FOOTBALL fever spread through one Suffolk town at the weekend as loyal fans joined the rush for tickets to see their soccer heroes play in a prestigious cup final clash.

FOOTBALL fever spread through one Suffolk town at the weekend as loyal fans joined the rush for tickets to see their soccer heroes play in a prestigious cup final clash.

And the true blue-and-yellow supporters of AFC Sudbury were quick to snap up scores of tickets allocated to the team for the FA Vase final on May 10, when they will lock horns with Brigg Town at Upton Park, home to Premiership strugglers West Ham United.

The tickets were sold from a merchandise stall, set up outside Sudbury Town Hall on Saturday, between 9am and midday, with specially designed FA Vase T-shirts, flags and baseball caps also up for grabs.

Peter Scott, vice chairman of AFC Sudbury, said: "Sales exceeded our expectations. It was excellent.

"We are obviously very excited about the final, and the town is clearly getting geared up to support the team. The players have all done extremely well this season, and we are on the verge of getting a hat trick of championships.

"The team have responded tremendously well, despite the number of games they have played this year, and we are confident for May 10."

It is the first time the club, which was established in 1999, has reached the FA Vase final. Their previous record was an appearance in the semi-final in the 2001/2002 season.

And it looks likely the team may already have claimed a title before travelling to Upton Park, as a victory at Bury Town today could see AFC Sudbury claim their third successive Jewson League championship.

But fans who missed their opportunity to bag cup final tickets this Saturday should not despair, as seats for May 10 can still be booked next weekend, when officials will again run a stall from outside the Town Hall.

Cup final tickets are also available from Steed and Steed, in Gainsborough Street, and Ian's Barber Shop, in North Street.