Tuesday 18th August 2020
Royal Wootton Bassett Town will face their former manager in the FA Cup and a side featuring in the FA Vase for the first time since 1979 as the draws for the early rounds of both competitions were announced.
Emirates FA Cup
In the Emirates FA Cup, Bassett have been handed a home tie against Western League Premier Division side Chipping Sodbury Town in the Extra Preliminary round. The game is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 1 September at the Gerard Buxton Sports Ground. As matters currently stand, the tie will be behind closed doors.
Facing Western League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time since 2014-15, Bassett will also be up against former manager Jeff Roberts who took over the Sods this summer. When taking on a Roberts-led Calne Town side in the 2012-13 Extra Preliminary round, Bassett won 4-2 to begin a journey in the competition that ultimately took them to the second qualifying round.
Reaching the Preliminary round – a stage Bassett have advanced to just once in the past five seasons, Sam Collier's side will need to beat opponents who, on paper at least, will be at a similar level. Like Bassett, Chipping Sodbury lingered towards the lower end of the league table before last season was interrupted. They also failed to advance in either the FA Cup or FA Vase.
Overall, this year marks the fourth time Chipping Sodbury have entered the FA Cup. They have advanced past the Extra Preliminary round on two occasions – beating Hellenic League opponents (Brackley Town Saints and Reading City) both times. Their best run came in 2018-19 when they reached the first qualifying round.
Should Bassett prevail, they will then reacquaint themselves with Didcot Town, a side they last met in the 2004-05 season, in the Preliminary round on Saturday 12 September.
Bassett were relegated from the Hellenic League Premier Division that year, while Didcot finished runners-up to Highworth Town before being promoted as champions a season later. Outside of two years playing at step three, they have spent the last fourteen seasons at step four and will be playing in the Southern League Division One Central in 2020-21.
Last season saw the Railwaymen struggle in the league; at the time at which the season was abandoned they were 17th out of 20 teams. They did advance in the FA Cup though, beating Western League outfit Roman Glass St George before being beaten by Poole Town in the first qualifying round.
Didcot will be keen to return to the great success they have had in national competitions over the past decade and a half though. In 2004-05, they more than made up for missing the Hellenic League title by lifting the FA Vase. Meanwhile, in 2015-16 Didcot reached the first round of the FA Cup where they lost to Exeter City in a televised encounter.
They will therefore be hoping that facing step five opponents when they enter the competition this year can help kick start such a run. However, Bassett and Chipping Sodbury will be eyeing a scalp should they advance.
Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary round: Royal Wootton Bassett Town v Chipping Sodbury Town (Tuesday 1 September 2020)
Emirates FA Cup Preliminary round: Didcot Town v Royal Wootton Bassett Town or Chipping Sodbury Town (Saturday 12 September 2020)
Buildbase FA Vase
In the Buildbase FA Vase, Bassett will enter at the second qualifying round stage with a tie away against Hellenic League Division One West outfit Stonehouse Town. The Second Qualifying round tie is scheduled to take place on Saturday 10 October.
Bassett were triumphant against Division One West opponents New College Swindon in the FA Vase in 2019-20. But they will need to be on their guard if they are to repeat that trick after experiencing a close shave against Stonehouse in the Hellenic League Challenge Cup last season when Sam Collier's side edged out a 5-3 win in Gloucestershire.
When the season was brought to a premature conclusion, the Magpies – in their first season at step six after promotion in 2018-19 – were sat 11th out of 16 teams in Division One West.
Stonehouse are returning to the FA Vase for the first time since the 1979-80 season. That year they lost 2-0 to Amesbury in the Preliminary round. In three entries prior to that, the Magpies advanced just once, beating Bromham and Forest Green Rovers in 1975-76 before a defeat against Cirencester Town in the Second round.
In the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Stonehouse competed numerous times in the FA Cup, advancing to the Second Qualifying round on seven occasions. In 1969-70 they entered the FA Trophy too, winning through three qualifying rounds before a loss against Nuneaton Borough in the First round
Buildbase FA Vase Second Qualifying round: Stonehouse Town v Royal Wootton Bassett Town (Saturday 10 October 2020)
Last modified on Tuesday 18th August 2020 at 17:39.
