Harborough’s date with destiny – could it happen?

Backed by 3,000 Bees fans, the team from football’s seventh tier will be looking for a major upset at League One Reading. Intrigue has been added with the signing of Sandro, a player who has served Tottenham Hotspur, West Brom, QPR, Udinese, Genoa, Internacional, and his national team with distinction, and at just 35, still has life in his much-travelled legs.

The midfielder, who retired from professional football just over a year ago has signed on a free-transfer and is providing his services completely free of charge. The deal has captured the imagination of the wider football world and former Irish international-turned-tv pundit Clinton Morrison, thinks he could help his new side achieve the unthinkable.

“I looked at [Reading v Harborough Town] and saw they have signed Sandro just for the FA Cup - the former Tottenham midfielder! I heard that the manager [Mitch Austin] saw him walking and asked him what he was doing, and does he fancy coming down and training there for the FA Cup? Now he's there and probably going to play against Reading!

“The frenzy with everything with all the media and Sandro coming out of retirement, I love that,” Morrison said. “This was one where I looked and thought that it could be an interesting one. I think it's televised as well, so you're thinking, could it be an upset?

“It's a good story. But the FA Cup's always good. You always get a buzz about it. The Premier League teams come in in the next round so this is big for the non-league teams that are still in it. It's brilliant for them.”

Harborough go into the match at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in good form after a resounding 4-1 win over Banbury United in the Southern League Premier Central. In Reading, they face a side gunning for promotion, but a team who have lost their last two FA Cup games against non-league opponents.