First in the queue!

Mark Babic with his tickets.

RISING early to get his hands on tickets for Athletic’s FA Cup third round trip to Liverpool was hardly a chore for Mark Babic.

The Failsworth-based postman, a Chaddy End season ticket holder, starts every workday at 6am, so he was on the ball on his 6.40am arrival at Boundary Park — which secured his place at the front of the queue.

He said: “At that time there was only me and a couple of cats knocking about! After supporting Latics for 30 years it is great to look forward to such a big match. I am taking my son Matthew on the supporters’ coach.”