Non-league's greatest giant-killers eye another scalp

Non-league Altrincham is aiming to defeat League One side Notts County in the FA Cup, a victory that would mark the 18th Football League scalp for the club. Currently seventh in the National League, Altrincham has defeated 17 Football League opponents in the competition, a total more than any other club that has spent its entire existence in non-league football, according to Yahoo Sports.

Graham Heathcote, a legendary figure who made more than 500 appearances for the club, believes the team's history can provide the confidence needed to pull off an upset against a side two divisions above them. Speaking to BBC Sport, Heathcote noted that during the club's golden era in the 1970s and 1980s, the part-time team reached the FA Cup third round in four consecutive seasons between 1978 and 1982.

He added that the team's determination was key during a period when the competition did not feature the weakened sides from larger clubs seen today.

Brief written by urgent.news from BBC Sport, Yahoo Sports, BBC Sport Football — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.