BOURTON-BURTON-BRANTINGHAM-BLACKPOOL

From Bourton on the Water to Burton Park Wanderers, one of those non-league clubs most of us have never heard of. When Kettering Town FC lost their home ground at Rockingham Road in Kettering, they ground shared with Burton Park Wanderers at Burton Latimer in Northants. 

The FA Cup rounds loomed and the club from the Football League's Ten Tier, United Counties League, was accepted into the Cup for the first time on 2020-1, drawn against AFC Sudbury in the Extra Preliminary Round. There were 350 entrants for this round and of course the chances of making much progress was slim, but to be involved in the World's greatest cup competition was something special. 

The excitement didn't end there, because the BBC decided to maintain their tradition of televising one of the qualifying rounds and guess what? they chose BPW v AFC Sudbury. The club's usual attendance was around 250 but on September 1st 2020, they became household names and a big attendance was expected. Well almost, as Coronavirus struck and one of the Burton Park lads tested positive with the virus and so the squad and members had to isolate causing the game to be postponed permanently, giving the tie to the AFC! The BBC quickly changed their plans and went to Maine Road FC's stadium (not City's old ground but the local club) to broadcast their cup tie v Squires Gate. 

Maine Road FC was founded in 1955, playing in a local Sunday league and now have a ground in Brantingham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, playing in the North-west Counties League, Div 1 South.

Their record attendance of 3125, was when they played FC United of Manchester in the NW Counties' League Div 1, in November 2006, at Bower Fold, their home ground.

Squires' Gate FC (North-west Counies Prem) was formed in 1948 in Blackpool, as Squires' Gate British Legion, a year that Blackpool FC played in their first FA Cup Final, losing to Manchester United 2-4.......despite Stanley Matthews and all. The two clubs met in a pre-season recently at Squires Gate with the Tangerines winning 0-7. Squires Gate FC has since played Ashton Athletic in this season's FA Cup Extra Prelim Rd, winning 2-0. They then played in the Preliminary Rd, Macclesfield winning 6-4 and meet North Shields in the First Qualifying Rd on September 4th.