Football
Why Salisbury are 'bigger than many Premier League teams' in Kuwait
Sixth-tier Salisbury FC have a unique relationship with Kuwait, where they are regarded as "bigger than many Premier League" clubs.
· 3 min read
Salisbury will be in Kuwait for five days before playing in the FA Cup qualifying round on Saturday
As with every home game, the Salisbury FC players and coaching staff went to embrace the fans in the Andrews Terrace at The Ray Mac Stadium after Saturday's 2-0 win against Folkestone Invicta.
Alongside the normal applause and cheers, they were greeted with a chant that isn't a regular from the songbook.
"Kuwait away ole, ole," sang fans of the National League South outfit.
The players clapped back with an extra buzz - within 24 hours they would be travelling to the Middle East.
"Straight away we all said, 'yeah, we're all in," explains Salisbury player Luke Russe.
"It's a unique opportunity and as players, we are so thankful to everybody involved in making this trip happen. I've been involved in this level for a long time now and I've never had an experience like it."
The five-day trip involves the club facing one of Kuwait's most successful teams on Wednesday, Al Qadsia, who have won more than 50 trophies, before returning on Thursday to play Saturday's FA Cup third qualifying round against Dulwich Hamlet.
