PHIL PARKINSON is excited for his Wrexham team to challenge themselves against Blackburn Rovers in front of a sizable away crowd at Ewood Park even if he didn’t get the home tie he wanted in the FA Cup fourth round.
After winning the cross-border derby against rival Shrewsbury Town 1-0 on Sunday at The Croud Meadow, the Reds will travel to Rovers, who are presently 17th in the Championship, on Saturday, January 27.
While away ticket allocations are subject to change, Blackburn gave Leeds United an incredible 7,337 away tickets for their league match last month. Parkinson is looking forward to a sizable Wrexham fan base for the cup match, where the Reds will try to pull off an upset and make it to round five for the first time since the 1996–1997 season.
Parkinson, who was born in Chorley, a town close to Blackburn, added, “I have seen some of the away followings there this year and Blackburn always give the away team a great allocation of tickets.”
“It allows us to bring a sizable travelling army, which always adds a unique FA Cup atmosphere.
“Aside from the added advantage, playing a championship team is a challenge for us.
“We will be ready for the game when it happens. Of course, we would have enjoyed a home draw, but we didn’t get it.
“It’s great to be in the FA Cup’s fourth round, and we’ll have seen Blackburn well by the time we play that game.
We’ll travel there prepared with all the information we need to offer ourselves the best chance of extending our cup run.”
With a single goal against Shrewsbury of League One, center-back Tom O’Connor secured Wrexham’s spot in this round of play for the second consecutive year.
In their third round match, Blackburn defeated Cambridge United 5-2 at home. This will be the teams’ first competitive encounter since the 1981–1982 season in the former second division.
Parkinson continued, “We haven’t played them competitively in over 40 years. Blackburn is a famous club, one of the founding members of the Football League.” Parkinson’s team, which is presently third in League Two, is aiming for a second consecutive promotion.
“Going to a stadium that many of our fans will never have visited is fantastic for the team and our supporters.
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