THE BIG news for Newport County fans on the eve of the club's biggest game is that top-scoring striker Martin Paul, pictured, has failed a fitness test and is out of tomorrow's FA Cup clash against Blackpool.

Paul's injured hamstring has not recovered in time and his place in the side at Bloomfield Road is likely to go to Steve Cowe, with manager Tim Harris yet to decide who will take the place of his striker who has scored seven goals this season.

The news is a blow for the former Bath City striker, but sets up Cowe to face the club he almost signed for in the summer.

Cowe had a short trial at Blackpool after their manager, Steve McMahon, expressed an interest in him while he was at Swindon.

Ironically, it was McMahon who had originally signed Cowe for Swindon Town for £100,000.

County's big day is almost here when nearly a thousand fans will travel up the M5 for tomorrow's big FA Cup showdown at Bloomfield Road.

The club have sold just under a thousand tickets for the clash and have even ordered a special kit just for the day.

Their current amber home strip and their white away shirts could clash with Blackpool's tangerine home shirts.

County chiefs feared match officials at Bloomfield Road might not allow Newport to wear their normal away kit as Blackpool's home shirts have white stripes down their sleeves.

So County have bought new blue and black striped shirts, similar to the tops worn by Italian giants Inter Milan.

Newport manager Tim Harris said the new kit, with black shorts and socks, will only be worn if the officials say no to their normal white kit being worn.

He said: "There were fears that we could not wear our normal away strip because of a potential clash with Blackpool's home shirt, which has white sleeves.

"If we had gone to Blackpool and then found out our kits were to clash we would have been forced to find another strip, like Blackpool's training kit.

"To avoid that we ordered a new black and blue striped kit to wear if the officials say we cannot wear our normal white change strip."

The new kit has been made by County's usual kit sponsors Errea and have their main sponsor, Acorn Recruitment, on the shirt.

* Following information from Lancashire Constabulary, Gwent Police are advising Newport County supporters not to travel to Blackpool if they haven't already got a ticket.

News from Blackpool indicates that all tickets have been sold and there won't be any extra available at the gates.

Officers are concerned supporters may still want to travel to Blackpool in the hope that they may be able to purchase a ticket at the last minute.

But they will be disappointed and police advice is not to travel all that way to be let down.