Perhaps the most famous moments in the history of Havant and Waterlooville Football Club came in the 2007/08 season when the Hawks made it to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.

 

We began our journey in the Second Qualifying Round when we faced local rivals Bognor Regis Town victories against the Rocks, Fleet Town and Leighton Town saw us in the hat for the first round where some of the Football League big boys were entering the fray.

 

The Hawks were drawn away to York City of the Blue Square Premier, the side making to date their longest ever trip for a competitive game. Huge underdogs to progress to the second round, Shaun Gale’s side pulled of an upset by winning 1-0, courtesy of a Mo Harkin goal midway through the first half.

 

Having made it through to the second round, they were given another away trip but this time to League opposition as Havant made the trip to Meadow Park to take on Notts County.

 

Again huge underdogs to win the contest against a side who were having a decent season in League 2, many saw this being the end to the clubs best ever FA Cup run, but the reality would be that it was just the start to a fairytale story.

 

And it was the Hawks’ ability to settle the game by the odd goal which would see them into the Third Round of the competition for the first time in our history. Tony Taggart would be the hero on this occasion with just three minutes left to play.

 

Kevin Scriven made some crucial saves in goal throughout the game with the Premier League and Championship big boys entering the competition.

 

With everyone gathering around in The Westleigh, hoping for one of the Premier League’s big clubs, however despite the high hopes and optimism, there would be a soft landing when League 1 Swansea City was pulled out of the hat.

 

Swansea, who were top of the third tier at the tie, were almost home bankers to get through the tie and with relative ease, but the Hawks would again prove their tenacious qualities to stop of the Swans from progression to Round Four.

 

The South Wales side took the lead in the tie and with the Hawks staring defeat in their eyes, Rocky Baptiste equalised with just three minutes left to play to secure a reply back at Westleigh Park.

 

And again, back into the draw for the fourth qualifying round, it was dream time for Hawks fans, players, management and board alike. When the ball came out everyone was dancing around The Westleigh clubhouse before pinching themselves when Liverpool away was drawn out of the hat.

 

But first the task of facing Swansea City at Westleigh Park to get the opportunity to face the seven time FA Cup winners.

 

The game would be televised live on BBC Sport Wales and in front of a packed house at Westleigh Park, with not a seat or standing place to be had at a sold out Westleigh Park. Although officially we were only allowed 4,400 under Safety instructions, some say that more were inside the ground for the occasion.

 

Havant and Waterlooville got off to the most miraculous of starts when Garry Monk turned the ball into the back of his own net to put the Hawks 1-0 up after just four minutes.

 

Then 20 minutes later the lead was doubled when Jamie Collins scored to send the stadium into raptures.

 

It was truly become dreamland for all Hawks supporters when just under 10 minutes before the break when Baptiste squeezed the ball into the back of the net to make it 3-0 and dreams of Anfield started to become ever more visible.

 

However, the dreamland destined Hawks fans would come crashing down to earth just two minutes later when Guillem Bauza scored for the Swans.

 

Then before the break Roberto Martinez’s side were handed the opportunity to go within one as they got a spot kick. However, Leon Britton charged with the responsibility of taking the penalty saw his effort saved by Kevin Scriven.

 

Just after the interval Swansea did hit back to bring the game back to within the odd goal when Jason Scotland netted three minutes after the restart.

 

But with 25 minutes left to play the Hawks would secure their place into the fourth round and the chance to face Liverpool when Brett Poate send a cross into Tom Jordan who knocked the ball into the back of the net.

 

A dramatic ending to the game ensued before the full time whistle saw the Westleigh Park pitch flooded with supporters as the dream became a reality and the Hawks would face Liverpool at Anfield in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.

 

The interest regarding the fixture was mesmeric. Media outlets from TV, Radio and Newspapers both domestically and across the World kept asking the club for interviews by phone, live at the ground or at TV studios.

 

The day of the game saw Havant and Waterlooville fans on Soccer AM, with Showaddywaddy, who performed the club anthem Under the Moon of Love live on the programme on the morning of the game.

 

However from Brentwood to Anfield and the Hawks was the talk of not just the town but of the competition as a whole, as the true romance of the greatest cup competition bared it’s fruits.

 

Havant stayed up on the Friday night before travelling to Anfield on Saturday, the side got a Police escort from their hotel towards the ground where they were met and greeted with a heroes welcome from supporters of both sides.

 

It was always going to be mission improbable beating Liverpool, but it would be a day out that the close to 6,000 fans that made the trip from Hampshire to Merseyside would never forget for the rest of their lives. The famous You’ll Never Walk Alone from the Kop preceded a 90 minutes for the club which only comic books ever written.

 

And incredibly Havant and Waterlooville took the lead after eight minutes when Richard Pacquette knocked the ball home to send the away end at Anfield into a frenzy, and stunning the Kop which the Hawks were attacking in the process.

 

Inevitably Liverpool would have a response, but it would take 20 minutes before getting back level when Lucas levelled the scoring midway through the opening period.

 

But, the unthinkable was unfolding before the Havant fans eyes just four minutes later because a defensive mistake from the reds saw the ball into the path of on-loan Peterborough player Alfie Potter who knocked the ball home after a deflection. Despite Potter having the glory in the heat of the moment, the record books will always have the goal as one which Martin Skrtel put into his own net.

 

At 2-1, Anfield was stunned, the Hawks was doing what perhaps they dreamt off the night before, a moment to savour. But in the same vain as the opening effort, they would be pegged back just before the interval when Yossi Benayoun netted a minute before the break.

 

And it would be the Islraeli midfielder which would spark the end of the dream for Shaun Gale and his player, having scored a hattrick by scoring two goals within 15 minutes after the interval.

 

Peter Crouch would finish off the scoring in time added on as Liverpool ran out 5-2 winners to end a miraculous and heroic FA Cup run for Havant and Waterlooville.

 

After the game the Kop stayed behind to cheer the Hawks off the pitch and the players went over to celebrate with the 6,000 or so supporters who made the trip.