Dennis Kutrieb’s first steps in English football came in the Emirates FA Cup when last season’s skewed fixture calendar threw up a qualifying round meeting with Hastings United as the first game of 2020/21.
Since then, the Fleet boss hasn’t lost an FA Cup tie in normal time, a penalties exit to Chippenham Town last year the only defeat alongside four victories in the competition.
And now Kutrieb aims to become the first Fleet manager to overcome EFL/Football League opposition since Chris Weller celebrated just that against Colchester United some 26 years ago. Since the 1995/96 FA Cup run that saw the club play in Round Three, Fleet have enjoyed one run to Round Two in 2003 and a couple of near misses – but supporters have been kept waiting for another win over one of ‘The 92’.
Should the current boss succeed in his designs to cause an FA Cup upset at the Breyer Group Stadium on Saturday, he would become just the third Fleet manager to achieve a win over League opposition: only Billy Lane and the aforementioned Weller have done it before.
Indeed a win at Orient for Kutrieb would put him alongside Lane as the only other Fleet manager to achieve victory on a League ground – Lane’s side, who beat Football League opposition in Exeter City at Stonebridge Road in Round One, later went all the way to Carlisle on a frozen January night in the bitterly cold winter of 1963 to book their place in Round Four.
There have been plenty who have come close to FA Cup glory against League sides – Fred Lester saw Fleet surrender an early lead against Torquay in 1949, while there were also near misses for Walter Rickett (v Brentford in 1963/64), Tony Sitford (v Wimbledon in 1978/79 and Torquay in 1979/80), Gary Aldous (v Leyton Orient in 1993/94), Andy Ford (twice v Notts County in 2000/01 and 2003/04, plus Huddersfield in 2001/02) and Liam Daish (v Crewe Alexandra in 2008/09), while more recently Daryl McMahon and Garry Hill both had momentary glimpses of upsets.
Now this weekend, Fleet’s travelling green army will make their way to EFL surroundings for the first time since Hill’s team lost 2-0 at Cheltenham in a replay in 2018, backing their in-form side to the hilt.
If you’d like to join the growing number of ticket holders for Saturday’s big game, head over to our ticket-reservation page here to purchase match tickets for collection at the Kuflink Stadium reception.
You can also purchase in person – we are open 10am-6pm Wednesday and Thursday and 10am-4pm on Friday for both purchase and online collection.
