LASTING MEMORIES FOR FA CUP RIVALS

“I taught him all he knows,” joked Last as he looked forward to a fixture containing more than a little regional interest, with Tanner formerly residing in the Witham dugout two years ago and having several of his players from that era in his current Maldon squad. “Russ can buy me a pint when we meet-up! We look forward to any cup games as they can be a refreshing change to the league programme, but this one should be particularly entertaining. It’s a case of better the devil you know!”

Tanner, meanwhile, is equally raring to take-on his old adversaries: “I’ve got a good relationship with Tony and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since I was there. Not many of my players are left at Witham now but this match will be special. Both teams will be fresh as they will only have played a couple of league games then it will be straight into cup action.”

Elsewhere, two other Essex derbies will be taking place one stage earlier thanks to two Eastern Counties vs Essex Senior clashes in Halstead Town vs London A.P.S.A. and Wivenhoe Town vs Barkingside. Further on in the competition, Ryman Premier outfit Billericay Town could play host to F.C. Clacton or Stansted in the First Qualifying Round, although they will be keen to avoid St. Margaretsbury who caused them a severe upset in 2005/06.

Aveley will welcome Ilford in another all-Essex clash in the Preliminary Round of the F.A. Carlsberg Trophy on Saturday 4th August and Harlow Town will look forward to paying a visit to Dartford’s plush new Princes Park surrounds when they travel over the QE2 Bridge into Kent at the following stage.

Basildon United could have an early opportunity to compete in the shadow of the arch of the home of football if they defeat Wootton Blue Cross at home in the First Qualifying Round of the F.A. Carlsberg Vase. The winners of that tie will be rewarded with a Saturday 20th September tester away at Combined Counties League club Wembley.

F.A. Cup sponsored by E.ON

Extra Preliminary Round (Saturday 16th August 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Raunds Town vs Harwich & Parkeston; F.C. Clacton vs St. Margaretsbury; Desborough Town vs Saffron Walden Town; Southend Manor vs A.F.C. Kempston Rovers; North Greenford United vs Tiptree United; Kingsbury London Tigers vs Eton Manor; Stanway Rovers vs Welwyn Garden City; Halstead Town vs London A.P.S.A.; Wivenhoe Town vs Barkingside; Hullbridge Sports vs Leverstock Green; Hoddesdon Town vs Stansted; Bedfont Green vs Barking; Bowers & Pitsea vs Harefield United; Romford vs Biggleswade Town; Daventry United vs Burnham Ramblers.

Preliminary Round (Saturday 30th August 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Brentwood Town vs Erith Town or Potton United; Great Wakering Rovers vs Bedfont Green or Barking; Oxhey Jets or Hertford Town vs Ilford; Haringey Borough or Bedfont vs North Greenford United or Tiptree United; Barton Rovers vs Daventry United or Burnham Ramblers; Leyton vs Romford or Biggleswade Town; Halstead Town or London A.P.S.A. vs Stotfold or Colney Heath; East Thurrock United vs Brimsdown Rovers or Hatfield Town; F.C. Clacton or St. Margaretsbury vs Hoddesdon Town or Stansted; Wivenhoe Town or Barkingside vs Stanway Rovers or Welwyn Garden City; Cheshunt vs Southend Manor or A.F.C. Kempston Rovers; Tilbury vs Leighton Town; Clapton or Stewarts & Lloyds vs Corinthian Casuals; Hanwell Town or Wootton Blue Cross vs Aveley; Witham Town vs Maldon Town; Waltham Forest vs Thamesmead Town; Bowers & Pitsea or Harefield United vs Desborough Town or Saffron Walden Town; Concord Rangers vs Kingsbury London Tigers or Eton Manor; Rothwell Town vs Hullbridge Sports or Leverstock Green; Woodford United vs Raunds Town or Harwich & Parkeston; Potters Bar Town vs Waltham Abbey.

First Qualifying Round (Saturday 13th September 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Clapton or Stewarts & Lloyds or Corinthian Casuals vs Croydon Athletic or Kentish Town or Wellingborough Town; Haringey Borough or Bedfont or North Greenford United or Tiptree United vs Wivenhoe Town or Barkingside or Stanway Rovers or Welwyn Garden City; Billericay Town vs F.C. Clacton or St. Margaretsbury or Hoddesdon Town or Stansted; Oxhey Jets or Hertford Town or Ilford vs Dulwich Hamlet or Long Buckby or Broxbourne Borough V&E; Waltham Forest or Thamesmead Town vs Great Wakering Rovers or Bedfont Green or Barking; Cogenhoe United or Northampton Spencer or Wingate & Finchley vs Witham Town or Maldon Town; Halstead Town or London A.P.S.A. or Stotfold or Colney Heath vs Tilbury or Leighton Town; Hitchin Town vs Concord Rangers or Kingsbury London Tigers or Eton Manor; Leyton or Romford or Biggleswade Town vs Brackley Town; Canvey Island vs Cockfosters or Ampthill Town or Dunstable Town; Woodford United or Raunds Town or Harwich & Parkeston vs Ashford Town (Middlesex); Heybridge Swifts vs Redbridge or Uxbridge; Cheshunt or Southend Manor or A.F.C. Kempston Rovers vs Staines Town; Bowers & Pitsea or Harefield United or Desborough Town or Saffron Walden Town vs A.F.C. Hornchurch; Harlow Town vs Hanwell Town or Wootton Blue Cross or Aveley; Brentwood Town or Erith Town or Potton United vs Rothwell Corinthians or Langford or Arlesey Town; Potters Bar Town or Waltham Abbey vs Rothwell Town or Hullbridge Sports or Leverstock Green.

