Breaking news: Replay “effectively sold out”

The eagerly anticipated match has attracted a phenomenal interest from the local community with more than 1,500 tickets sold within a day on going on general sale and more than 3,300 just 48 hours later.

United chairman Dave Walters said this morning (Sunday): “Effectively sold out. A few have been held back for various reasons and we may get some back from Harrogate. If we can offer any more for sale, people must check the website to be kept updated.”

The present day Hastings United has never previously got this far in the world famous competition and hadn’t won an FA Cup match for six years prior to this season.

The U’s have remarkably come through five rounds to get to this stage, two of them away to higher league clubs, and a sixth victory on Thursday - in a match to be televised live on ESPN - would set up a third round trip to Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough.

Ryman League Premier Division outfit United and Harrogate, who play one level further up the non-league pyramid in Blue Square Bet North, drew 1-1 in North Yorkshire on Saturday December 1 with Jamie Crellin scoring a second half equaliser for the U’s. Crellin is banned, however, for the replay.