Flitcroft has cup regrets

Bury boss David Flitcroft will not be taking the FA Cup for granted following a disappointing exit from the competition with Barnsley in 2013.

The 40-year-old will lead the Shakers against non-league Hemel Hempstead this weekend in the first round of the tournament at the JD Stadium. For Flitcroft, it is his first FA Cup tie since the quarter-final thrashing Manchester City handed his Tykes side in a 5-0 rout in March 2013. While expectations for the Tykes against the then-champions at the Etihad Stadium would have been low anyway, Flitcroft revealed he remains scarred by his choice of tactics on that afternoon. "I love the FA Cup," Flitcroft said. "When I was at Barnsley we beat Burnley that season, then we beat Hull and MK Dons to get into the quarter-finals to play Man City. "Things didn't go right against Man City, the balance of the team was wrong. What I learned from that day has probably stood me in incredible stead as a manager now. "I always think back to that game and have I got the balance right in my team selection because of what we didn't do against Manchester City. I've loved the FA Cup from being a young player and now being a manager; it's a special cup." Barnsley were an underdog that day but there is no doubt Bury will be favourites to advance past this weekend's opponents, who are two divisions below them on the football ladder. And even though their quest for promotion and further progress in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy remains paramount, Flitcroft vowed to name a strong starting line-up for a competition he values highly. He explained: "The FA Cup's for everyone, everyone's got an opportunity before a ball's kicked to potentially play at Wembley and you've got to have those dreams. "It's the finest cup competition in the world domestically, for me. I was a lower-league player that had the opportunity to play in some fantastic cup ties myself and to try and pit your wits against the best. "The FA Cup's for the fans. Every fan who has ever dreamed about playing football lives for the FA Cup and breathes it. "I love the fact that non-league clubs can have that opportunity to pit their wits against clubs from higher divisions, it's unique."