West Ham United's FA Cup third round tie with Barnsley will be held on Saturday 3 January 2009.
The Tykes will visit the Boleyn Ground three days into the new year for the 3pm kick-off and goalkeeper Robert Green is already relishing the prospect of the cup campaign getting under way.
The West Ham United No1, who was outstanding in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Monday night, was most pleased about the prospect of having home advantage for the tie. "It is good to have a home draw, especially at this early stage of the competition," he said. "It will be a tough match though, as Barnsley beat the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea last season in the FA Cup to reach the semi-finals, so they will be a team to look out for."
Green, the only player to play every minute of every top-flight game, is a big fan of the competition and believes the chance to dream of Wembley is matched by the boost a good cup run can give to league form.
He added: "The FA Cup is great to be involved in. It's a break from league action and can bring up some interesting fixtures and results. Hopefully we can do well and enjoy a good run in the cup this season."