While some may feel that the FA Cup doesn't have the same prestige as it once did, Steve Evans is certainly not among that number.

The wily Scot enters the famous old competition for the first time with Stevenage on Saturday, the Hertfordshire side facing a trip to National League Gateshead.

And he says the memories he has accumulated over the years have ensured he will never not take it seriously.

"It is a priority," he said. "Anyone who doesn’t value the FA Cup shouldn’t play in it.

"We all remember a few years ago when Manchester United withdrew because Sir Alex took them on a trip to South America.

"That was a shocking decision but was probably put down upon him and the value of the cup was quite rightly restored.

"It’s great. We don’t have to think about league points or how others are doing, it’s just about ourselves on Saturday and a tough trip to Gateshead."

He earliest memories come from being a youngster growing up in Scotland, and the English version was just as important as its Scottish equivalent.

Evans said: "The people who talk about how revered the FA Cup is are the older generations because of the magical days we had.

"I remember growing up as a wee boy in Glasgow. If Glasgow Celtic were in the Scottish Cup final, we’d be at the game, but if they weren’t, we used to drive to Dumfries and watch the English final.

"That’s when you see how big an occasion it is. We all remember watching the TV cameras at the team hotel, waiting for team news, they’d follow the coaches via helicopter to the stadium and the whole build-up to the cup final.

"From my point of view it is just a magical, magical competition and whatever happens on Saturday, that will always be my view."

The "wee boy" grew up though and ended up as football manager, with plenty more tangible and personal memories to cherish.

He said: "When I was at Crawley we beat Derby, who were in the Championship, in the last minute, Sergio Torres scored in the 93rd minute or something, that was a magical moment.

"I can remember winning in extra time at Swindon, winning at Hull.

"I can’t forget playing Stoke City in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Peter Crouch got two, and we can never ever forget our day at Old Trafford when we should have beat Manchester United but we lost 1-0.

"Some magical memories that are there forever."

And he says Saturday represents the first step on making new memories for himself but more especially, his players.

"They can make their own dreams, make their own memories to tell their kids and grandkids," he said.

"And how do you make a dream? You make it happen.

"We’ve got an opportunity to look after ourselves as tough as it will be.

"It’s a very open and wide stadium, conditions won’t be great, but we just have to make sure we are in the draw, it is as simple as that.

"The only difference is you don’t get a chance to come back.

"You’ve got 46 league games so when you lose, like we did at Salford, we had two or three games to react quite quickly and get back on track.

"You have an off day in the FA Cup, you go out."