DINO Maamria says the FA Cup is “the heart and soul” of English football as he looks to start another epic cup run for his Brewers team on Saturday.
Albion travel to League One Staffordshire rivals Port Vale in the First Round looking to start a journey that always leads to cash and glory for a lucky few lower league sides.
The Albion manager said: “We love the FA Cup, and we are privileged to be part of it this weekend and hopefully we will put on a good show for our fans.
“In the league you can lose a game and make up for it next week but lose in the cup and you are out, so it is more important than a league game.
“I know this football club values the FA Cup and the Chairman values it. It’s the most important competition for us this season, so this is an opportunity to get to the Second Round, Third Round and beyond … but one step at a time.
“The money you get for winning the rounds means a lot to the club as we saw from the two great games against Manchester United in 2006.
“The cup runs this club has had in the past have been very important and for a lot of clubs the FA Cup has been crucial to being sustainable and for winning promotions. When you get to the later rounds the prize money and all that goes with it for clubs like ours is huge. That’s what makes it special.
“The first few rounds are the most exciting. When you get to the last eight and it’s just the big boys it becomes a secondary competition, and everyone watches the Premier League and Champions League instead so we are really looking forward to what will be a tough but exciting game at Port Vale.”
