WHEN it comes to FA Cup heroes, Jim Montgomery normally finds a place in any football fan's top ten.

Only the most parochial of Newcastle fans would fail to admit his heroics for Sunderland against Leeds United at Wembley in 1973 are the stuff of folklore.

His double save from firstly Trevor Cherry then, miraculously, Peter "The Lash'' Lorimer, still leaves many shaking their heads at the legend's split-second reactions.

Monty is now a coach at the seaside club where today's FA Cup spotlight is firmly focused.

And his latest goalkeeping pupil, Leigh Walker, has the unenviable task of attempting to keep Chelsea's multi-million pound forward line at bay.

Monty, however, revealed that when he first arrived at Scarborough, Walker wasn't even playing in the first team.

He said: "When I started working at the club the first choice was Adam Sollitt. But he broke his finger and Wacca (Walker) has done so well he's made it impossible for Russell Slade to leave him out."

Monty coaches at the Seadogs two days a week working at the academy and, of course, with the club's goalkeepers.

Walker was the man-of-the-match in the third round replay against Southend, pulling off a number of top-class saves before Mark Quayle hit an 83rd minute winner.

He'll be hoping any words of wisdom passed to him by Montgomery will help keep the likes of Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Damien Duff and Frank Lampard off the scoresheet.

Montgomery said: "He's a good lad and the only advice I've given him is to always be aware of the player in possession.

"The difference between the Conference, even divisions three and two, and the higher leagues is the pace of the players' strike.

"If you look at Hasselbaink, he's got no backlift but he hits the ball with tremendous power.

"Against Watford in the last round, Gudjohnsen side-footed a ball into the top corner from distance. They'll shoot from anywhere and you have to be ready.

"I've given Leigh my telephone number and told him to ring me anytime he likes before the game."

Monty won't be there himself, selflessly believing there are people more fitting at the club than himself to take their place on the bench. He said: "There's only room for around ten of the backroom staff on the bench and if I went I'd be taking up someone else's seat.

"There's people at the club who've been there a lot longer than I have, and they deserve to be there on Saturday more than I do.

"Anyway, we footballers are a superstitious lot and I haven't been there for any of their games in the Cup."

The real test for the players will come long before the referee blows for kick-off at 12.30pm today.

According to Monty, it's when they arrive at the McCain Stadium that they'll find the pressure becoming intense.

He said: "The big moment for them is when they get out of their cars and are going into the ground. There'll be cameras and fans cheering them on - that's when the real pressure will start.

"Also when they're standing in the tunnel next to the Chelsea players. The lads aren't the biggest and if people like Marcel Desailly and John Terry are standing next to you it can be intimidating.

"Chelsea will want the players who know what playing in this sort of game is all about on the pitch today.

"Coming to a club like Scarborough they should play those who know what English football is all about.

"Lampard, Terry, Johnson and Bridge, plus the likes of Duff, Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen. Those sort of players will be used to playing this sort of game, they'll know what to expect.

"The way to play them is like Birmingham did in the Premiership game recently. Don't try to match them and let them play their football in their own half.

"If you try to play them at their own game you'll come unstuck."

Although the former Sunderland, Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest keeper knows all about the media scrum, he admitted he's never witnessed anything like the press corps that's descended on the seaside town.

"Chelsea lads will get their half hour press conference on the day before the match and that will probably be it for them," said Montgomery. "This week it's been chaos in Scarborough. I was down there on Thursday and the whole town was in mayhem.

"But the lads are loving it and we all know it's bringing in around £500,000, and that's what's important to a club like Scarborough."