CARLOS Roca has warned Rochdale that FC United have no intention of being FA Cup makeweights at Spotland tomorrow night.

The Rebel Reds, currently 15th in the Evo-Stik League Premier Division, will be rank outsiders when they take on Keith Hill’s League One side, who are 80 places higher in the league pyramid, in the biggest game in the club’s short but eventful five-year history.

But Roca, who scored the goal that beat Conference side Barrow 1-0 at Gigg Lane last month to earn Karl Marginson’s men their lucrative first-round tie, says the minnows are determined to give their passionate followers something to shout about “It’s a challange and we are going to enjoy it, but we are not going there just to make up the numbers,” he said in the build-up to an intriguing clash that will be screened live on ESPN.

“It’s going to be a tough ask but these are games that give you a chance to test yourself and we have already shown by beating Barrow that we can rise to the challenge.”

Roca, who played league football with Oldham Athletic and Carlisle United and went to the third round with Northwich Victoria in 2006 when the Vics lost 3-0 away to Premier League Sunderland, is in his third season with the Reds. He knows only too well the significance of the money-spinning cup run to the club who are tenants at Gigg Lane but have ambitious plans for a new £3.5million stadium at Ten Acres Lane, Newton Heath. FC could earn as much as £100,000 from TV rights, prize money and the share of a gate boosted by their 3,200 fans who snapped up their allocation of seats in Spotland’s Westrose Leisure Stand .

“Everybody knows the importance of the occasion,” said the 24-year-old forward who was on the books of Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers in his formative years and who now works as a loan sales adviser. “With the new ground in the pipeline, the timing could not have been better.

“This is different to any club I have ever known – the way it’s set up, run by the fans and everyone having a vote. That’s what makes this so special.

“Playing in front of 2,000 fans every week is great, but this is going to be something else.”

The Reds, formed in 2005 in protest over Malcolm Glazer’s controversial takeover of Manchester United, had a disappointing start to the season, but go into the Rochdale tie on the back of a six-match winning streak Roca hopes will give them the momentum to become giant-killers.

“Winning breeds confidence and we certainly won’t be short of that at Spotland.”

FC could earn as much as £100,000 from TV rights, prize money and the share of a gate boosted by their 3,200 fans who snapped up their allocation of seats in Spotland’s Westrose Leisure Stand .

“Everybody knows the importance of the occasion,” said the 24-year-old forward who was on the books of Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers in his formative years and now works as a loan sales adviser. “With the new ground in the pipeline, the timing could not have been better.

“This is different to any club I have ever known – the way it’s set up, run by the fans and everyone having a vote. That’s what makes this so special.

“Playing in front of 2,000 fans every week is great, but this is going to be something else.”

The Reds, formed in 2005 in protest over Malcolm Glazer’s controversial takeover of Manchester United, had a disappointing start to the season, but go into the Rochdale tie on the back of a six-match winning streak Roca hopes will give them the momentum to become giant-killers.

“Winning breeds confidence and we certainly won’t be short of that at Spotland,” he said.