Memories and legacies can be made in the FA Cup, says U's boss ahead of MK Dons clash

Danny Cowley is certainly no stranger to making FA Cup memories, and he hopes he can begin one at Colchester United this season when they take on MK Dons on Saturday.

The 47-year-old made national headlines when he helped guide non-league Concord Rangers to the first round of the FA Cup in 2014/15. And he went even further a few years later with Lincoln City, becoming the first non-league side to reach the quarter finals in more than a century in 2016/17.

The FA Cup has not been especially kind to Colchester in recent years, with only a handful of second round appearances to their name, but given his history with the competition, Cowley says the magic of the Cup is something which still lives on.

“It’s the best cup competition in the world, there is none other like it in the world,” he said. “Some Premier League supporters think it only starts in the third round, but it starts a long time before that.

“When I was with Concord Rangers, we made the first round and I think we played more FA Cup games than the eventual winners!

“It’s a brilliant competition, and one which has the potential to change the trajectory of players’ careers. And also for clubs too, like what we did at Lincoln City by reaching the quarter finals. The legacy of that run, and the financial rewards helped build the training ground and has helped establish the club as a really good League One side.”

With Paul Warne’s Dons standing in their way though of a second round spot, Cowley admitted his side face one of the hardest draws in the round.

“This is as tough a cup draw as we could get in Milton Keynes,” he said. “They’ve got a fantastic manager, one who has had so many promotions. They’ve got a squad of championship-quality players. But it’s the FA Cup and being the underdog can be a benefit in this competition.

“We’re on a good run, we feel confident but we know we’ll have to be at our best to be on the right side of the result on Saturday.”