By seeing off old foes Leeds on Saturday afternoon, Sutton United barrelled their way into the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in the club’s history.
After being knocked out in the fourth round before on two occasions (once against Leeds in 1970, and then again against Norwich in 1989), The U’s broke new ground to ensure that there would be two non-league clubs in the fifth round draw – also an all-time first.
Of course, Sutton’s herculean victory was immortalised with an array of traditional, steamy-lensed, Champagne-sopped ‘celebrating in the dressing room’ photos, but there is another image that perhaps better sums up the true magnitude of their achievement.
After all, should first-choice goalkeeper Ross Worner succumb to injury in the interim, then there’s a very real chance that this man might be called into the line of duty for the fifth round…
When you realise Sutton Utd’s 45-year-old reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw is into the FA Cup 5th Round! 😳👏 pic.twitter.com/ejN7t9ijMs
— Will Grigg’s On Fire (@WillGriggFire) January 30, 2017
Yep. Wayne Shaw is Sutton’s reserve goalkeeper; their second-in-line stopper.
He is also 45-years-old and built like a bloody (septic) tank…
If ever o’ ever a man encapsulated the magic of the FA Cup, it’s that goliath.
Not that we’re wanting Worner to come a cropper, but we’d love to see Shaw attempting to keep the flash harry’s of the Premier League at bay for an afternoon.