The Road to Wembley...Updated

 

Begins again this coming Friday evening when five Extra Preliminary Round ties take place, ahead of over 200 matches at the weekend.

Another season, and more changes to the format, means that no replays will take place from the First Round Proper onwards, whether they 'strengthen' the competition as the FA insist they will, remains to be seen but an expanded Champions League will struggle to match the drama provided by some of last season's FA Cup ties, even if I am biased as a Sky Blues supporter!

At this early stage of the season, however, the format remains untouched and the prize, whether financial or sporting, remains something of huge value to all involved.

A great example of this is a Facebook post from Beverley Town FC ahead of their first involvement in the competition since 1919.

The Beavers host Whitley Bay on Sunday 4th August and are encouraging those wishing to attend the game to buy tickets (£6/£4 and free for under-16's) in advance.

Updated Sunday 4th August: Replays may be a thing of the past for Premier League and EFL clubs but there will be plenty this coming midweek.

At Handsworth FC, for example, close to me here in Sheffield, the hosts were denied by an injury-time penalty for South Liverpool FC.

That means a scramble to arrange transport and time off work but Handsworth's after-match tweet didn't moan about fixture congestion, it merely wished their visitors a safe journey home and looked forward to meeting again on Wednesday evening.

A classy reaction, mirrored by the appreciation of South Liverpool for the hospitality they had been shown in South Yorkshire and an example for those higher up the footballing ladder.

Highland League 2024/25

The big kick-off in the Highland League takes place this coming Saturday (27th) July and, if you are on holiday in the area, I would highly recommend taking in a game.

Not only is the football itself highly competitive, given a fair weather day you can find yourself with some of the most stunning backdrops you will find anywhere in the UK.

Reigning champions Buckie Thistle, who were unable to subsequently take their shot at the promotion play-offs, will wait to begin the defence of their crown as they are involved in Scottish League Cup action at the weekend.

Last season's title race went down to the final game and both Brechin City (away to Keith) and Fraserburgh (on the road to Wick Academy) will be looking to get some early points on the board.

Brora Rangers, who host Turriff United, and Banks O' Dee, who visit Formartine United, will also see themselves as contenders.

There are also matches this Saturday at Lossiemouth, Huntly, Forres Mechanics and Deveronvale.

Tickets generally come in at a tenner for adults. Full fixtures can be found on the BBC website.

New Season...New Links

The following sites have been invaluable to me in writing this blog and are well worth a visit.

The London Football Guide - James Doe is the man behind Non-League Day and set up TLFG to provide a comprehensive guide to football (at all levels) in the capital and its suburbs. On a weekly basis he runs through all of the fixtures of note and is also happy to answer queries from anyone coming to London and looking to catch a match.

With its focus on a similar patch geographically, The Cold End combines news and match previews with reports, highlights and some great photographs of Non-League football in London, Hertfordshire & Beyond.

Football in Berkshire is an excellent not for profit site that doesn't leave a stone unturned when reporting on football at all levels in the county, Severn Sport doing a similar job in Gloucestershire.

The excellent She Kicks website has features, stats and regular fixture updates covering all levels of the women's game in the UK.

Scottish Women's Football is a comprehensive resource to the women's game at all levels in Scotland.

Non-League Matters is a good resource for fixtures, tables and stats from all levels of the game below the Football League and the Forum part of the site has a section where special ticket offers, free and reduced admission and ‘Pay What You Want’ fixtures can be publicised.

The Northern Counties East Football League is my local Step 5 league and the home of Hallam FC who have featured regularly on the site. The NCEFL website is an excellent resource for results and fixtures.

I've always enjoyed Neil Jensen's writings in the Non-League Paper (the print edition of which is a great source for upcoming fixtures) but they are just the tip of the iceberg of his wonderful Game of the People website which has features and views on football in all corners of the globe.

Groundhopper 2000 showcases Stephen Lang's excellent photographs of the game in the Scottish borders while Scottish Football Fixtures is a comprehensive guide to matches taking place north of the border.