The FA Cup is frequently referred to as the greatest cup competition in football, and while the gloss may have gone off the later stages of it in recent years the appeal of the world’s oldest national football competition remains intact in its early rounds, and tomorrow the competition kicks off with 221 Extra-Preliminary Round ties. This season there are 745 clubs taking part in the FA Cup, 13 more than last season, and the most since 758 entrants were accepted in 2012–13.

None of the teams playing tomorrow will make it to Wembley of course, but all will be dreaming of a decent run in the competition and perhaps a place in the competition proper and a potential date with Football League opposition and even maybe, a game in front of the TV cameras.

In a change to the competition rules this season, there will be no replays from the First Round proper onwards, but in the Preliminary and Qualifying Rounds, original matches that end in a draw at the end of 90 minutes will still require replays. Extra-time and, if necessary, penalties will be used to settle replayed ties. Should tomorrow’s game end in a draw, the replay will be at The Lawtech Stadium on Wednesday.

Our Opponents:

Romford’s opponents tomorrow are Eynesbury Rovers of the United Counties League Premier Division South. They were formed in 1897, playing first in friendly matches and then local leagues before joining the South Midlands League in 1934.

In 1946 Rovers joined the United Counties League and apart from eleven seasons in the Eastern Counties League and two in the Spartan South Midlands League, have been in membership ever since. The club’s major honours are the United Counties League Division One title, which they won in 1976-77 and the Hunts Senior Cup, which they have won sixteen times, most recently in 2017.

In the FA Cup, the club’s best season came in 1954-55 when having beaten Wolverton Town & BR and Biggleswade & District, they reached the Fourth Qualifying Round where they lost at Cambridge United.

Relegated from the United Counties League Premier Division in 2001, Rovers spent thirteen seasons in Division One before gaining promotion as runners-up to Oadby Town in 2014. In 2019 the club were transferred to the Spartan South Midlands League where they spent two seasons, both of which were disrupted by Covid. Moved back to the United Counties League in 2021, they took their place in the Premier Division South after restructuring created both a Premier Division South and Premier Division North. They finished 9th in 2021-22 and 15th in 2022-23.

Last Season:

Rovers finished seventeenth out of twenty teams in United Counties League Premier Division South last season, ending with 31 points from 38 games. In the FA Cup a 0-0 draw at Ely City in the Extra-Preliminary Round was followed by a 3-2 home defeat in the replay.

In the FA Vase, Eynesbury beat Yaxley, Histon, and Arlesey Town (all on penalties) before losing 4-0 at home to Walsham-le-Willows in the Third Round Proper.

This Season:

Eynesbury kicked off their United Counties League last Saturday with a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Hinkley and on Tuesday travelled to Yaxley, where they won 2-1 to lift them to ninth place in the table after two games.

Previous Meetings:

There have been no previous meetings between Romford’s First Team and Eynesbury Rovers, but between 1959 and 1963 Romford Reserves met Rovers while both clubs were members of the Eastern Counties League. Boro had the upper hand in the eight league meetings, winning six and losing just once, scoring 31 goals in the process. Romford’s victories included a 10-2 success at Brooklands during the 1960-61 season in a game that was watched by a crowd of 720.

In addition, there were two league cup ties played during the 1961-62 season. Boro came through 4-2 on aggregate, winning 4-1 at Brooklands but losing 1-0 away.

Home Ground and How To Get There:

Since the last visit by any Romford team to Eynesbury Rovers was during the 1962-63 season, this is very much uncharted territory!

Eynesbury Rovers’ home ground is the Alfred Hall Memorial Ground which is in Hall Road, Eynesbury, PE19 2SF. For a map and directions, go to Google Maps

By road the ground is about 70 miles from Romford and the most direct routes are via the M11 and A1(M). Public transport involves a Thameslink service which can be caught from Farringdon to St Neots, where the station is approximately 1.5 miles from the ground. If you aren’t keen on the walk (which looks very straight forward), bus routes 150 and 61 run close to the ground.

Admission Prices:

Adults £6
Concessions £3
Under 16s £2

FA Cup Prize Money:

The winners of tomorrow’s tie will receive £1,125 from the prize fund and a place in the Preliminary Round where an away tie against Kempston Rovers or Brightlingsea Regent awaits, while the losers will receive £375.

FA Cup ties involving Essex Senior League clubs this weekend:

Friday 2nd August
Stansted v Biggleswade

Saturday 3rd August:
Barton Rovers v Saffron Walden Town
Benfleet v Woodford Town
Biggleswade United v Frenford
Colney Heath v Takeley
Eynesbury v Romford
FC Clacton v Leighton Town
Harpenden Rovers v Halstead Town
Little Oakley v Dunstable Town
Newport Pagnell Town v Ilford
Sawbridgeworth Town v FC Romania
Tilbury v Buckhurst Hill
Tring Athletic v Barking
West Essex v Enfield
Great Wakering Rovers v Redbridge
Stanway Rovers v Maldon & Tiptree
Chipstead v Athletic Newham
Potton United v White Ensign

Sunday 4th August:
Grays Athletic v Hullbridge Sports