FORMER York City manager Denis Smith believes the Minstermen can cause an FA Cup shock against his beloved Stoke City.

City will travel to the Britannia Stadium to take on Tony Pulis’ Premier League outfit in an eagerly-anticipated third round tie on January 2.

And, while Potteries-born Smith believes his home-town club should progress to the last 32, he adds that Martin Foyle’s non-League hopefuls can dream of success, especially if Pulis persists with his policy of fielding weakened teams.

Smith, a Stoke legend who was a key member of their 1972 League Cup-winning team, said: “Their home record is superb, even in the Premier League, so it’s a difficult place to go. It will also be cold, wet and miserable but York are having a great run and have nothing to lose so, if they have a go, then why not?

“It will be 11 against 11 on the day and I used to tell my smaller teams that there’s always one Cup upset in the third round. Stoke also tend not to put out their strongest team for Cup games and I don’t like that.

“If you look at it coldly, then the Premier League has to take priority because you lose so much money if you go down to the Championship but I don’t see why that should detract from both Cup competitions. The players are fit enough to play in all the games and I thought the team Arsenal put out in the Carling Cup quarter-finals this week was disrespectful to the competition.

“The FA Cup is all about dreams and you shouldn’t be in if you don’t want to dream. Players and fans certainly dream and directors pray for a good Cup run.

“I know how much a Cup run means to a club the size of York because I think we built half a stadium with the money from our games against Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1980s.”

As a staunch Stoke supporter with an understandable love for the Minstermen, Smith’s ideal outcome is a draw on January 2 and then an away victory in a Bootham Crescent replay, meaning his old club make as much cash as possible.

His son and grandchildren, though, will be rooting for the underdogs.

“They still live in York and watch the team a lot,” Smith explained.

“We went to Wembley together to the FA Trophy final and I hope that we will all be there for this game. Anybody who knows me from my time at York will know I love the club to death but I’ll always be a Stoke fan. That will never change.

“You should always support your local team although I won’t stop trying to persuade my grandsons to switch to Stoke.”

As former Port Vale players, who both once found the net in an unforgettable 3-1 FA Cup victory over cross-city rivals Stoke in 1992, Foyle and his assistant Andy Porter’s presence in the visitors’ dugout will not go unnoticed by the Britannia Stadium faithful.

Smith added: “The clubs haven’t played at the same level many times, but the rivalry was at its strongest when Martin and Andy played for Port Vale in the 1990s. I run a Stoke City old boys association now and one of the former players admitted he was a Port Vale fan at a recent event and got booed so it’s still there but it’s friendly banter really, nothing like when I was Bristol City manager and you played Bristol Rovers.”

Despite his Stoke allegiance Smith is full of respect for the former Valiant pair’s work at his old club, saying: “They are good lads who I have a lot of time for.

“I’m delighted that the Trophy run enabled them to spend some money creating their own team and they are doing really well in a tough league. I’ve followed Martin’s career and I thought he did all right at Port Vale as well, but it’s a difficult job lower down the leagues.

“People don’t realise that. They think it’s hard at the top but it’s far easier when you have the money and resources.”

Having left his last managerial post – at Wrexham – almost three years ago – Smith, now 62, admits he is now unlikely to take charge of another club.

He currently combines radio work as a summariser at Oxford United games with his responsibilities as a Premier League delegate and as a member of the FA’s disciplinary and work permit department.

The man who broke records as boss of the Minstermen’s all-conquering 1983/4 team said: “I’m having such a good time and I don’t know whether I could fit managing in again. Now we’re back in Stoke, my wife has also told me she doesn’t want to move any more either.”

Rankine’s advance

MICHAEL Rankine has won his second Press Player of the Month award after taking the honours for November.

The 24-year-old striker, who took the season’s first prize in August, finished three points ahead of nearest rival David McGurk.

Rankine picked up a point towards the contest as our third-highest rated player during the 2-1 FA Cup victory at Cambridge.

He also shared the two bonus points with Richard Brodie after the pair polled the same number of man-of-the-match votes from our website visitors.

The other points from Cambridge went to David McGurk (three) and James Meredith (two) as the Press’ first and second-highest rated performers.

Rankine has also closed the gap on Player of the Year leader Brodie to three points.

At Rushden on Tuesday, meanwhile, Meredith (three), Neil Barrett (two) and Daniel Parslow (one) were rewarded as our top three players.

There was also another on-line man-of-the-match tie between Parslow and Chris Carruthers, earning them a bonus point apiece towards the December competition.

To have a chance of presenting the next Player of the Month with his prize on the pitch at a City home game, register your man-of-the-match at thepress.co.uk The Press Player of the Year standings: Brodie 21 points, Rankine 18, McGurk 17, Ferrell 12, Purkiss 12, Sangare 12, Ingham 10, Lawless 10, Parslow 8, Barrett 6, Gash 6, Meredith 6, Mackin 5, Carruthers 4, Smith 4, Boyes 2, Nelthorpe 2, Graham 1.

The Press November Player of the Month final standings: Rankine 13, McGurk 10, Brodie 9, Meredith 5, Carruthers 4, Lawless 4, Parslow 2, Graham 1.

The Press December Player of the Month latest standings: Meredith 3, Barrett 2, Parslow 2, Carruthers 1.

Goals: Brodie 19, Rankine 6, Gash 5, Pacquette 2, Sangare 2, Smith 2, Barrett 1, Ferrell 1, Lawless 1.

Assists: Brodie 5, Ferrell 4, Lawless 4, Smith 4, Meredith 3, Purkiss 3, Rankine 3, Barrett 2, Sangare 2, Parslow 2, Carruthers 1, Gash 1, Ingham 1, Mackin 1, McGurk 1, Nelthorpe 1.

Bad boys: Ferrell 6 yellow cards; Brodie 5 yellow cards; Barrett 4 yellow cards; Meredith 1 red card, 2 yellow; Mackin, McGurk both 3 yellow cards; Carruthers, Ingham, Lawless, Rankine, Smith all 2 yellow cards; Pacquette 1 red card; Gash, Nelthorpe, Parslow, Sangare all 1 yellow.