Bradford City goalkeeper Gary Walsh may have played in front of a crowd of 120,000 at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium, but he is in no doubt that the atmosphere at Newcastle's St James' Park ranks among the best in football.

The 30-year-old travels to Tyneside tomorrow for the Bantams eagerly-anticipated fourth round clash with Ruud Gullit's Premiership giants.

The game has been sold out for nearly two weeks with around 4,000 City fans making the trip to cheer on Paul Jewell's men.

The game looks set to be a real cracker with City going into the game having won eight out of their last nine games while Newcastle have been in inconsistent form all season.

And Walsh says the City side are relishing the chance to pit their wits against one of the most expensively-assembled squads in England.

He said: "I have played at St James' Park a few times and it has always been a good atmosphere.

"I played in the Littlewoods Cup when they beat Manchester United 2-0 so obviously the ground was really bouncing that night and then I have been there for another couple of games with Middlesbrough.

"The atmosphere is electric and second to none. It must be superb for their players when all the fans get behind them like they do at the start of a game.

"Our game is a sell out and with it being the FA Cup, I think it will be a real cracker of an atmosphere. The Cup always does that because it is a one-off and it also means there are usually a lot more away fans present. It was good against Grimsby in the last 20 minutes or so.

"We are doing well in the league at the moment so the cup can help us. I think the furthest I have got in a cup is in the quarter-finals.

"That was when I was at Middlesbrough two years ago when they got to the final of the Coca-Cola Cup. They beat Liverpool and Newcastle at home and I played in both games, but then I was injured before the semi-final and missed out."

Walsh has been in fine form this season to illustrate why he was the overwhelming choice as the 1997-98 Player of the Year despite not joining the club until two months into the campaign.

Several times already, he has pulled off vital saves to ensure City have collected vital points as their promotion charge gathers pace.

However the former Manchester United and Middlesbrough goalkeeper will have to be at his best tomorrow if he is to deny Britain's most expensive striker - £15 million man Alan Shearer.

The two have played against each other several times and Walsh is full of admiration for the England captain.

He said: "I have played against Shearer quite a few times, even when I went on loan to Oldham from Manchester United.

"He is a good professional and respects you as an opponent. He is a nice bloke and he always comes over after the game and shakes your hand.

"When we beat them he said 'Well done' after the game. I don't know him as a person but I have every respect for him as a footballer.

"He is the sort of player who will punish you for one mistake. With it being a Cup game, a lot of people ask if I feel under more pressure because if I make one mistake then it could be all over for the team for another 12 months. However one mistake is just as important in the league so I know all about the pressure."

Newcastle are a club still going through a transitional period with Ruud Gullit just five months into his reign as United manager.

It has become clear that the Dutch legend is keen to bring in more new faces but seems to be hamstrung by the fact he has to sell first if he wants to buy.

And Walsh believes this might be just the time to play such an important FA Cup tie.

"With Newcastle having a new manager the team seems to change all the time as he starts to bring his own men in and that can cause uncertainty and it is up to us to make the most of it," he added.

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