IT was 17 years ago that Alan Purvis nailed his colours to the Easington mast, after becoming disillusioned with his first love, Sunderland. He has spent the last 15 years on the committee and is club secretary, even though it involved an 40-mile round trip and two bus journeys from his Jarrow home.

Along the way there has been a few promotions and a few relegations, quite a few highs and as many lows, but there is no doubt that tomorrow sees the club's biggest game since Alan stood on the terraces.

The FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round tie against Chester City is also the club's biggest match for 45 years, since they reached the First Round proper, only to lose against Third Division Tranmere Rovers. And a win tomorrow will see them again reach the First Round proper, with the likelihood of meeting League opponents.

"We have been playing well so far this season and we have won the last seven in a row," said Alan. "Realistically we should be losing this game four or five nil but shocks happen in the FA Cup. They won't fancy playing here and they don't know the ground."

Easington Colliery's ground is at the end of an avenue of trees, perched on the top of a bank and exposed to the biting wind from the North Sea. And it is this wind which could cause problems for tomorrow's opposition.

"If the wind swirls around a lot of teams get baffled. It starts coming off the sea but by the time the game is finished it starts swirling from the opposite direction," Alan said.

Alan's first love was Sunderland but he came to Easington Colliery after shake-ups in the club in the early 1980s, followed by a nomadic period of watching non-League clubs around the North-East.

"I got disenchanted with Sunderland when Alan Durban was getting the team nearly right and then they got rid of him. That was the final straw for me," he said.

"For two years I went to all the non-league teams, treating it as a day out and watching a different one every week.

"I had to get public transport everywhere and because of that I decided I would go to the club that made me most welcome. Easington and Chester-le-Street were the two and I went to both for two seasons."

He added: "When Easington joined the Northern League I was hoping one would play at home one week and the other away but it didn't work out like that so I had to choose one.

"When you go to a strange club you don't expect to find out anything about what goes on but here they were totally easy with me from day one."

His first match was the FA Vase tie against Percy Main in 1982/3, a 1-1 draw notable for the magpie which refused to leave the pitch and watched the match going on around it. It can't have been a good omen as Easington lost the replay.

Tomorrow's game may be a big day but Easington has become used to being in the limelight over the last few months. The town was the setting for the film Billy Elliott, charting a young boy's love for ballet.

And it was partly that link that persuaded the FA to send the cup up to Easington for Wednesday night training, accompanied by television cameras. It was the first time Alan had seen the cup since it was held aloft by Bobby Kerr when the Rokermen beat Leeds 1-0 in the final at Wembley in 1973.

"I thought it was a hoax when they said they were bringing the cup. Just like I also thought it was a hoax when we were told we were playing Chester City," he said.

"They are only just out of the league last season so when we were thinking who was going to be the toughest draw it was them."

But Easington have already shown they can beat higher rated opposition in getting this far, even though they are now languishing at the bottom of the Northern League's First Division. The preliminary round saw victory over Maine Road, whose Manchester ground is midway between the giants of City and United, with a 3-2 home win after a 2-2 draw away.

Leeds side Yorkshire Amateurs were seen off 2-1 in the first qualifying round, followed by a 3-0 victory over Seaham Red Star, runners-up in the Northern League last year.

The third qualifying round saw them pitched against Whitby, holders of a proud cup record and two leagues higher than Easington but they still managed to pull off a 1-0 triumph.

Assistant manager Tony Metcalfe is in no doubt that Chester City represent a far sterner test but feels the magic of the FA Cup may work in their favour.

"The pressure will all be on Chester City and if we give 100 per cent we will be in with a chance," he said.

"We have got to be aware at set pieces - they train every day and they're going to be more organised than us.

"But we have been training every day this week and the interest in the match has been phenomenal. It is the magic of the FA Cup and any local footballer who loves to play on a Saturday afternoon has a chance to have a bit of glory."

But even if tomorrow sees the end of their cup run, it could help the club's long-term ambitions to cement their position in the Albany Northern League's Division One.

Average gates of 40-50 mean the club is struggling financially, with not even a shirt sponsor this year to help them out. But about 1,000 spectators are expected tomorrow, still short of their 1,500 capacity and well down on the 4,000 who saw them lose to Tranmere 45 years ago.

And it may provide a pay-day to help strengthen the team, who see their efforts rewarded with just £20 a week.

Tony and manager Wilf Constantine helped rescue the team from the threat of relegation last season and a cup run could help secure their future.

"Easington have been perennial strugglers for a lot of years and if we can get them into the top half of the table and keep them there we will have done a good job," Tony said.

"It is quite a close knit club and we would like to get a bit more support through the doors but with the club struggling in the past it has been difficult.

"It is starting to pick up now and if we can get 100 per cent out of the lads and play the way we know we can we will be well happy.