RYMAN PREMIER LEAGUE IN THE FA CUP 2014/15

Last season's FA Cup campaign for the teams in the Ryman Premier Division ended at the Fourth Qualifying Round stage as AFC Hornchurch lost to Skrill Premier side Hereford United (0-1 at Bridge Avenue in front of 739), Hampton and Richmond Borough lost away to Skrill North side Gloucester City (3-1 in front of 683) and Canvey Island lost on the road at Biggleswade Town of the Calor League Premier Division (1-0 with a crowd of 678.

There were other representatives of the league from Division One's North and South in the 4th Qualifying Round. Needham Market narrowly lost 0-1 to Skrill Premier side Cambridge United at Bloomfields with a massive crowd of 1,784 watching, Chatham Town lost 0-2 at home to Calor Premier side St Albans City (crowd - 849) and Heybridge Swifts went down at Skrill South Boreham Wood (1-0 with just 237 watching).

The prize money on offer from the Football Association is good and with the added exposure a glorious cup run brings it means more people through the gates at clubs which is all good. Some of the Premier League giants may now treat the world's greatest cup competition as a distraction to the race for survival or European places but at non-league level it means everything to the fans, players and club officials.

In prize money alone Needham Market's run from the Prelimanary Round to the Fourth Qualifying Round netted the club £16,925!

All fans of Ryman clubs will be dreaming of a run to the third round proper and a plum tie against a big team. Hastings United proved this still can be done in 2012/13 when they had this incredible run of results -

1st QR - HASTINGS UNITED 3 CHATHAM TOWN 1 - 338 
2nd QR - STAINES TOWN 2 HASTINGS UNITED 3 - 289
3rd QR - HASTINGS UNITED 2 HITCHIN TOWN 2 - 459
3rd QRr - HITCHIN TOWN 1 HASTINGS TOWN 2 - 289 
4th QR - HASTINGS UNITED 3 BLACKFIELD AND LANGLEY 0 - 800 
1st Round - BISHOPS STORTFORD 1 HASTINGS UNITED 2- 1,212
2nd Round - HARROGATE TOWN 1 HASTINGS UNITED 1 - 2,986
2nd Roundr - HASTINGS UNITED 1 HARROGATE TOWN 1 AET (home win 5-4 on PKs) - 4,028 
3rd Round - MIDDLESBROUGH 4 HASTINGS UNITED 1 - 12,579 

The Ryman Division One's North and South teams enter at the Preliminary Round stage this season (to be played on the weekend of Saturday 30th August) and the Premier Division side's enter at the First Qualifying Round stage (Saturday 13th September). Here are fixtures for the games involving the Premier Division sides-

AFC HORNCHURCH v EAST THURROCK UNITED 

BILLERICAY TOWN v BURNHAM RAMBLERS or HADLEIGH UNITED or SAWBRIDGEWORTH TOWN

BOGNOR REGIS TOWN v LEWES

HALSTEAD or ST MARGARETSBURY or ROMFORD v BURY TOWN 

HARINGEY BOROUGH or HERTFORD TOWN or GREAT WAKERING ROVERS v CANVEY ISLAND 

DULWICH HAMLET v WORTHING or GUERNSEY

GRAYS ATHLETIC v HATFIELD TOWN or BALDOCK TOWN or HARLOW TOWN 

ENFIELD TOWN v WARE or TOWER HAMLETS or FELIXSTOWE AND WALTON UNITED

AFC HAYES or TRING ATHLETIC or HOLMER GREEN v HARROW BOROUGH 

HENDON v AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS or OXHEY JETS or BEDFORD TOWN

HORSHAM or CORINTHIAN CASUALS v KINGSTONIAN

LEATHERHEAD v FAVERSHAM TOWN or WESTFIELD or HORLEY TOWN

WHITTON UNITED or ETON MANOR or HAVERHILL BOROUGH or BARKING v LEISTON 

MAIDSTONE UNITED v EPSOM ATLHETIC or LITTLEHAMPTON TOWN or SHOREHAM or CRAWLEY DOWN GATWICK

ERITH AND BELVEDERE or AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC or FOLKSTONE INVICTA v MARGATE

SOUTH PARK or THAMESMEAD TOWN v METROPOLITAN POLICE

PEACEHAVEN AND TELSCOMBE v SEVENOAKS TOWN or EAST PRESTON or HOLMSDALE or TUNBRIDGE WELLS 

TONBRIDGE ANGELS v WALTON AND HERSHAM or HERNE BAY

CLAPTON or BOWERS UNITED or COLNEY HEATH or SOUTHEND MANOR v WITHAM TOWN 

VCD ATHLETIC v HAMPTON AND RICHMOND BOROUGH 

WINGATE AND FINCHLEY v STANSTED or IPSWICH WANDERERS or WALTHAM FOREST or HODDESDON TOWN 

As you can see there are lots or either/ors with the Extra Preliminary and Preliminary Round taking place beforehand. There are only two all Ryman Premier ties with AFC Hornchurch welcoming East Thurrock United and VCD Athletic hosting Hampton and Richmond Borough.

The Cold End's team Enfield Town will have either a local derby versus Division One (North) side Ware or welcome Essex Senior League Tower Hamlets or Felixstowe and Walton United of the Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League.

THE DUCKS v THE MOLES
A massive local derby in the FA Cup this season

The most interesting tie of the Preliminary Round must be the Aylesbury United v Aylesbury FC local derby game. Both teams now play in the Calor League central division with the two league games between the two rivals ending Aylesbury United 1 Aylesbury 3 (476 Monday 26th August 2013 @ Bell Close, Leighton Buzzard) and Aylesbury 3 Aylesbury United 1 (549 Tuesday 1st April 2014 @ Haywood Way, Aylesbury). The game will take place at Bell Close which is the home of Leighton Town where The Ducks have groundshared since 2009. Expect a 500+ crowd at this game!