The weekend of Saturday 5th August not only sees the opening games of the EFL, it also sees the 208 ties of the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. This season I will be starting the Red Baton at Westleigh Park at 8pm on Friday 4th August with the tie between MONEYFIELDS and WESTBURY UNITED Moneys are in the Wessex League Premier Division (level 9), in which they finished 5th last season. Their best cup run saw them reach the third qualifying round in 2018-19 Last season they lost 1-3 at home to Wimborne Town in the Preliminary Round The White Horse Men are in the Southern League Division One South (Level 8), in which they finished 10th last season They reached the First Round Proper in 1937-38 Last season they lost 3-1 at Bishop's Cleeve in the first qualifying round. The draw has also been made for the Preliminary Round and the winners will be away to Hamworthy United
MONEYFIELDS 1-0 Westbury Utd The Moneys have jumped the first hurdle and are only 12 more wins away from the FA Cup Final! They will be away to Hamworthy United in the Preliminary Round. Hamworthy United v MONEYFIELDS The Hammers are in the Southern League Division One South which is the same league as Westbury; a division higher than the visitors. Their best progress in the cup is the second qualifying round, which they have reached four times, most recently two seasons ago. Last season they went out after a 4-0 replay defeat at Gosport Borough in the first qualifying round. Ties to be played on the weekend including Saturday 19th August
Just a few other results of interest from the Extra Preliminary Round. Christchurch 0-1 United Services Portsmouth Cowes Sports 2-4 Melksham Town Horndean 3-0 Portland Utd Lancing 5-0 Rusthall Lymington Town 6-0 Petersfield Town Southall 1-0 Chichester City Wells City 1-2 AFC Portchester Welton Rovers 1-7 Fareham Town
The winner of this tie will progress to the first qualifying round and be just 11 wins from the final!
Hopefully Farnborough can reach the first round proper again and get either a local side away or a decent side at home and hopefully the RMT will actually allow me to go to it, but then every time I make plans they are on strike so fat chance of that.
Hamworthy Utd 1-2 MONEYFIELDS So it's another 'giant killing' for the Moneys, who march on into the first qualifying round.
Some other results of interest.... Badshot Lea 2-3 Lancing Fareham Town 2-3 Bashley Horndean 3-0 Brockenhurst Petersfield Town 1-1 Bremerton Heath Shaftesbury Town 5-2 Hamble Club Tadley Calleva 1-8 AFC Portchester United Services Portsmouth 0-2 Larkhall Athletic
The draw has been made for the first qualifying round and our featured game is Larkhall Athletic v MONEYFIELDS The Larks are in the Southern League Division One South and are The Moneys' third consecutive opponents from that division. They have so far accounted for Corsham Town and United Services Portsmouth. There best effort was an appearance in the third qualifying round in 2020-21 Last season the went out in the first qualifying round with a 0-2 home defeat at the hands of Cirencester Town Tied to be played over the weekend of 2nd September
Other 'ties of interest' include Lancing v Carshalton Athletic Laverstock & Ford v Gosport Borough Horndean v Bideford Hungerford Town v Petersfield Town or Bremerton Heath Harlequins Didcot Town v AFC Portchester
Larkhall Athletic 3-0 MONEYFIELDS So LARKHALL ATHLETIC carry the red baton into the 2nd qualifying round, in which we will introduce the purple baton, as HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE enter the competition.
