DANNS THE MAN

Southport boss set for big day... but has already been part of Cup history

- BY STEPHEN KILLEN

NEIL DANNS has a place in FA Cup history that ranks him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolas Anelka and Robin van Persie.

But he didn't realise it until years after he did it.

Now in charge of Southport, in the sixth tier of English football, he will look to make his cup mark as a manager today as they try to cause an upset in the fourth qualifying round against Halifax Town.

Danns played in every division from the Premier League to League Two with Blackburn, Birmingham, Crystal Palace and Bury.

In the 2005-06 season, League One Colchester went on a giant-killing FA Cup run that was ended by Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in the fifth round.

Danns scored five times for Colchester in that competition, sharing the top scorer prize with Barnsley’s Paul Hayes and Steve Basham of Oxford United.