The first qualifying rounds of the cup start on Saturday with the Extra Preliminary round. Here are some of the fixtures that interested me (though, possibly no one else). Northwich Victoria v 1874 Northwich I was at the Drill Field in 1976 when the Vic beat us 3-2. What made it even more embarrassing was being surrounded by Vic fans holding candles because Elton had insisted that the kick-off was moved to 2pm as he didn't have faith in their floodlights. 1874 are a breakaway team formed by people who lost faith in the owners of the original Vics. Brimscombe & Thrupp v Sun Sports Brockton v Cadbury Athletic Cadbury Heath v Longwell Green Sports Colney Heath v Tring Athletic Dunkirk v Leicester Nirvana FC Romania v Waltham Forest Glebe v Lordswood (for those of a religious persuasion) Hallam (the world's second oldest football team) v Bootle Knaphill v Bournemouth Leighton Town v Oxhey Jets Add more that interest you.
Sporting Khalsa VS Stourport Swifts - Khalsa are, I believe, the only Sikh football team in England - they own their own 5,000 capacity stadium; And then there's the oddly named West Allotment Celtic - how on earth did they come up with that name?
There are two actually - and I was right, religion is involved. The club was formed in 1928, rising from the ashes of two 'liquidated' clubs from the mining village of West Allotment - West Allotment Juniors and West Allotment Primitive Methodists. I'm not sure of the connection between Primitive Methodists and Catholics though...
Interesting to see that the donkeys aren't taking part this year - it can only be for cost reasons, as their "home" replays have to be played away and organising flights or the ferry at short notice is bad enough for one person, never mind a whole team plus officials etc. They wouldn't have entered until the First Qualifying Round.
Watching it reminds me of Watford Sunday League... Although Litherland just scored a rather well taken goal to extend their lead to 2-0.