Other 'results of interest' include Lancing 1-1 Carshalton Athletic Laverstock & Ford 2-7 Gosport Borough Horndean 3-0 Bideford Hungerford Town 4-0 Petersfield Town Didcot Town P-P AFC Portchester
LARKHALL ATHLETIC v Bath City It's a local derby in the 2nd Qualifying Round as the Romans make the short trip across the city. They are in National League South, so two levels higher than their hosts. They have reached Round THEEE six times; most recently in 1993-94. They are entering the competition at this stage. Last season they went down 0-1 at home to Sevenoaks Town in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Bracknell Town v HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE The Robins are in the Southern League Premier Division South, which is one level below the Hawks, who are currently propping up the National League South. The hosts have reached Round ONE twice (2000-01 and 22-23) while the Hawks of course played Liverpool at Anfield in Round THREE in 2007-08, when Pompey went in to lift the cup! The Robins knocked out Harrow Borough in the first qualifying round, while the Hawks are entering the competition at this point. Last season Bracknell went out in Round ONE 0-3 to Ipswich Town while the Hawks lost 1-2 to Weymouth in the fourth qualifying round. Tied to be played on the weekend of Saturday 16th September
FA Cup: Larkhall Athletic ready to host neighbours Bath City in 'biggest fixture ever' - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66808426
Sorry for the delay in the update. Results: LARKHALL ATHLETIC 2-3 Bath City Bracknell Town 2-1 HAVANT & WATERLOOVILLE So this means that both batons will change hands as we move onto the Third Qualifying Round. Weymouth v BATH CITY The Terra's are in National League South, the same as the visitors. Their best run saw them reach Round FOUR in 1961-62 They have so far knocked out Highworth Town. Last season they went out in a 3-1 Round ONE replay at Wimbledon. BRACKNELL TOWN v Poole Town The Dolphins are in the Southern League Premier Division South, so both ties involve opponents in the same division as each other. They have so far accounted for Barnstaple Town and Horndean. Last season they fell in the First Qualifying Round with a 0-2 home defeat to Salisbury. Ties to be played on the weekend of Saturday 30th September
Weymouth 1-2 BATH CITY BRACKNELL TOWN 3-1 Poole Town So both batons remain with their guardians for the Fourth Qualifying Round
The draw has been made for the Fourth Qualifying Round and the teams involved are just one win away from Round ONE. Worthing v BATH CITY The Rebels, like their visitors, are in National League South. Their best cup run saw them reach Round TWO in 1982-83. Last season they went out in the 3rd Qualifying Round, 1-2 at home to Eastbourne Borough This season they gained revenge on the Sports in the 2nd Qualifying Round before seeing off Whitehawk. BRACKNELL TOWN v Dagenham & Redbridge The Daggers are in the National League, which is two levels higher than their hosts. Their best performance came in 2002-03, when they reached Round FOUR. Last season they held Gillingham to a draw at home in Round TWO, before going down 3-2 in the replay. They are entering the competition at this stage Ties to be played on the weekend of Saturday 14th October.
Worthing 2-0 BATH CITY BRACKNELL TOWN 1-0 Dagenham & Redbridge So we have our baton holders for Round ONE WORTHING BRACKNELL TOWN POMPEY
Alfreton Town v WORTHING This is one of eight all non league ties. I do feel sorry for the losers of these ties, having made it to the first round proper, only to miss out on playing a league side. The Reds are in National League North, so are on a par in the non-league pyramid. They have reached Round TWO on two occasions; 2008-09 and 2012-13 They have so far knocked out Cleethorpes Town, Emley and Macclesfield Last season they went out in the Second Qualifying Round, losing 2-1 at Buxton Cambridge Utd v BRACKNELL TOWN Four divisions separate these two sides, meaning that it would be a great giant killing if the visitors pulled of an unlikely victory They have twice made the Quarter Finals; in successive seasons 1989-90 and 1990-91 They are of course entering at this stage. Last season they went out in Round TWO, after a 1-2 home defeat by Grimsby Town Chesterfield v POMPEY The 'Jim Bowen' baton kicks off at the SMH Group Stadium, home of the (at time of writing) National League leaders The Spirites were Semi-finallists in 1996-97 They saw off Kettering Town in the Fourth Qualifying Round Last season they beat League One sides Northampton Town and AFC Wimbledon before losing 4-0 at Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion in Round THREE The first two games are on Saturday 4th November, While Pompey's match is in front of the TV cameras on the Sunday at 12:15
Round ONE results Alfreton Town 2-0 WORTHING Cambridge United 2-1 BRACKNELL TOWN Chesterfield 1-0 POMPEY So all three batons change hands as we move on to Round TWO, in which the winners will relish the possibility of a glamour tie with one of the big guns. Notably, whereas all the baton holders were drawn away in Round ONE, the new baton holders all have home ties in Round TWO ALFRETON TOWN v Walsall The Saddlers are in League Two, so are two levels above the hosts They have reached Round FIVE on six occasions, with the most recent appearance being in 2002-03 This is their second visit to a non-league ground, having seen off Sheppey Utd in Round ONE. Last season they reached Round FOUR, before losing 0-1 at home to Leicester City CAMBRIDGE UNITED v Fleetwood Town Like their hosts, The Cod Army are in League One They have reached Round FIVE on one occasion - last season. They are here on the back of a 1-2 win at non-league Kidderminster Harriers As previously mentiond; last season they reached Round FIVE, when they went down 1-0 at Burnley CHESTERFIELD v Leyton Orient The O's are in League One, so are two levels higher than the National League leaders. They reached the Semi-Finals in 1977-78 They enjoyed a 3-1 home win over Carlisle Utd in Round ONE Last season they fell in Round ONE, with a 1-0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra. Ties to be played on the week-end of Saturday 2nd December
