SWIFTS’ fans are counting down the days as they prepare for their club’s biggest game of the season.

Matthew Clark, 22, has supported Heybridge Swifts from the age of five.

His grandad was heavily involved in the club, as was his dad, and that filtered down to him.

The FA Cup holds happy memories for the window cleaner, whose first Swifts game was their last venture into the first round 15 years ago.

He explained: “My earliest memory of watching them play was probably the FA Cup game against Bristol City in 2002. That was at home and the day was fantastic.

“The atmosphere was brilliant. There were 2,500 people down there and it was a great game.”

Matthew wasn’t able to celebrate a win that day, but for him, that isn’t what reaching the first round is about.

“We lost 7-0 but for a club our size it is more about the day than the result,” he added.

“What you want is a league side. I am happy with Exeter definitely. When you look at the other clubs we could have drawn at the end, Gateshead and Chelmsford, you would definitely choose Exeter.

“We’re looking to make a weekend of it. I am going down early on Saturday morning, staying overnight and then heading back Sunday night.

“The FA Cup tie with Bristol City is up there with my best moments as a fan, along with staying up on the last day of last season. Hopefully Exeter can match that, it is a very good time to be a Swifts fan right now.”

While Matthew is looking forward to experiencing his first FA Cup first round away day, club secretary Chris Daines has seen all of the Swifts’ trips into the first round.

Chris, 56, said: “It means everything to the club. It is the most exciting cup competition in the world, particularly for non-league clubs.

“I have been to every one of the first round ties. I saw my first game when I was about five, in 1966, and started watching regularly in about 1983.

“My best memory is probably the first time we reached the first round in 1994. We lost 1-0 to Gillingham in Colchester in the end, but the fourth round qualifying match was fantastic. We beat Nuneaton Borough 3-2 with a last minute winner. You couldn’t have written a better script, it was fantastic.

“A few years later we were drawn away to Bournemouth and we lost 3-0, but that was a great away trip.

“Even Bristol City was fantastic despite the result. It was the first time we had the chance to play a big team at home. The atmosphere was incredible.

“I expect it will be the same on Sunday. We are expecting to take our full allocation of 350 so it should be great.”

Barry Peake, a coach of one of the Swifts’ youth teams, says that Sunday will be a day to relish for the fans.

He said: “If we go down there and we narrowly lose, or even if we get thumped, we are still going to have a great day.

“It is is going to be fantastic getting the coach down there with everyone, and regardless of the result I’m sure it will be a fun coach ride home as well.

“It is the FA Cup, so you never know what is going to happen.”

The match kicks off at 2pm on Sunday.