F.A. Carlsberg Trophy

Preliminary Round (Saturday 4th October 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Aveley vs Ilford; Waltham Forest vs A.F.C. Sudbury; Great Wakering Rovers vs Ashford Town; Metropolitan Police vs Waltham Abbey; Rothwell Town vs Tilbury; Maldon Town vs Cheshunt; Potters Bar Town vs Brentwood Town; East Thurrock United vs Thamesmead Town; Concord Rangers vs Woodford United.

First Qualifying Round (Saturday 18th October 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Concord Rangers or Woodford United vs Billericay Town; Walton Casuals or Hillingdon Borough vs Heybridge Swifts; Maidstone United vs A.F.C. Hornchurch; Potters Bar Town or Brentwood Town vs Waltham Forest or A.F.C. Sudbury; Metropolitan Police or Waltham Abbey vs Leyton or Dulwich Hamlet; Soham Town Rangers or Redbridge vs Witham Town; Aveley or Ilford vs Hitchin Town; Rothwell Town or Tilbury vs Cray Wanderers; Dartford vs Harlow Town; Godalming Town or Enfield Town vs Great Wakering Rovers or Ashford Town; Cambridge City vs Canvey Island; Maldon Town or Cheshunt vs East Thurrock United or Thamesmead Town.

F.A. Carlsberg Vase

First Qualifying Round (Saturday 6th September 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Clapton vs Thrapston Town; Burnham Ramblers vs Harwich & Parkeston; Basildon United vs Wootton Blue Cross; Bedford vs Hullbridge Sports; Southend Manor vs Harpenden Town; Hanwell Town vs Barking; Stansted vs Brimsdown Rovers; London A.P.S.A. vs Oxhey Jets; Saffron Walden Town vs Sporting Bengal United.

Second Qualifying Round (Saturday 20th September 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): Clapton or Thrapston Town vs Burnham Ramblers or Harwich & Parkeston; Saffron Walden Town vs Biggleswade United or Sporting Bengal United; Halstead Town vs Hanwell Town or Barking; Southend Manor or Harpenden Town vs Royston Town; London A.P.S.A. or Oxhey Jets vs Sileby Rangers; F.C. Clacton vs Ruislip Manor; Tiptree United vs Broxbourne Borough V&E or Beaumont Athletic; Wembley vs Basildon United or Wootton Blue Cross; Northampton Spencer vs Bedford or Hullbridge Sports; Stansted or Brimsdown Rovers vs Eton Manor.

First Round Proper (Saturday 4th October 2008, Kick-Off 3:00pm): A.F.C. Kempston Rovers or Kentish Town vs Clapton or Thrapston Town or Burnham Ramblers or Harwich & Parkeston; Stansted or Brimsdown Rovers or Eton Manor vs North Greenford United or Sport London E Benfica; Halstead Town or Hanwell Town or Barking vs Kingsbury London Tigers or Raunds Town; Crawley Green or Tring Athletic or Leverstock Green vs Northampton Spencer or Bedford or Hullbridge Sports; Saffron Walden Town or Sporting Bengal United or Biggleswade Town vs Desborough Town; Potton United or Bugbrooke St. Michaels vs Wivenhoe Town; Stewarts & Lloyds or Enfield 1893 vs London A.P.S.A. or Oxhey Jets or Sileby Rangers; F.C. Clacton or Ruislip Manor vs Bedfont Green or Rothwell Corinthians; Wembley or Basildon United or Wootton Blue Cross vs Stotfold; Barkingside vs Bowers & Pitsea; Southend Manor or Harpenden Town or Royston Town vs Wellingborough Town or Cranfield United or Haringey Borough; Tiptree United or Broxbourne Borough V&E or Beaumont Athletic vs Hertford Town; St. Margaretsbury or Hoddesdon Town or Colney Heath vs Romford.

F.A. Youth Cup sponsored by E.ON

Preliminary Round (to be played in week commencing Monday 8th September 2008): Bishop’s Stortford vs Tiptree United; Grays Athletic vs Colney Heath; St. Margaretsbury vs Hullbridge Sports; Waltham Abbey vs Tring Athletic; Canvey Island vs A.F.C. Hornchurch; Welwyn Garden City vs Billericay Town; Hoddesdon Town vs F.C. Clacton; Royston Town vs Thurrock; Halstead Town vs Southend Manor; Ilford vs Ware; Waltham Forest vs Witham Town; St. Albans City vs Romford.

First Qualifying Round (to be played in week commencing Monday 22nd September 2008): Braintree Town vs St. Albans City or Romford; Canvey Island or A.F.C. Hornchurch vs Leverstock Green; Hoddesdon Town or F.C. Clacton vs Hitchin Town; Welwyn Garden City or Billericay Town vs Waltham Abbey or Tring Athletic; Bowers & Pitsea vs Waltham Forest or Witham Town; Grays Athletic or Colney Heath vs Chelmsford City; Ilford or Ware vs Hemel Hempstead Town; Cheshunt or Boreham Wood vs Brentwood Town; Stevenage Borough vs Bishop’s Stortford or Tiptree United; Wivenhoe Town vs St. Margaretsbury or Hullbridge Sports; Halstead Town or Southend Manor vs Maldon Town; Royston Town or Thurrock vs Burnham Ramblers.