By Dan Warren

Joihn Duncan masterminded an FA Cup q-final win for Chesterfield

Even in a country as obsessed with football as this one, Bristol Rovers rarely find themselves in the spotlight.

True, the more informed man in the street may dimly recall a certain Gary Mabbutt or Nigel Martyn - and maybe something about a decent pasty stall at the ground - but little else.

But thanks to a little sprinkling of that old FA Cup magic, the unassuming West Country club finds itself in the national papers and on television as they stand one step from Wembley and a first semi-final in their 125-year history.

Sunday's quarter-final pits the Gas against Championship high-flyers West Brom.

Rovers are underdogs, but a surprise win for them would not quite be unprecedented in FA Cup history.

Our FA Cup song outsold the Spice Girls - in Derbyshire at least Former Chesterfield boss John Duncan

Back in 1997, Chesterfield reached the semi-final despite hailing from the third tier of English football.

They lost to Premier League Middlesbrough in a replay after a memorable 3-3 draw in their first meeting.

And how close they came to becoming the first team from their level to reach the final is the stuff of FA Cup legend.

Had referee David Elleray awarded a goal when Jon Howard's shot bounced off the bar and over the line instead of - mystifyingly - a Boro free-kick, they would most likely have reached the final.

606: DEBATE Give your thoughts on the FA Cup quarter-final

John Duncan was manager of Chesterfield that day and has mixed emotions looking back - but nevertheless he fondly recalls the Spireites' 1996-97 Cup run.

"It was a big thing for us. The league was obviously important, but any chance in the Cup, well, we had to get involved," he told BBC Sport.

"We'd not had a good Cup run for years. But we got some home draws, they were tough, but we came through."

Like Rovers, Chesterfield are not a team one readily finds in the spotlight. But Duncan said that at the time he positively encouraged his players to enjoy the attention.

They too had a quarter-final home draw against a team outside the top division - Wrexham - and it was at this stage that the transition from Cup makeweights to stars began.

CHESTERFIELD'S 96-97 CUP RUN 1st rnd: Bury (H) W 1-0 2nd rnd: S'boro (H) W 2-0 3rd rnd: Bristol C (H) W 2-0 4th rnd: Bolton (A) W 3-2 5th rnd: N Forest (H) W 1-0 Q-final: Wrexham (H) W 1-0 S-final*: M'boro D 3-3 Replay+: M'boro L 0-3 (* Old Trafford) (+ Hillsborough)

Indeed, they even embarked on a venture usually reserved for permed football stars of the 80s ahead of the Cup final itself. They recorded a pop song, 'We Can Build Our Dreams'.

"I do have a copy of that," admitted Duncan. "And it outsold the Spice Girls - in Derbyshire at least!

"But we knew this would be a once in a lifetime thing, so we thought we should do everything we can for the Cup.

"We decided to embrace it, not to fight it."

Like Rovers, Chesterfield were underdogs through most of their Cup run and Duncan, who now works at the League Managers' Association, said the dressing room chemistry was crucial.

"It's not easy to get the right mixture for an FA Cup run," he said.

"As a player, you must trust in the other 10 players and know they are able to do it.

"If you trust in their ability to do the job for 90 minutes and you know you can do your job you are part of something you believe in.

"But it's not just that simple. Some might freeze on the big occasion, but we knew we had to all stick together."

Naturally, Rovers are rank outsiders for this year's tournament and punters will not have to search hard to find them at 100/1, despite being in the last eight.

PIRATES' PROGRESS IN 07-08 1st rnd: L Orient (A) D 1-1 Replay*: L Orient (H) D 3-3 2nd rnd: Rushden (H) W 5-1 3rd rnd: Fulham (A) D 2-2 Replay+: Fulham (H) D 0-0 4th rnd: Barnet (A) W 1-0 5th rnd: Southampton W 1-0 (* W 6-5 pens) (+ W 5-3 pens)

Duncan said that going into a quarter-final against a team outside the top league acted as motivation for his players.

"There was a lot of pressure against Wrexham, but we were determined to have a good shot," he said.

"We said 'Wrexham here we come'. I believed we had a team that could win every game. I think Rovers are not dissimilar.

"They're a sturdy team who do not fall over easily. When we played we were always in every game, there was not more than one or two goals in it, that's a bit like Rovers have been this season.

"We might have been underdogs, but everything that could have gone well did go well, and we found ourselves in the last four."

Duncan was already an established manager by the time of Chesterfield's Cup run and readily admits that he knew it would be his career high point.

For the players, it was a different story. Kevin Davies, currently at Bolton, certainly put himself in the shop window with his Cup displays.

Rickie Lambert's fifth-round winner sparked delight for Rovers

His superb hat-trick in the fourth-round win at Bolton no doubt played a part in his subsequent career, which included a �7.5m switch to Blackburn in 1998.

But Duncan said his players were not just out for personal glory and were comfortable rubbing shoulders with the big stars in the Cup's latter stages.

"When we lost to Middlesbrough, it was really deflating, there was no sense of `Hey, never mind, we had a really good run'," he said.

"It was as sad in that dressing room as it could be. And, although maybe errors and mistakes from the officials played a part, we took it on the chin, there were no bad feelings.

"But now I take great pleasure from it. The semi-final was a great game with great memories.

"What was nice was that for many of those involved, that was the biggest moment of their careers.

"And when they look back, the players know the performance was as good as it could have been."

Rovers are some way from emulating Chesterfield's exploits, with West Brom - four points off the top of the Championship - in their way.

And with four Premier League sides still in the competition, the chance of the Gas becoming the third-tier's first-ever finalists remains slim.

But, in a world where Chesterfield FC can outsell the Spice Girls - in Derbyshire at least - maybe anything is possible for the wannabes of north Bristol.