FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round draw
With Marlow and Chesham United both bowing out of the FA Cup last week-end, local interest in the competition now rests with Aylesbury United and Slough Town.
The Rebels beat Dulwich Hamlet 3-2 on Saturday while Aylesbury United triumphed 2-1 at Baldock Town. Slough have earned a home tie with Poole Town while the Ducks have to travel again - this time to Folkestone Invicta. Slightly further afield, Hemel Hempstead travel to Bath City if they overcome Wingate & Finchley in a midweek replay. Brackley Town entertain Braintree Town or Royston Town.
One very interesting game sees Banbury United at home to Shildon but the best ties appear to be in the North. Pick of the bunch appears to be South Shields v York City. If FC United of Manchester win their midweek replay against Handsworth Parramore they will travel to Edgeley Park to face Stockport County. This will almost certainly be the biggest crowd of the round.
The 40 ties are due to be played on Saturday 30th September & the winners will collect a not insignicant cheque for £7,000. Only 2 rounds to go now until the 1st Round Proper.
Comments
A first round tie against Slough would be something.
I also like the look of the Newcastle Benfield v Kidderminster Harriers Tie, but without doubt the Banbury v Shildon is fascinating Northern league clubs playing down south does happen in the latter rounds of The Vase and the record in winning the Vase is amazing, but it will be good to see hope they fare in this one.
Shame the cup rounds coincide with our home games every time this season.
Royston play their replay at home to Braintree tonight after a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Winners away to Brackley.
@MindlessDrugHoover The clubs themselves don't do any favours. Why on earth was Marlow v Ashford played at the same time as Wycombe v Luton? Had it been Friday eve or Sunday afternoon the crowd would probably have been boosted by about 250. The extra income is vital but is ignored nevertheless. Flackwell had over 200 for the visit of Burnham on a Friday eve. The following round v Didcot was played at the same time as a Wycombe home game & they got 118. Utter madness.
Maybe there are some Flackwell fans who enjoy watching Flackwell precisely because it is part of a Saturday routine, and really don't want their games switched. Yes football is a commercial business but it also has to retain some of its soul. Switching games because a club up the road is playing seems wrong, and the business case largely unproven.
It also strikes me that it shouldn't be assumed that part-time players are able to make themselves available quite as easily as that. Any additional or re-arranged fixture puts strain on their other jobs, so changes in the fixture list which are not essential should probably be avoided.
@AlanCecil why the interest in Royston? Are you a Cambridge lad?
I wonder how many Wycombe fans would pop in on Marlow or Flackwell if they didn't play on the saturday.
Do their crowds go up when Wycombe are away for instance?
I don't buy it. I do however suspect the grounds are invaded by ground hopping fans who take advantage of such games.
@peterparrotface I was born in Royston and lived there till I was 29 during which time I followed Cambridge United (home and away) after they joined the league. Hence strong feelings for Royston Town FC and some for CUFC - except when they play Wycombe.
Moved to this area in 1986 and first watched WWFC at Wembley in 1991.
Out of interest what do Marlow charge for a cupgame.
I was rather impressed to only be charged £5 to watch a FA cup game by my local team this season. Fine game it was too.
Incidentally I was also rather pleased to be reducing the average age of the spectators at that match for the first time in many a season. I may go back to a FA Vase game or the like later in the season.
When Flackwell Heath played Burnham on a Friday night there were lots of Wycombe fans there plus some from Slough & also Marlow. That was what doubled the gate. Those people wouldn't have been there on the Saturday and the nett result is an extra £500 in the coffers. A lot to a club like Flackwell Heath.
If you're playing as a semi-professional club you have to play when people want to watch. I have sympathy with the "Saturdays are sacrosanct" brigade but with more and more clubs tottering on the brink you have to adopt financial prudence. I would prefer to play a couple of games on Friday and a couple on Sunday if it means keeping a club afloat. Otherwise you could always groundshare with a rugby club to make ends meet? Or even worse see an unscrupulous new owner come in promising "investment" as the ground disappears under houses.
I'm very much for keeping the traditions of the game alive but financial solvency is a key factor in doing that.
Perhaps there are too many semi-pro clubs? Flackwell Heath is a village with a population of 6,000. Whilst it can dream of league status and why not, perhaps it should more sensibly concentrate on sustainability. Financial prudence might be defined as not paying players, but instead building a community club playing at a regular time which the regular supporter prefers. And I do think that the local nature of the fixture v Burnham, might in itself have contributed to a higher gate regardless of which day they had played Didcot.