Meet FA Cup underdogs whose star man is gravedigger and manager played under Sir Alex Ferguson
SCARBOROUGH’S part-timers hope gravedigging midfielder Dom Tear can help leave managerless Burton’s FA Cup hopes dead and buried this weekend.
Tear has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season for sixth-tier side Scarborough, who take on League One‘s bottom club Burton, who are winless, on Saturday in the first round.
Scarborough’s line-up is comprised of teachers, an NHS physio and an electrical powerline worker, among other trades, as the National League North side sense an upset.
But Seadogs stalwart Kieran Glynn feels gravedigger and midfield partner Tear is the one most likely to signal the portents of doom to Brewers’ fans at the Pirelli Stadium.
Glynn, also a furniture removal man, told the PA news agency: “Dom Tear is absolutely on fire, so gravedigging and football must be working!
“He scored two in the last round as well, that’s 10 in all competitions. He can’t stop scoring.
“First-team coach Jimmy (Beadle), Mr Scarborough, nicknamed him the ‘backdoor burglar’.
“Jimmy’s love for the town is mental. He’s unbelievable for morale and the funniest man I’ve met in football.
“He said to Dom: ‘You’ve got 10 goals, but completed three passes’. Dom won’t touch the ball for 87 minutes and then he’ll score two in the last three.
“He’s just there. They’re all one-touch finishes. Balls in across the box and he’ll sneak in back stick to tap it in.
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“His knack of being in the right place at the right time is the best I’ve seen in a long time.”
The Seadogs rose from the ashes as a ‘phoenix club’ in 2007, renamed as Scarborough Athletic and resuming in the 10th tier after the club had been wound up days earlier with debts of £2.5million.
They moved into their new Flamingo Land Stadium in 2017 having spent 10 years playing home games at Bridlington Town, 20 miles away.
Former Manchester United midfielder Jonathan Greening was appointed manager in 2021 and guided the club to promotion to National League North in his first season.
Glynn, in his third spell with the Seadogs, said: “Jono has revamped the whole club. It’s a club that, once it gets its claws in you, you keep coming back. I’m proof of that, I can’t get away!
“But Jono came in and absolutely lifted the place in every aspect. Whether that’s professionalism or getting the fans onside.”
Over 1,000 supporters will make the trip to Staffordshire on Saturday as Scarborough bid to reach round two for the second successive season.
They beat Dunstan 5-2 in a replay, Warrington Rylands 2-0 and then Chester 3-1 in the qualifying rounds.
“Before the first-round draw, half the lads wanted Hednesford or Gainsborough and the other half wanted Birmingham or Wrexham,” Glynn said.
“We trained this week on Tuesday and everyone was buzzing for it.
“It’s weird seeing lads who have had a few niggles in the last couple of weeks training their hearts out.
“Anyone in football knows confidence is massive. You would assume confidence is low in Burton’s camp and hopefully we can capitalise on that.”