The competition proper begins with tomorrows 1st round draw when League One and Two sides join the qualifiers. The FA Cup is something that QPR don't seem to have any stomach for which is such a pity, a good cup run has to lift everyone at the club but the fans more than anyone else. We can only dream but for this Step 9 team the dream has been realised, an amazing story of a team that isn't even the biggest team in Hereford... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37667390
I will be watching the draw tonight. Ball 64 is what I will be waiting for. This is the first time that Chesham have reached this stage two seasons in a row.
Terryb, I know a mate who goes to Chesham a bloke called Steve Barber. Is also a brentford supporter.
I will certainly consider going Beth. 100 miles & 90 minutes away straight up the A14/A1M Mind you I've been there a few times before & can only remember one away win!
Great shout for harrow borough making 1st round proper tonight to play Northampton. Some happy ball boy days collecting footballs from back gardens for 50p
Me and my pals used to jump the wall at Harrow Boro to watch the evening games when I was in my early teens! Used to go when QPR were away on a Saturday too, but had to pay in because it was daylight and you'd get caught bunking in!!
As a kid growing up in Andover, Hampshire I recall some fondness watching those those exciting FA Cup matches against Hendon and Gillingham back in 1962 at the Walled Meadow site (now a housing development). In 1962, the club followed Salisbury and stepped up to the Western League. This proved to be quite a different challenge—whereas before they had only competed against local teams in league competition, they now faced opposition from teams as far afield as Avon, Somerset and Devon as well as the reserve teams of league clubs such as Bristol Rovers, Bristol City and Torquay United.[10] They generally fared well, only failing to finish in the top half of the table twice during their time at this level.[1] Their first season in the Western League saw the club reach the first round proper of the FA Cup for the only time in their history after defeating Hendon 5–4 in a fourth qualifying round replay.[1] On 3 November, Fourth Division side Gillingham came to the Walled Meadow and won 1–0 in front of 3484 spectators, a figure which would remain as the club's largest attendance for a home game.[4] In the league Andover finished fourth, but that was their highest placing until 1969–70 when they finished as runners-up.[1] please log in to view this image View of the Walled Meadow's main stand c.1988. Damage sustained during the Great Storm of 1987 can be seen on the near side of the stand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andover_F.C.
I remember lots of people not paying, they all had jobs at the club, about 50 Vice Presidents, 40 groundsmen, 40 hot dog stall assistants, a ladies committee, guys who washed the kit and one guy who cleaned the footballs, hilarious really....they also opened the gates for free at half time and you could swap ends when your team did, I seem to remember everyone drinking a shed load both before and after the games too... happy days
I remember lots of people not paying, they all had jobs at the club, about 50 Vice Presidents, 40 groundsmen, 40 hot dog stall assistants, a ladies committee, guys who washed the kit and one guy who cleaned the footballs, hilarious really....they also opened the gates for free at half time and you could swap ends when your team did, I seem to remember everyone drinking a shed load both before and after the games too... happy days and talk about proper fans, my dad took me to away games, leatherhead, dulwich hamlet, carshalton, tilbury, some of those teams don't even know exist anymore
I remember watching a match at Merstham nearly 20 years ago when my brother-in-law lived there, they were in the Combined Counties League and their ground was fairly primitive with just a wooden stand and one small terrace and low railings around the rest. They've come a hell of a long way since then and I wouldn't be surprised if they are televised against Oxford, just the sort of minnow v league team match the Cup is all about...
Yeovil n Blackpool early 90s great days out Blackpool Saturday night was chaos would love Fleetwood or Morecambe away
A very nice gesture from Oxford United, more League clubs should follow this example... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37895152 2nd round draw from 7.00 this evening...
