Lincoln City travel to Whitehawk FC in the First Round of the the FA Cup this weekend, but their opponents are an unknown quantity for many Imps fans – here is a guide on everything you need to know about the south coast club.
So what do we know about Whitehawk?
They are a semi-professional football club based in Whitehawk, a suburb of Brighton in East Sussex. They play in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football – one league below Lincoln City.
Form:
The Hawks are fourth in the National League South but have lost their last two league matches. However, before that, they went 14 games unbeaten in all competitions.
FA Cup so far:
- 2nd Qualifying Round: Won 4-2 v Dulwich Hamlet (H)
- 3rd Qualifying Round: Drew 2-2 v Gosport Borough (H)
- 3rd Qualifying Round Replay: Won 2-1 v Gosport Borough (A)
- 4th Qualifying Round: Won 2-0 v Pool Town FC (H)
The Manager: Steve King
Steven King began his managerial career at Lewes, taking them from Isthmian League Division One South to the Football Conference in the space of five years, a period which included three titles and two other top five finishes.
Following a short spell in the Conference with Northwich Victoria, his next destination was Farnborough, where his side won the Southern League Premier title in his first year in charge. In his second season in charge, he guided them to second place in the Conference South but lost in the play-off final.
King returned to Lewes for a second spell as manager before joining Macclesfield Town FC in the summer of 2012/13.
During his brief time there he made history guiding the club to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history. They lost 1-0 to eventual winners Wigan Athletic, who were a Premier League side at the time.
After nearly a year out of management, King was appointed Whitehawk boss in February 2014. Last season, in his first full season at the helm, the Hawks reached the Conference South play-off final where they lost 2-1 to Boreham Wood.
Key Player: Sergio Torres
The Argentine midfielder has appeared 62 times for the Hawks scoring twice. He signed for Whitehawk from Crawley Town where he spent four seasons – winning promotion to the Football League and then League One, as well as reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Cup where they played Manchester United at Old Trafford.
He also won over many Imps fans when he played nine times for Lincoln City during a loan spell in the 2009/10 season.
Match Details
The match kicks off at 2pm on Sunday at The Enclosed Ground and will feature in a Special Interactive Final Score programme on BBC One as well as a 90-minute Highlights Show at 6.30pm.