Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
We find out our FA Cup opponents on Monday for the 2nd Qualifying round in a couple of weeks.
I don't think we will know our region yet until the 1st qualifying round has concluded this weekend, but we usually at the very least are not in the same region as South West clubs or even Essex clubs at this stage.
Who does everyone think we'll draw? I'll start with Maidstone (A)...
I think we”ll draw a lower step team away. So I’ll guess at the winner of Burgess Hill/Jersey Bulls
Draw is on Monday 7th
Game almost certain to be Sat 19th (unless we visit a club with a groundshare fixture conflict - highly unlikely I think)
Round 2Q is very regional, country should be split into 5 regions
Some of the furthest possible trips (depending on winners in round 1Q over the weekend) are
Sheppey United (technically an island I suppose!)
Margate
Ramsgate
Dover
Chichester (Alfie's dad is manager!)
Jersey Bulls...
We did go to Burgess Hill in the cup in 2021 and yes their fans do still hold a grudge over the abandoned game waaaay back!
Would be mad to go back to Jersey having only been there less than 2 months ago!
I will try and put up a list of most likely teams later (but no doubt we'll just get an NLS team like Horsham!)
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Below are the Round 1 Qualifying games. Obviously NLS teams from our own division within this regional area will be added to the winners from these ties
| Zone 4 | |||||||||
| 68 | Redhill | 9 | CC | S | v | Sheppey United | 8 | I | E |
| 69 | Burgess Hill Town | 7 | I | P | v | Jersey Bulls | 8 | I | C |
| 70 | Lewes | 7 | I | P | v | Cray Wanderers | 7 | I | P |
| 71 | Ascot United (Sun 15:00) | 8 | I | C | v | Pagham | 9 | SC | P |
| 72 | Dulwich Hamlet | 7 | I | P | v | East Grinstead Town | 9 | SC | P |
| 73 | Crowborough Athletic | 8 | I | E | v | A.F.C. Whyteleafe | 7 | I | P |
| 74 | Flackwell Heath | 8 | S | C | v | Hanwell Town | 7 | S | S |
| 75 | Margate | 8 | I | E | v | Snodland Town | 9 | SCE | P |
| 76 | Sittingbourne | 8 | I | E | v | A.F.C. Greenwich Borough | 9 | SCE | P |
| 77 | Ramsgate | 7 | I | P | v | Bracknell Town | 7 | S | S |
| 78 | Hanworth Villa | 7 | S | S | v | Whitstable Town | 8 | I | E |
| 79 | Petts Wood & Holmesdale | 9 | SCE | P | v | Windsor & Eton | 8 | I | C |
| 80 | Leatherhead | 7 | I | P | v | A.F.C. Croydon Athletic | 8 | I | E |
| 81 | Chertsey Town | 7 | S | S | v | Carshalton Athletic | 7 | I | P |
| 82 | Egham Town | 8 | I | C | v | Chatham Town | 7 | I | P |
| 83 | Southall | 8 | I | C | v | Cobham | 8 | I | C |
| 84 | Faversham Town | 8 | I | E | v | Welling United | 7 | I | P |
| 85 | Whitehawk | 7 | I | P | v | Eastbourne Borough | 7 | I | P |
| 86 | South East Dons | 9 | SCE | P | v | Erith Town | 8 | I | E |
| 87 | Three Bridges (Fri 19:45) | 7 | I | P | v | Kingstonian | 8 | I | C |
| 88 | Hayes & Yeading United | 8 | I | C | v | Camberley Town | 9 | CC | S |
| 89 | Broadfields United | 9 | CC | N | v | Chichester City | 7 | S | S |
| 90 | Uxbridge | 7 | S | S | v | Haywards Heath Town | 9 | SC | P |
| 91 | Westfield (Woking) | 8 | I | C | v | Dartford | 7 | I | P |
I am sure there are lots of points of interest! Many of us will have visited plenty of those grounds at some point over the years.
Redhill are managed by former Dorking Wanderers player from the early years Andrew Lampard
There could of course be 'lateral transfers' of winning clubs from other zones - Grays Athletic for example if they win
I really don't know what opponent would potentially draw the biggest crowd at Meadowbank in Round 2Q, it could well just be someone like Farnborough or Maidstone
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
I am probably in the minority but I would prefer a home draw (admittedly I wouldn't mind an away draw when Crawley join in Round 1). I would like a team I haven't seen from NLS or IP so the likes of Walton & Horsham (can't make home game) Ramsgate, Cray Wanderers or Whyteleafe. We really need a good run in the FA Cup, so a tie against a team in a lower division would be best
Somewhere for a nice day out for me.
Pagham, Whitstable, Ramsgate, Chichester or Sheppey (done the last one before but it's a decent day)
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Whitstable a great day out if you keep away from the Oysters
Draw is at 1pm on Monday. Doubt it will be on Talksport.
Absolutely Tom
Marc says it every year, but he's dead right, the FA Cup is HUUUUGE for non league clubs yet the draw is done behind closed doors at the FA
I am not in any way suggesting anyone is cuffing it, but if the Surrey FA can set up a webcam for their competition then surely the national association can do the same.
I'd be GLUED to it!
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Righto! Mainly because it's Sunday night, here is the likely teams we could face in our section of the FA Cup draw on Monday!
Ascot Utd or Pagham
Burgess Hill Town or Jersey Bulls
Chertsey Town or Carshalton Athletic
Crowborough Athletic or AFC Whyteleafe
Faversham Town or Welling United
Lewes or Cray Wanderers
Westfield (Woking) or Dartford
Southall
Chichester City
Dulwich Hamlet
Chatham Town
Hanworth Villa
Hayes & Yeading United
Windsor & Eton
Leatherhead
Snodland Town
Ramsgate
Sheppey United
SE Dons
Greenwich Borough
Uxbridge
Eastbourne Borough
Hanwell Town
Kingstonian
Maidstone United
Folkestone Invicta
Horsham
Dover Athletic
Hampton & Richmond
Ebbsfleet United
Walton & Hersham
There could be lateral moves between regions of course.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
@dorking-eagle Wouldn't surprise me if the likes of Farnham and Farnborough are in our region as well
Good shout Tom. It seems to be as simple as Kent, Surrey and Sussex, with bits of South London.
The FA don't seem to publish the zones (nor do the draw live) so you can never unravel it until after the draw.
Totally get why Marc would want the lowest club at home, as there is prize money on offer, however getting the likes of Pagham at home would surely cause a big dent in the home attendance compared to say Horsham at home or away?
Second round qualifying losers £1,125
Second Round qualifying winners £3,375 (plus at least £1,875 in the next round)
Small beer, when you see Harry Hugo at Farnham explaining the sort of money a club at our level can generate each month
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
@calvertskans If they are, that makes it (I think) more than a 25% chance of getting another NLS side, which would be the worst outcome.
