Marine are hoping to write another memorable chapter in their FA Cup story six years after their famous Tottenham Hotspur tie - with Declan Drysdale determined to help create a little history of his own against Bradford City.

Marine AFC have an affinity for the FA Cup - and Declan Drysdale wants to be in the latest band of heroes to make history in the competition.

Six years on from their glory tie against Tottenham Hotspur, the Mariners take on Bradford City in the first round of the Football Association’s premier competition.

Everywhere you look at Marine’s Rossett Park, there are constant reminders of the success under Neil Young in 2020. Second-round match-winner Niall Cummins has been immortalised with a mural on the front as you drive down College Road, while a memorial wall celebrates those who bought virtual tickets for the Spurs third-round tie, which had to be played behind closed doors.

Marine are once again in the first round proper, their second appearance since. At the time of the draw made last month, they were pitted against Bradford, who were flying high in League One at the time.

It is a different story at Rossett Park from six years ago, Marine have enjoyed two promotions and now are within as many promotions of the Football League. But the challenge that Bradford pose is just as significant.

Drysdale saw his Tranmere Rovers youth team-mates Bayleigh Passant and Josh Solomon-Davies embark on a giant-killing run of their own which ended at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham side in 2020.

Now, he hopes that they can forge their own storyline with the Crosby club but will be tasked alongside his defensive partners with thwarting the Bantams’ strike force.

The 26-year-old says: “You knew how big it was but when you spoke to people, even now I’m in an office environment (for work), as soon as you say Marine, it’s the first thing people talk about.

“It feels like I’ve spoken about that FA Cup run a lot. Now, we want our own little run, our own little bit of history. “The fans deserve it, for what they have done, it’s the icing on the cake. It’s going to be a great day out, hopefully we give them something to cheer about.”

The centre-back is one of the experienced figures in the Marine dressing room, counting minutes in the Football League for Coventry City, Gillingham, Cambridge United, Newport County and Tranmere Rovers on his CV.

Drysdale was forced to make a difficult adjustment from life as a professional footballer to semi-professional and working in an office environment. His colleagues will travel to Valley Parade to offer their support in the hope of a giant-killing, and for the 26-year-old, it will be his first visit to BD8 since he was sent off there as a Newport player.

The ever-present Marine man is hoping for a happier experience this time around. He says: "It'll be a good day out and hopefully I don’t play too bad because I think that’ll be the running joke in the office then.

“This is why the FA Cup is so good, cup runs, there’s something about them, the trips you have, we had some good party buses last year and hopefully we can do the same (on Saturday).

“Hopefully I’ll last longer than the last time I played there, touch wood, it’s a better day.”

Already this season, Marine have enjoyed a cup upset, beating higher-league opposition Hartlepool United in the last round.

Eighty-two places separate Marine and Bradford when Bobby Grant’s side visit Valley Parade.

The underdog tag isn’t something that fazes the Mariners; instead, they embrace it, having beaten the likes of Tamworth and Woking under the former Morecambe striker last season in the FA Trophy, a historic run in its own right ending at the semi-final stage.

Drysdale says: “I think we always back ourselves, we thrive off being the underdogs. There’s some powerhouses in our league, a club like Marine have prided themselves on being underdogs.

“It’s a great occasion for all the lads, as much as we want to enjoy it, we are going there to write our own history. Hopefully we can write our own names in the competition’s history.”