The first confirmed fixtures for the coming season have popped out of the FA computer – assuming there is no magical whirling of the numbered balls at this early stage. The good news is that like last season's FA Cup we start with a tie against a club at our level in the Extra Preliminary Round on 2 August and, if successful, will do so again in the Preliminary Round two weeks later. There probably endeth the good news since first up for The Lingers is a home match against the winners of the FA Vase, Whitstable Town. They lost out in the promotion play offs so remain in Tier 9 for another season and we have played them just once in the FA Vase in the 2023/4 competition. We visited them in our second match and came away with a good 2-1 win so have a 100% record against them....so far.

The lucky winners - £1125 richer for the experience – will face an away tie in the Preliminary Round against either Edgware & Kingsbury or British Airways both of the Combined Counties League Premier Division North. British Airways have a groundshare with Spelthorne Sports which is a ground we have played at having drawn Spelthorne Sports in the 2019/20 competition earning ourselves a replay.

The draw for the FA Vase First Qualifying Round on the August Bank Holiday weekend sees us get a home tie as well with our newly promoted SCFL Division One champions Seaford Town coming to visit. It has been a while since we played Seaford Town – we shared three seasons in Division One from 2015/16 until our promotion in 2017/18 and won all six matches. The winners face a trip to a South Eastern Counties Premier Division side in either Rusthal near Tunbridge Wells or Stansfield who groundshare at Cray Valley Paper Mills in Eltham in September.

Given how soon in the season the early rounds of the FA Cup come we never get to play at our own ground. While we are normally able to return home for the second round of the FA Vase, this season we are not anticipating the Godstone Road pitch to be ready until October. Matches will be played at Steyning in the meantime but it is possible that the FA Cup tie will be played elsewhere so look out for any further announcement.