Road To Wembley: Lancashire lad Simon Garner aims to put out Charlton Athletic (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Road To Wembley: Lancashire lad Simon Garner aims to put out Charlton Athletic

9:59am Friday 11th November 2011 in Sport By Andy Cryer, Blackburn Rovers reporter

IN our new FA Cup feature, Telegraph’s Road To Wembley, we will be telling the stories, round by round, of those who are involved in the world’s greatest cup competition.

Here, we speak to Accrington-born FC Halifax Town midfielder Simon Garner, who will take on former Premier League club Charlton Athletic in Sunday’s televised FA Cup first round tie.

AFTER a career spanning nine different non-league clubs over more than a decade, Simon Garner will realise his football dreams on Sunday when he runs out in the first round proper of the FA Cup in front of the TV cameras.

The former Clitheroe midfielder will line up for Blue Square North outfit FC Halifax Town against League One high-flyers Charlton as he finally gets the chance to mix it with the ‘big boys’.

Accrington-born Garner, 28, is a fireman at Springfields nuclear site in Preston, but will be at the centre of attention on Sunday in the pick of the FA Cup first round games – with the clash from The Shay being screened live on ITV.

He said: “This is a massive game. As a non-league footballer, playing in the first round of the FA Cup is what you aim for and I have come close on numerous attempts.

“This will be the biggest game of my life because I have never got there before.

"I have got to the last qualifying round three times before but always just missed out.

“I watched the draw with my family and when they pulled us out of the hat with Charlton I was just jumping around the house.

"We could not have asked for a better draw.”

Having started his career at Great Harwood, Garner has become somewhat of a non-league journeyman including spells at Clitheroe, Kendal, Hyde, Stalybridge, Fleetwood and FC United.

Now, having helped Halifax to the Evo-Stik Premier Division title last season and into the Blue Square North, Garner is hoping he can be at the centre of the FA Cup headlines this weekend.

“We have to believe we have a chance against Charlton,” he said.

“They are playing very well but we hope to more than 4,000 there on Sunday and this is a big game for the club.

“I am a Manchester United supporter so of course the dream would be to get into the third round and play them at Old Trafford.

"Let’s concentrate on this game first, though.

“You always have a part time club making the headlines in the FA Cup and wouldn’t it be great if it was us this time?

“This is the first time the club have reached this stage since they reformed in 2008.

"It is a club with a huge history and a great fan base, so it means a lot to a lot of people.”

Former league side Halifax Town were dissolved in 2008 after years of financial struggle but returned as FC Halifax Town as they look to climb back up the football pyramid.