselves." The tie is a repeat of the meeting in 1998 which saw the then non-league outfit claim a 1-1 draw despite England captain Alan Shearer netting an early goal for the Magpies. Day was an interested television viewer that afternoon and is hoping for a repeat. He said: "I remember watching the 1998 game, it was a real carnival atmosphere, and you only have to look at the ground now and see the improvements to see what a big game like this can do for a club. "The East Terrace got a roof because of that game. "It is a big part of the club's history and it's come full circle now. Some of our players were still at primary school then so it's a chance for one of them to make a name for themselves. "One moment can make you a legend and that can happen on Saturday."