Sutton chairman Bruce Elliott is thrilled to see the club writing new FA Cup history 28 years after their most famous day.
The National League side defeated AFC Wimbledon 3-1 in a third-round replay on Tuesday night to set up a clash with Leeds United a week on Sunday.
It will be Sutton’s third appearance in the fourth round – a fine record for a club that has never played in the Football League.
Victory over Coventry City, champions two seasons previously, in the third round in 1989 wrote their name into FA Cup folklore.
“Everybody remembers the Coventry one and we’ve been dining out on that for 20-odd years,” Elliott said.
“We’re not consigning it to the history books but we are thinking it’s nice to have a bit of up-to-date FA Cup history.”
Sutton’s first appearance in round four in 1970 also saw them face Leeds United, with Don Revie’s side winning 6-0 in front of a record 14,000 crowd at Gander Green Lane.
Among the fans that day was Elliott, then in his early 20s and already on the supporters’ club committee.
“We sat on the inside of the perimeter fence on benches that were hired in from the Oval Cricket Ground,” he said.
“Can you imagine that happening today? Don Revie I don’t think was particularly happy about it. We got well beaten on the day but it was one of those wonderful occasions and I’m sure this will be another one.”
The club are aiming to try to get together as many of the players that played in that game as possible for the re-match.
“We’ve got very little time to do it all, it’s a huge ask,” added Elliott.
This time only 5,000 fans will be permitted to pack the ground, the vast majority of them hoping to see Sutton reach the fifth round for the first time.
To do so they will have to overcome a gap of 84 spots in the standings – 15th in the National League to third in the Champion-ship.
Elliott said: “We’re realistic enough to know they’re a good side, they’ve got a good manager. I don’t know how they’ll feel about playing on a 3G pitch. Our target each year is to try to get to the first round proper, so that puts it into perspective.”
Sutton installed their artificial pitch two summers ago, paid for by manager Paul Doswell – the biggest investment of many by a man who does the job for free.
And the cup run means Doswell is about to recoup some of his outlay sooner than expected.
With the Leeds game selected for live TV, Sutton are already guaranteed to bank more than £200,000, and the final figure will be substantially more.
“I said to him last night, ‘You can have some of your money back’,” Elliott said of Doswell.
“He’s not put us under any pressure on that, it’s just something that we would like to do and it’s right to do.
“It won’t go to anybody’s heads. We’re sensible enough to know we just keep ticking over. We shall spend that money wisely, it won’t be frittered away.”
Doswell has taken charge of more than 500 official Sutton games and led them to promotion from the National League South last season.