All roads lead to Rome (Well, Wembley actually)

Here we are ready for a new season and on the day Cup holders Leicester City take on Man City in the Community Shield, we see the Extra Preliminary Round of the 2021-22 competition.

I was going to start with Horndean again - I did live in Cowplain until I was 13 afterall, but then, loking down the fixtures, I see that the new Phoenix club Macclesfield FC are in the competition. This is their first competitive season having been formed in October 2020.

Road 2 will start in the 2nd Qualifying Round, when Havant & Waterlooville enter the fray. Remember last season when they were knocked out in Round Two by Marine, missing out on a home tie against Tottenham?

Road 3 will of course be the 'Jim Bowen - this is what you would have won' Road, when Pompey enter the competition in Round One.

So here we go with our first fixture:

MACCLESFIELD v BURSCOUGH

The Silkmen have been placed into the North West Counties Premier Division (Level 9 - 5 below League Two). This is their first competitive match!

The Linnets are in the same division, so whoever loses will have the chance for revenge in the two league fixtures to follow later.
They reached Round Two in 2005-06, losing 4-1 at Burton Albion, having dumped Gillingham out of the competition in Round One.

Tie to be played on Saturday 7th August

 

Was wondering if you still did these.

Planning to go to a 2nd qualifying round match next week. Down your neck of woods too - Baffins Milton Rovers vs Sholing FC.

 

MACCLESFIELD 4-0 Burscough

So MACCLESFIELD progress to the Preliminary Round, in which they will travel to Squires Gate.

Gate play in the North West Counties League Premier Division, the same league as the visitors.
They won 2-0 at Ashton. Athletic in the Extra Preliminary Round
Their best FA Cup performance is the 2nd Qualifying Round, which they have reached twice; in 2001-02 and 2004-05.
Last season they went out in the Preliminary Round, losing 2-0 away to Ashton Utd

Match to be played on Saturday 21st August

 

Squires Gate 6-4 MACCLESFIELD

So it will be SQUIRES GATE in the Fist Qualifying Round.

 

The First Qualifying Round is on 4th September and it is SQUIRES GATE holding the red baton.


SQUIRES GATE v North Shields


The Robins play in the Northern League Division One, which, at Level 10, is a league below the hosts.

They have reached the First Round Proper twice; in 1933-34 and 1982-83

So far, in this cup run, they have knocked out West Auckland Town (3-1 in the Extra Preliminary Round) and Guisborough Town (2-0 in the Preliminary Round)

Last season they went out in the Extra Preliminary Round with a 3-0 defeat at Marske Utd.

 

Full time

SQUIRES GATE 1-0 North Shields

So SQUIRES GATE are in the hat for the 2nd Qualifying Round, alongside HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE.

 

Gosport Borough are also through after a 2-1 win over Plymouth Parkway

 

The Second Qualifying Round ties will be played next week-end and we start out 2nd route on the Road to Wembley here, with HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE entering the competition.

Our two ties are:

SQUIRES GATE v Pontefract Collieries and Beaconsfield Town v HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE

SQUIRES GATE v Pontefract Collieries
The Colls ply their trade in the Northern League Division One East (Level 8) so are a level above their hosts.
This is their joint best FA Cup run.
Last season they went out in the First Quallifying Round with a 6-2 defeat away to FC Utd of Manchester

Beaconsfield Town v HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
The Rams are in the Southern League Premier Division South, so are one level below the Hawks
Their best effort in the cup was in 2016-17, when they reached the Fourth Qualifying Round. A 0-5 defeat at home to Brackley town denied them a home tie against Gillingham in the First Round Proper.

 

2nd Qualifying Round results:
SQUIRES GATE 2-3 Pontefract Collieries
Beaconsfield Town 3-5 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE

The draw has been made for the 3rd Qualifying Round. The winners of these ties will be joined by the sides in the National League and will be 90 minutes away from the First Round Proper.

PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES V Handsworth
The Ambers play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. This is at Level 9; a league below the hosts.
This is the 5th tie in their cup run, having been involved since the Extra Preliminary Round. They have so far seen off AFC Mansfield, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Coventry Utd and Halesowen Town
This equals their best FA Cup run, having reached this stage once previously, in 2016-17.
Last season they went out in the Extra Preliminary Round, going down 2-1 at Maltby Main

HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE v Billericay Town
Ricay are in the National League South so the sides will be familiar with each other.
They are in this round on the back of a 2-1 away win at Braintree Town
They have reached the First Round Proper on six occasions; the most recent being two seasons ago.
Last season they went out in the 2nd Qualifying Round, losing on penalties to Brackley Town.


Ties to be played on Saturday 2nd October

 

Full Time

PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES 6-0 Handsworth

HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 3-2 Billericay

So The Colls and The Hawks await the draw for the Fourth Qualifying Round, which introduces the 23 sides from the National League.

 

PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES v FC Halifax Town
The Shaymen are in the National League; 3 levels above the hosts.
The Phoenix club have reached Round Two twice; most recently in 2018-19. The original Halifax Town reached Round Five in 1933 and 1953
Last season they lost 2-0 at South Shields in the 4th Qualifying Round

Torquay Utd v HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
The Gulls are in the National League, a division above the visitors
Their best Cup run is to Round Four, which they have achieved seven times; most recently in 2010-11
Last season they went out in Round One, in what must be one of the craziest cup ties ever, losing 5-6 at home to Crawley.

The winners of these ties will join the clubs from Leagues One and Two in the First Round Proper. That is when we start the third road, with POMPEY in the Jim Bowen (this is what you could have won) road

 

PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES 0-0 FC Halifax Town
Torquay Utd 2-2 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE

So both ties will go to replays.

The draw for the First Round Proper is today and can be seen on ITV from 1pm

 

The winner of the Pontefract/Halifax tie will be at home to Maidenhead

The winner of the Torquay/Hawks replay face a trip to League One Charlton

....and in the third (Jim Bowen) road we see:

POMPEY v Harrow Borough
The Boro, ply their trade in the Southern league Premier Division South, which is four levels below League One.
The entered at the First Qualifying round and have already seen off Ramsgate, Welling Utd, Marlow and Chelmsford
They reached the Second Round in 2010-11
Last season, they went out in the 2nd Qualifying Round with a 1-5 home defeat to Cray valley Paper Mills (who lost to Havant & Waterlooville in the First Round Proper!)

 

Replay dates confirmed:

Halifax v PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES Tues 19/10 at 19:45
HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE v Torquay Utd Wed 20/10 at 19:45

 

No, I couldn't get off work! Would have loved to have been at the away end at Plainmoor

 

Currently listening to the replay on Radio Devon!

 

Replay Results:
Tues
Halifax Town 1-0 PONTEFRACT COLLIERIES

And Wednesday, as Woopert mentioned above; HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE 4-2 Torquay Utd

So our three ties in Round One are:

POMPEY v Harrow Borough (write-up on #13)

HALIFAX TOWN v Maidenhead Utd
The Magpies are in the National League; the same division as their hosts
They are in Round One by virtue of a 3-1 home win over Hastings Utd
They were one of the 15 clubs who played in the inaugural FA Cup competition of 1871-72. They lost in Round Two to Crystal Palace, but reached the Quarter Finals in each of the following three seasons.
Last season they went out in the Fourth Qualifying Round, losing 2-3 at home to Cray Valley paper Mills, who were, in turn, knocked out in Round One by none-other than Havant & Waterlooville.

Charlton Athletic v HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE
The Addicks are in League One, so are three levels above the visitors. The Hawks though, do have form against League One opposition. In 2007-08 (remember who won the cup that year?) they were drawn in Round Three, away to Swansea City, who were, at the time, top of League One. They got a draw and won the replay at Westleigh Park to set up their trip to Anfield, where they took the lead twice, before bowing out 5-2 to Liverpool.
Their best FA cup history is immediately after the war, when they were runners up in 1946 and winners in 1947.
Last season they went out in Round One, losing 0-1 at home to Plymouth Argyle.


Ties to be played in the week-end of Saturday 6th November.