Hundreds of football fans braved the cold to queue up in line for tickets for Maidstone United’s hotly anticipated fourth-round FA Cup clash with Ipswich Town.

Tickets went on general sale today at 1pm at the Gallagher stadium and sold out in under two hours.

The club, sitting fourth in the National League South, are set to face the Championship side next Saturday (January 27) after beating Stevenage 1-0 on January 6.

Maidstone United are officially the lowest-ranked side in the competition still with a gap of 93 league spaces between the two clubs.

But fans have not been perturbed by the challenge as hundreds queued for more than four hours in the cold to guarantee getting a ticket and the chance of potentially seeing another cup upset.

The general sale tickets sold out in one hour 40 minutes and some of those queuing left empty handed and will now be hoping Ipswich release more tickets.

Ricky Jackson and Kevin Gravenell joined the queue early doors at around 7.45am after hearing the Kent side’s allocation was due to sell-out quickly.

Kevin told KentOnline: “It’s the biggest game in the club’s history, how can you not be here early?

“If you really want something bad enough you’ll be here early enough to get it.”

And Ricky added: “I think it was the right decision to get down here early as there was a lot of people who left disappointed.”

Looking ahead to the club’s “big day out” both are hoping the Stones can secure a historic replay which they say would spell a “win-win” for club – securing both more money and another FA Cup clash at home.

Stones supporter Ryan Weeks also “layered up” and braved the cold with friends to come out and join the queue at around 9.45am.

He said: “I drove pass this morning and saw the queue starting and we thought it’s not worth the risk so we came down here.”

“It’s been a bit of a rush, I haven’t even had a shower, just chucked some clothes on and come down.”

Looking ahead to next Saturday’s game, he added: “I’m buzzing. Everyone is raring to go and it’s a big team we’re going to go and play so it will be a good game.

“There is obviously going to be thousands of Maidstone fans there.”

Maidstone United were allocated 4,480 seats by the Championship team.

Tickets have been on priority sale to season-ticket holders since Wednesday where again fans queued for hours to get their allotted two per membership.

Engineering works on the railway line between Colchester and Ipswich have made life harder for the travelling fans, with replacement buses operating on the day of the game – Saturday, January 27.

The Maidstone United Supporters’ Club is organising five coaches for fans to get to Portman Road, with members being asked for £20 to cover the cost and non-members £25.

Maidstone United FC says if they become fully booked they will hire more to help get fans to the game.

The match will be on television, airing on BBC One at 12.30pm.

The TV deal means the club will get £110,000 on top of the £230,000 they have already received in prize money from their run in this season’s competition.

In league action today the Stones went down 2-1 away at Slough.