FA TROPHY PREVIEW: Staines Town v Luton Town

After making it through three FA Cup rounds, beating Aylesbury United, Sittingbourne and Poole Town to reach the first round proper, they were handed a plum tie at League One Brentford, former home of Swans manager Marcus Gayle.

In the FA Trophy, ask any club who they want and it’s the big guns Luton, which is exactly what chairman Matt Boon admitted as he hopes it may lead to a tie up between the clubs in future.

Speaking to getSURREY, he said: “It’s a great honour to play one of the biggest clubs in non-league football. We’ve already had Brentford in the FA Cup and it is another big name to tick off the list.

“There are certain ties you want to pick out. Marcus got his tie (Brentford) and Luton was the one I wanted in the Trophy.

“We look forward to welcoming them to our ground and our facilities so they can see what we are all about.

“Hopefully we forge another new relationship so that later we can maybe pick up the phone and arrange friendlies with them or enquire about their fringe players.”

With an average crowd of just 253 at Wheatsheaf Park this season, the fifth lowest in the division, Boon is hoping to swell those numbers when Luton are in town.

After just 211 watched the Swans play Concord Rangers last weekend, he continued: “It’s across the board. There were just over 200 at Gosport on Tuesday and crowds are down everywhere and I think it’s down to the financial climate.

“Our crowds aren’t down on the past few years, they are stable but I don’t know what else we can do to attract a larger crowd.

“We are the fourth or fifth lowest in our league but we are winning most of our home games, we have had some decent cup runs and we have some good, young talent.

“Playing the likes of Brentford and Luton raises the profile and hopefully when Brentford are away a few of their fans might come along to watch us, or at least I’d like to think so.”

The Trophy comes as a more than welcome distraction to Gayle and his side though after the last week which has seen them lost both Skrill South matches to Concord and Gosport Borough without scoring.

However, at home, the Swans are a mighty tough proposition this term, winning eight of their 11 matches so far, with their only defeat against Concord last weekend.

It’s fair to say though that after their loss, Gayle was not a happy manager, as also speaking to getSURREY, he said: “I can’t have players strutting around like peacocks showing their feathers thinking they are better than they are and mugging off the hardworking people at the club. They are at this level for a reason.

“In November and December you find out more about players when the pitches change and the conditions change.

“But they can’t hide. I am an old pro and if they think they can fool me I don’t know what coffee they’re drinking in the morning but they might as well change the brand because it all smells the same to me.

“I can tell whether a player is up for it and mentally switched on. By the speed they change in the dressing room, their movements in the dressing room, whether they are slouched when they are listening, all those things.

“I can see through all that. All these things like earrings and headphones are just cosmetic rubbish and they think it makes them a better player.

“They need to show simple, clear-minded focus and respect and realise they are where they are for a reason.

“A few of them will be wondering whether they’ve done enough to get in the team for Saturday’s game against Luton after that. No player is guaranteed a place.”

Team news: Hatters boss John Still was busy in the loan market before the deadline yesterday signing three players and letting two leave.

In have come defenders Pelly Ruddock (West Ham), Joe Davis (Port Vale) and Alfie Mawson (Brentford), with both Ruddock and Davis available for the tie as Mawson is cup-tied.

Out have gone JJ O’Donnell to Hyde and Jim Stevenson to Dartford, while Jake Woolley and Jerome Jibodu, both on loan themselves are also cup-tied.

Jibodu played for Boreham Wood in a 1-0 defeat to Gloucester City, with Woolley involved for St Neots in a 2-0 reverse at Matlock

Meanwhile, Jon Shaw is still out, as is Danny Fitzsimons, while Still confirmed that Steve McNulty and Alex Lacey will miss the game, although Alex Wall may be okay for a place on the bench.

Town boss John Still has also confirmed he will select a number of players from his youth team with the likes of Zane Banton, Charlie Smith and Ian Rees in contention.

Man in the middle: Colin Lymer - taken 10 Conference games this season, showing only 26 yellows, although his two red cards came in the same match, that a 3-0 home win for Braintree over Chester in October.

Is yet to referee Luton Town in his career though.

In charge: Marcus Gayle - well known striker in his day, starting his professional career in 1988 with Brentford before having a short spell in Finland.

Played over 150 times for the Bees and then joined Wimbledon for £250,000 going on to play 285 games, scoring 48 goals, including the one that knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup in February 1997.

After leaving the Dons, had spells at Rangers, Watford, Brentford, Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon.

Gayle was also capped 14 times for Jamaica and played at the 1998 World Cup in France, where he was part of the team who beat Japan 2-1.

On retiring from playing, he started his coaching badges, before becoming AFC Wimbledon reserve team manager and was appointed Staines boss on May 15, 2012.

View from the opposition: Boss Marcus Gayle told getSURREY: “Nobody is guaranteed a place.

“Jack Turner has come back after being frozen out and showed me the sort of form that makes me think why couldn’t he have been playing like that before?

“Some players need to be humbled and one or two will be thinking they haven’t done enough to stay in the team after Tuesday night.

“We will be picking the right players on the day and one or two might find they are on the bench.

“We need players who will give 110%, the fans deserve that and they expect them to give their all. We don’t need players spitting dummies out on the pitch.

“We need to work hard and play hard. When I look at people like Ashley Lodge he is willing to do the job of two men in midfield. If I had 11 Ashley Lodges I would have no problem.”

One to watch: Louie Theophanous - described as ‘a genuine goalscorer at this level’ on the Swans website, and with good reason too as he is top scorer with 14 strikes this season, including a run of 11 in nine games earlier.

The forward, who has been at AFC Wimbledon, Staines and Bromley in his career, also netted 20 goals last term.

It’s not just on the pitch that Theophanous has been a success as he is also a model for ex-pro Andy Ansah’s Sports on Screen company. There, he has acted as a body double for none other than super star Cristiano Ronaldo in a handful of Nike Sports adverts.

Ticket news: Sitting and standing is the same price at Staines. £12 adults, £6 OAPs, students with NUS card and £5 for U16s.

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, MOM poll, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our Hatters Microsite.