BRADLEY QUAMINA was given his first taste of big-time FA Cup football when he was taken to watch Nottingham Forest.
This weekend, the Yeading midfielder gets his next big taste ? AGAINST Forest.
Quamina, 21, featured as a sub for the Conference South club as they made national headlines two years ago in a stirring FA Cup defeat to Newcastle live on TV.
He is in the starting line-up this time and remembered: “I was at the club when the draw was made. I was a bit shocked when our name came out with Forest.
“The day before we played Newcastle the manager took us all to Loftus Road to watch a match and get a feel for the ground. It was QPR v Forest.
“I`m too young to remember the glory days but my uncle David ? who encouraged me to play football ? has told me all about them! They are one of the great names of English football and shouldn`t be in League One.”
Yeading beat Conference newcomers St Albans to earn their pay-day at the City Ground. Quamina now works as a football coach for kids in West London, joining the club through their links with the local Uxbridge College.
He said: “I played for the college team and they sent me down to Yeading. It went on from there though I didn`t expect to be facing a Premiership team so soon.
“I remember the clock ticking down against Newcastle at Loftus Road and thinking I`m not going to get on.
“When the manager told me to warm up I knew I was on. I recall trying to tackle Darren Ambrose!”
Quamina also had a spell in America last year studying sports science in Atlanta before returning to Yeading.
He said: “This will be the biggest ground I have played at but my ambition is to play for a league club and turn professional.
“My old Yeading team-mate DJ Campbell has shown it can be done, joining Birmingham after a spell with Brentford.”
Yeading, ninth in Conference South, recently lost manager Johnson Hippolyte to Maidenhead United. He took keeper Delroy Preddie with him.
Director of football Tony O`Driscoll is now in charge and has so far gone four games unbeaten.
Quamina added: “We have a good team and, in a cup game, anything can happen.”
Only four of the players who started against Newcastle remain at the club with defender Nevin Saroya, who starred in Mean Machine alongside Vinnie Jones, suspended for Saturday.
TheSun
Share this article
Related Articles
