'Nothing to fear' - Chesterfield chief executive believes West Brom FA Cup tie is 'winnable'

Town will host the Baggies, who are currently fighting relegation in the Championship, in early January in the third round.

The Blues are flying high in the National League and they will fancy their chances of causing a big upset.

“It is a great draw for us really, it is winnable” Croot told the DT.

“We are certainly in with a chance and we will give it a good go.

“It is not a game West Brom will look forward to. I don’t think anybody will look forward to coming to the Technique Stadium.

“We are playing well at the moment, confidence is high in the camp and there is nothing to fear. We might as well go out and have a real go at them. We have got good players, even right down to the bench for our level.

“We will have a go against anybody.”

The clash, which will take place between January 6 and 9, will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides in 74 years, since a 0-0 draw at Saltergate in September 1948.

“It is a club which I think many of our fans won’t have seen us play before,” Croot said.

“It will be a great atmosphere.

“They are a big club and they will bring a lot of fans. It is a club which has a great history so it will be a packed away end and a packed Technique Stadium.

“We very much hope that we will be live on TV which would be tremendous.”

Chesterfield have pocketed more than £100,000 in prize money from their cup run so far and winners of third round ties get £105,000.

“You don’t budget for money in the FA Cup so anything we get from it is a bit of a bonus,” Croot explained.

“It is helping plug the gaps in the finances, it always does. We are run by a charity, the trust, we have got some outside investors who are great to us, but we don’t want to keep going to them so things like a cup run can help.

“We will obviously have to share the gate receipts with West Brom.”

The match will also have a bit of extra spice with manager Paul Cook being a popular former player at West Brom’s fierce rivals Wolves.

Croot joked: “I am sure they will have a few comments about Cooky during the match, but I don’t think it will bother him. He will probably love it, to be honest!

As well as Chesterfield, fellow National League sides Wrexham, Boreham Wood and Dagenham and Redbridge were all in the hat for the third round as calls for more promotion places from the fifth tier grow louder.

Croot said: “Wimbledon officials on Saturday were saying it was not a game that they were looking forward to. The top clubs in the National League, I firmly believe, are at least League Two level and I think probably could go well on their way to holding their own in League One. If there is a reason to change it, the results that the top National League clubs are getting in the FA Cup shows that.

“We have beaten two League Two sides this season, and if you include the friendly against Bradford which was the last one before the season started, that would be three and we have not let a goal in.”