THE BBC will be hoping Eastleigh can tonight complete a hat-trick of FA Cup first round upsets in front of the live television cameras.

The Corporation have chosen the Spitfires' home tie against two divisions higher Swindon Town for one reason and one reason only.

They believe there is a very good chance of an upset, with the National League club capable of embarrassing their League 1 visitors.

Last season, the Beeb - sniffing an upset - racked up at Salford City for their first round tie with League 2 Notts County.

Despite the three division gap - Salford were then in the Northern Premier League - the hosts still claimed a famous 2-0 victory.

The previous season, in November 2014, the Beeb had again struck lucky with their choice.

They chose Warrington, the lowest ranked team left in the tournament, who had been drawn against League 2 Exeter City.

There was a four-division gap, but Warrington still produced a famous 1-0 win.

Nights like the one at Salford, and the one at Warrington, are the sort which underline the FA Cup's reputation as the greatest club knock-out competition in the world.

The tournament may not carry all the glamour of old, because not all the Premier League clubs take it as seriously as they once did.

But it is still the FA Cup, and it still possesses the ability to get the hairs on the back of your neck standing to attention.

Eastleigh's FA Cup jaunt last season was proof positive of that.

After beating Crewe and Stourbridge away, the Spitfires were leading Championship club Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at the Silverlake with just five minutes remaining.

Eastleigh, once of the Hampshire League, were beating a famous club, former FA Cup winners, three divisions higher in the pyramid - and a Premier League club as recently as 2012.

On an absolute mudbath of a pitch, in front of a capacity crowd, here was the magic of the FA Cup alive and kicking.

Ok, Bolton grabbed an equaliser and won the replay - but only after Eastleigh had stunned them for a second time by taking the lead at the Reebok.

But the memories from that run will stay with the players and supporters for a lifetime.

That is what the FA Cup can create.

Like no other competition, it allows you to dream.

Allows players to dream, and allows fans to dream.

And without dreams, football is nothing.

Eastleigh fans will be dreaming of another run to the third round, and perhaps a draw against Saints.

Well, why not?

Strange things can happen in football.

Burton Albion are currently above Derby County in the pyramid. That is no different, really, to Eastleigh being above Saints.

The Football Association Challenge Cup has always been English football's dream factory, and it remains so.

Tonight, under the lights - and an FA Cup tie always seems that bit more special at night - Eastleigh and Swindon will hope to give television viewers a real treat.

Outside of Wiltshire, virtually no-one will be cheering on the visitors as they attempt to negotiate a classic banana skin tie.

All neutrals should want Eastleigh to win.

Football fans - proper football fans, that is - love a little bit of romance.

You don't get much these days, as money rules.

That is why we need to make the most of our romantic stories when they are written.

Like Cherries winning promotion to the Premier League. Like Leicester winning the Premier League.

And like non league clubs continuing to drop ice cubes down the vests of their professional counterparts.

That has always been the case with the FA Cup, and please God it will always remain so.

Starting tonight ...