HEYBRIDGE Swifts’ chairman says he feels like “a kid on Christmas Day” as the club look forward to their FA Cup first round tie with Exeter City.

The Swifts reached the first round proper of the cup for just the fourth time in their history with a 4-2 win over Haringey Borough and were rewarded with a trip to League Two side, Exeter City.

Gary White, the club’s chairman, has been looking ahead to the game and says he and the players feel incredibly proud to still be in the hat at this stage.

He said: “It is very exciting. I have not been involved in a team that has reached the first round before. I’m like a kid at Christmas. Every day that goes by the excitement grows a bit more.

“We all watched the draw together last week at the club. It was nerve-racking to say the least. To be the last team to be drawn out was unbelievable, waiting all that time.

“We were very pleased to get a side like Exeter.

“They are a great club and it will be great for the lads to test themselves against league opposition.

“It is a fair old journey, but we are traveling down Saturday morning and will be staying in a hotel Saturday night and Sunday night. We’ve got a training session arranged for Saturday afternoon to keep everyone fresh.

“A lot of the boys are taking Monday off work and hopefully we will be able to go out and have a few drinks to celebrate a win.”

The Swifts travel to Exeter’s St James Park for their first round clash on Sunday, November 5.

Are you making the journey to cheer them on? Email joshua.searle@newsquest.co.uk The Standard will be running special sport and news previews in next week’s edition, out on November 2.