AFTER 583 games together as joint managers of St Ives Town, Jez Hall and Warren Everdell will both miss Saturday’s massive FA Cup game against Dereham Town because they will be in Spain partying with friends.

The trip was organised by Hall’s brother, Jonathan, to celebrate his 40th birthday, and their friend Andy Thomas’s stag do.

“For the first time since 2002 neither of us will be at the game,” Hall revealed to The Hunts Post. “It’s a proper shocker.”

He continued: “It just happens to be one of the most important games of our 583 together but I have no choice and Warren is gutted to be fair. It’s a weird situation and a very strange feeling.”

After beating Chalfont St Peter on Saturday, with a weakened team, St Ives were due to play St Neots Town Youth & Saints at The Cozy Stadium last night (Tuesday) in the Hunts Senior Cup and Hall said he and Everdell would sit down with coach Errol McCammon, physio Dan Ruscillo and injured captain Lee Elllison to talk team selection and tactics for Saturday.

“We have had help from the Boston Town manager Ian Dunn,” said Hall, with Dereham knocking out the United Counties League side in the last round. “And on Tuesday Dereham play Soham Town Rangers in the Ryman League and we hope to talk to them afterwards.” It was Soham who St Ives beat 3-1 in the last round.

“We will pick the team and tell them how to play but we have every confidence in Errol, Dan and Lee – they have been around us long enough to know how we think. Basically, they will be in charge for the 90 minutes.”

Hall said the management duo would keep in touch with events at Westwood Road via the club’s secretary Simon Clarke and Twitter. And, if St Ives get past their Norfolk opponents, they will be able to look forward to returning home in time for the Monday morning draw for second round qualifying. It is at that stage of the world famous competition that teams from the Conference North and South divisions enter the fray. The prize money for winning on Saturday is £3,000. A further £4,500 will be up for grabs at the next stage.

The Huntingdon Town chairman Paul Hunt is eyeing up some of that cash after his team went top of the United Counties League with a 3-1 home win over Wisbech Town on Saturday.

Like St Ives, who are now sixth in Division One central of the Southern League, Huntingdon are currently in the highest league position of their lives. But the club is still struggling to attract fans to Jubilee Park despite their unbeaten start to the season and some magnificent performances under manager Ricky Marheineke.

Huntingdon are away in the competition to Sleaford Town on Saturday and the chairman said: “It’s a great chance for us to get through – some really big teams come in at the next stage. Imagine Huntingdon Town playing Stockport County at Jubilee Park.”

Also keeping an eye on Huntingdon will be Radio 5 Live presenter Robbie Savage after Town became the latest team on his 606 show’s ‘Road to Wembley’ feature when they beat Swaffham Town in the last round.