First up, on Saturday 19th October at 3pm we have Notts
County FC V Belper Town FC.
Nottingham isn’t just about Robin Hood and Raleigh Bikes – it is
also a major centre for sport. They have
a National Ice Centre, a National Waters Sports Centre, an International Tennis
Tournament and an International Cricket ground called Trent Bridge.
As well as the above, the City boasts two hugely influential
Football Clubs. Nottingham Forest are two-time winners of the European Cup
during their highly successful Brian Clough period of the late 1970s and early
1980s. However, we are here to talk about the other team in this City…
Notts County are an old club, they are a very old club –
established since 1862. Their website states that Notts County (Notts) are
universally recognised as the world’s oldest football club?
The GKA followed Sheffield FC in the Preliminary and 1st
Qualifying round of this season’s FA Cup and their website states that they are
recognised by the FA as the world’s first football club, established in
1857?
I’m not making a judgement on either of the above, I’m just
saying what I see…
In 1888 Notts County became one of 12 founder members of the
Football League and their highest ever league finished was 3rd in
1891 and 1900.
They have been at their home in Meadow Lane since 1910.
They are the most successful FA Cup team in this year’s GKA so
far – having won the competition in 1894 with a victory over Bolton Wonderers. They also have the FA Cups’ all-time top goal
scorer as Harry Cursham has scored 49 County goals in the competition. Harry has held that record since 1887. Notts reached the Quarter Final of the FA Cup
relatively more recently in 1991 and were eventually beaten by Tottenham during
the Gazza era.
Notts County have spent most of their life in the Football
League and were only relegated to non-league football last season, for the
first time in their 157-year history. This is a club, with a rich history of
success and their Website states a ticket price of £22 per home game - a big
jump from the £9 paid in the last round of the FA Cup competition.
This is the stage were getting tickets in the men’s FA Cup
becomes more complicated than just turning up and paying at the turnstile. Last week I had to register on Notts County’s
site and buy my ticket in advance. A
simple task that was thwarted when I got this message below.
Don’t panic!!!!
I’d already written to the club to tell them about the GKA and
ask for their support. A friendly Club
Journalist called Mark informed me that the club would engage with us on Social
Media and that tickets were not available for general sale until Saturday 12th
October - aka #NonLeagueDay.
To cut a long story short (too
late) I bought two tickets on Saturday without problem and they were only
£10 each! Everyone is happy…
Notts County play in the National League. This is in the fifth tier of the English
Football League System and Notts are sitting in 5th position, with 27
points from 17 games.
Their opponents Belper Town will have a proper fight on their
hands, as they play in the 8th Pyramid – they are in 8th
position, with 16 points from 6 games. For Belper to win, this would have to be
a proper Giant Killing for our adventure.
It’s only a 21.9-mile trip for Belper Town…
To Meadow Lane.
It is going to be a belper (belter)
of a game and the GKA plus regular blog guest Tim Webster are looking forward
to this trip to Nottingham.
Sunday 27th October
14:00…
It’s another GKA double
header because Stockport County Ladies will be hosting Brighouse Town Women FC
in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.
Brighouse is in West
Yorkshire near Halifax and Huddersfield, on the River Calder. I can’t find any information about the
history of the women’s team (year of formation etc). The men’s’ team have been established since
1963, so they are a relatively new club in terms of football history.
The Women Play in the
Women’s National League Division One North and are in the same Division as Stockport
County.
Brighouse are in 2nd place
with 18 points from 8 games and Stockport are in 9th place with 5
points from 8 games. However, this is
the magic of the FA Cup and Stockport County LFC are the home side.
The GKA will travel 43
miles from Mossley Hill’s Field of Hope Stadium to…
Stockport Sports Village
for this tie…
Another cracking double header
and after this we have the First Round Proper for both the men and the women!
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