CRAY Wanderers will play in front of the ITV cameras for the second time this season when they travel to play Sutton United in the FA Cup first qualifying round on Saturday.

ITV is exclusively covering the whole of the 2008-09 FA Cup competition after having secured the rights previously held by the BBC.

Having already included the Wands in their sample of televised matches from the Preliminary round a fortnight ago, the ITV executives have decided that they will continue to follow Cray's progess in the competition.

Cray defeated Chichester 4-1 in that game on 31 August. Recorded highlights can be viewed at itv.com.

In their decision to put Sutton United and Cray Wanderers in front of the cameras on Saturday, ITV has recognised that Cray founded 1860) is the oldest football club in the Greater London area.

Meanwhile they have identified Sutton United as a Greater London club with a very famous FA Cup pedigree.

The U's made national headlines in 1989 when as a Non-League club they knocked out First Divsion giants Coventry City in a historic 3rd round tie at Gander Green Lane.

Coventry had won the FA Cup just two years earlier, but they were sensationally beaten 2-1 at Sutton United who then lost 8-0 at Norwich City, another First Divsion team, in the next round.

Cray fans with longer memories will recall that there was a close connection between Cray Wanderers and Sutton United in season 1969-70 when Sutton famously took on the mighty Leeds United in an FA Cup 3rd round proper tie at Gander Green Lane.

Sutton were beaten 6-0 that day by a Leeds team that was filled with international players, but their manager Don Revie was so impressed with the U's centre half John Faulkner that came back afterwards to sign him for Leeds.

Faulkner had joined Sutton from Cray Wanderers after spending two seasons with the Kent side in 1967-68 and 1968-69. He went on to play first team football for Leeds United and afterwards Luton Town.

Looking ahead to Saturday's visit to Sutton the Wands will be well aware that their Ryman Premier League hosts play at a level above Cray and will be strong favourites to end Cray's interest in the FA Cup for this year.

Nevertheless the Cray manager Ian Jenkins and his team are confident that they can give a good account of themselves and are capable of causing an upset despite the gulf in status.

The Wands have made a good start to their Ryman Division One South campaign, standing fourth in the table after Tuesday night's 2-0 home win against Whitstable Town.

Cray's goalscorers in that game were Tony Atkins and Steve Aris on 25 and 50 minutes.

The kick-off on Saturday is at 3pm and if a replay is necessary it will be at Hayes Lane next Tuesday evening 7.45pm