When Maidstone United defeated Stevenage, a club 69 places above them in the football pyramid, in the third round of the FA Cup, it provided significant access to the pitch. Hundreds of fans poured onto the man-made surface of the club's Gallagher Stadium to celebrate with the players, in an echo of the stream of spectators that greeted Hereford United's victory over Newcastle in 1972.
However, this was not the invasion of the Parkas. It was the invasion of a banana. Because among the delirious and excited people, the television cameras picked up a young man dressed as a piece of fruit. "He gave me a big hug," remembers Sam Corne, who scored the winning penalty that day. "He has been coming to our games since he was a child and has always brought an inflatable banana with him. For the Cup run he went one step further and dressed up as a banana. No idea why."
The banana-clad youngster will be among 4,500 supporters heading from Kent to Suffolk for Saturday afternoon's fourth round clash against Ipswich. That's more people than can be squeezed into the club's home base. For many, including Banana Man, they will be attending their seventh match of this year's competition, more than any Championship or Premier League side will play to reach the final.
Their FA Cup started on 16 September with a second qualifying round win over Steyning Town. And according to club manager George Elokobi, it's a run indicative of a growing force of nature on the banks of the River Medway. "I'm telling you something special is happening at Maidstone United," he says as he stands on the pitch, near where Corne took his penalty. "And I love it."
Elokobi might seem like an unexpected presence in the dugout of a National League South team. After all, he played 85 times for Wolverhampton Wanderers, including three seasons in the Premier League. But this is a man with an unapologetic affection for non-League football. This is where his career started, when he left Cameroon for Dulwich Hamlet as a 16-year-old.
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There his muscular, genuine defense stood out and he was snapped up by Colchester, and within five years he was at Wolves. But as his career came to an end, he returned to his roots and ended up captaining Maidstone. Then, almost exactly a year ago, as the club was heading towards the National League South relegation zone, he was appointed manager.
'Mick McCarthy saw management qualities in me that I did not see'
"I never thought I could become a manager. It was Mick McCarthy who encouraged me to go for it," he says of his former boss at Wolves. "He saw management qualities in me that I didn't see. I still contact him, he is my mentor. He is always ready to answer the phone, he doesn't wait five hours, he calls me back within five minutes."
Speaking to Telegraph Sport from his home, McCarthy said it was clear from the moment he met a young Elokobi that this was someone with real leadership potential.
"He may not have been the best player in the world, but he trained well, treated people well and always tried to improve himself," he says. "He was a leader on the field and there was a winning mentality. And he's such a good kid. What's not to like about that?"
McCarthy clearly knows opportunity when he sees it. Because Elokobi, assisted by his former Colchester teammate Craig Fagan, has transformed Maidstone and strengthened it with his enthusiasm and positivity. His exuberance is clear when he has his photo taken for the Telegraaf. He empties the pockets of his tracksuit, worried that the protrusions of his keys and phone could be mistaken for something else.
"I don't want anyone to think I've gained weight," he says. Is he still in the gym every day? "Are you kidding me? Look at that," he shouts.
And he pulls up his sweatshirt to reveal a stomach so tight that the Fast Show's Arthur Atkinson would immediately mistake it for his missing washboard. Then he roars with laughter.
But for all his good humor, Elokobi insists on a strict work ethic. His players may only be part-time, training three mornings a week, but the approach is rigorous. He has led from the front: he has not had a day off since taking over last January.
"We demand a lot from the players," he says. "In pre-season, from the moment we started, the players were sick on the sidelines and they were put under so much pressure. We told them it would help them in the later season. And we saw that."
Certainly, in the dying stages of the win over Stevenage, as the League One side pressed relentlessly for an equalizer, the Maidstone players showed an admirable reserve of fitness. Ipswich, however, represents an even greater challenge. Not least in the dugout, where Elokobi faces Kieran McKenna, a coach seemingly destined for the highest level. Not that Elokobi sees it as a personal competition.
'I'm just starting my career'
"No, not at all," he says. "Kieran is on a completely different level than me. I'm just starting my career. It's not about George versus Kieran McKenna. It's about Ipswich versus Maidstone, it's about our community, it's about our supporters experiencing a fantastic event. About our players enjoying it. That's what I tell them: this is not a job, this is a hobby. Have fun."
As an approach, it pays dividends. Maidstone are fourth in the National League South; Promotion remains the overriding ambition. Not that Elokobi is looking too far ahead. When asked if he has ambitions to follow Chris Wilder and progress from non-league manager to the Premier League, he scoffs at the very idea.
"The future cannot be predicted, just look at the present. I have to keep improving the structure we have here, keep making sure we are competitive in every game and make sure we get something out of this season. Sure, maybe when that time comes, I'll get a chance. But for now it's just Maidstone United FC."
And he wants to spread this message. He invited McCarthy to watch the Stevenage match. "He came to spend the day with us," he remembers. "I think he was quite honored. When we won, he was so happy. Deep down I think he's a new fan."
It is a description that McCarthy himself mocks. And indeed, it's hard to imagine him in a banana suit. "I think he's misguided," McCarthy says of his protégé. 'If he is there I will support Maidstone. What I am is a George Elokobi fan."
It looks like he's not alone. Because the manager's FA Cup exploits have become headline news in his homeland.
"I am the first Cameroonian to manage an English team," he says. "Let alone being in the fourth round of the FA Cup. So they are right behind us, we have a big fan base in Cameroon. The messages I get on social platforms are incredible. Maidstone is global. All thanks to George Elokobi."
And he roars with laughter. Again.
