FA Cup/FA Trophy

Usually the first bit of exciting news of the summer other than player comings and goings.

Draw expected on Friday 5th July this year.

Dates up to the first round are as follows:

Sat 14 Sep: FA Cup 1Q
Sat 28 Sep: FA Cup 2Q
Sat 5 Oct: FA Trophy 1Q
Sat 12 Oct: FA Cup 3Q
Sat 19 Oct: FA Trophy 2Q
Sat 26 Oct: FA Cup 4Q
Sat 2 Nov: FA Trophy 3Q
Sat 9 Nov: FA Cup 1
Sat 23 Nov: FA Trophy 1

Note that Step 3 league fixtures are traditionally not scheduled only for the 1Q & 2Q rounds of the Cup and Trophy; any progression further than that will require the re-arrangement of league games.

Who do people want in the draw?

My only usual preference is to not play a team from the same league, and an away tie at a lower league side like Bewdley Town a few seasons back is always good (even though we made hard work of that!)

Of course, there's a very small chance for an overseas trip to Guernsey in both competitions this year one can hope!

Lye or Halesowen away.

There will be a fair few clubs from step 5 and 6 at the 1st Qual stage so I'd take one of them - preferably at home, but not fussed if it's away. Nice to do new grounds, but we had (Bewdley apart) about the most boring draw imaginable through the Qual rounds two years ago and I'd settle for how that worked out without question if you gave it me here and now!

We often get somebody pretty random in the Trophy - not sure when we last played a team from our own Division other than Redditch at home two seasons ago - obviously would much prefer a home draw, but if we're away then I hope it's a team from a different league and somewhere we haven't played before. Would hate to have ANOTHER trip to Barwell or Redditch, for example.

stour_boy wrote:Of course, there's a very small chance for an overseas trip to Guernsey in both competitions this year one can hope!

What about Newport I.O.W. Aren't they classed as overseas, as it means travelling by boat

sirsmilerIII wrote:

stour_boy wrote:Of course, there's a very small chance for an overseas trip to Guernsey in both competitions this year one can hope!

What about Newport I.O.W. Aren't they classed as overseas, as it means travelling by boat

Very true! They'd do as well

FA Cup draw in on Friday 5th July. I'm hoping for an away tie at a new ground, a club couple of leagues lower would do.

Who's on your wish list?

The lowest ranked club away, please. Are Highgate still going?

Less than 90 minutes away...

It's like the good old days of getting ready to listen to the 3rd round draw on the wireless....
Is it still called a wireless?

Home to Banbury in the Trophy on Sat 19th October. Booooorrrrriiiinnnggggg!!!!!!


No idea about the Cup yet - the link is bronken on the FA website. Guess they've been taken by surprise at the level of interest. Who'd have thought it, eh?!!!

TRM wrote:

No idea about the Cup yet - the link is bronken on the FA website. Guess they've been taken by surprise at the level of interest. Who'd have thought it, eh?!!!

Evesham or Bolehail Swifts or Causeway away in FA Cup.

FA Cup - away to Evesham (   ), Bolehall Swifts or Causeway United.

All winnable. Evesham will be a new ground to those who don't go to the psf there. Wonder if that will go ahead now? Causeway would be fun - we might need to spend some money on the visitors' dressing room if our lads are going to be using it!

Personally I hope it's Bolehall Swifts having already ticked off Evesham's new ground. An away day on the train to Tamworth sounds appealing.

I like the sound of that Jim. 

In the FA Youth Cup we're away to Walsall Wood - week commencing Monday 23rd September. Not sure what round it is, first qualifying I would assume.

I think we've only played at Bolehall once before - a pre-season friendly, must be 20+ years ago. Typical Mid Com ground, doubt it's changed much.

Would be surprised if they got through. Evesham the most likely opponents on paper.

TRM wrote:
Evesham will be a new ground to those who don't go to the psf there. Wonder if that will go ahead now?

Personally I think it would still be in our interests to play them in the friendly. Gives the management the chance to weigh up the opposition first hand in a game, much better than just scouting them beforehand.

We went ahead with the friendly at Market Drayton two years ago despite being drawn to potentially play them in the Cup that season (they were knocked out by Bewdley so it never came to pass), so I guess with that in mind it will go ahead.

Easy draw whoever we play in the FA Cup the winners of the Causeway game will be poor, and Evesham should dispatch the winner with ease.
FATtophy not a glamour game, but a game you would expect us to progress from with relative ease. No complaints. i would rather have all teams at home as opposed to a potentially tricky away tie.

Sorry nick no game is easy whether you are favourites or not. Bewdley should have been a walk in the park on that basis but it definitely wasn't. To the three other clubs it is a chance to beat a higher division team so we have to make sure we are focused so that we progress and make a bit more money.

The Bewdley game only became tricky because they scored an absolute screamer.
We played the better football most of the game and in my opinion did enough to win by a lot more than 2-1.

Whether their goal was a screamer or not we didn't create that many chances and didn't play that well.

Look at another game Gosport had two chances took both and won promotion its all about scoring goals not how well you play.

Both are games we should be winning, of course that doesn't mean it won't be hard, but in a big game you would back us to do the job.

TRM wrote:FA Cup - away to Evesham (   ), Bolehall Swifts or Causeway United.

Causeway UNTIED according to the PDF on the FA's website! (Unless they've corrected it since Friday lunchtime!)

TRM wrote:FA Cup - away to Evesham (   ), Bolehall Swifts or Causeway United.

All winnable. Evesham will be a new ground to those who don't go to the psf there. Wonder if that will go ahead now?

If it does, Alan Oakley will be moaning about it for months!

(As he did about Market Drayton a couple of years ago!)