CHESHAM UNITED v BISHOP'S CLEEVE: FA CUP

It's Emirates FA CUP time and the Third Qualifying Round has been played with a number of replays required, Chesham United hosting Bishop's Cleeve tonight ko 7.45pm. Who what? Chesham is a town in Berkshire and indeed I have played there in Isthmian League days. Nice neat "rural" stadium,  supporting the club that presently lies in the National League South (12th out of 24) and with the prospect of trips coming up to Weston-Super Mare, Torquay, Truro, Eastbourne, Bath, Weymouth and more...there's a lot of travelling required!

Nicknamed "The Generals", the club is sponsored by the Channel 4 TV programme, Taskmaster.

Founded in 1917, the club is based at "The Meadow", which seats 284 supporters and can hold 5,000. Progress in the FA Cup includes playing through to the First Round proper in 1966-7 losing to Enfield Town away 6-0. They won through to the FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley, coming runners-up and the following season (1967-8) losing to Leytonstone 0-1 and in 1968-9 they made an appearance in the First Rd of the FA Cup losing 5-0 at Colchester United. There was another visit to the Cup First Rd in 1976-7 losing 2-0 at Brentford and in 1979-80 the club lost to Cambridge Utd in the Third Rd. A fifth appearance in the first occurred in 1982-3 losing to Yeovil Town 1-0. There were several other "visits" to the "real" FA Cup rounds getting to the Second Round in 1994 losing to Bradford City 4-0, after beating Bristol Rovers 1-0 

Peterborough Utd stood in their way in 2016-17 in the First Round proper, resulting in a 2-0 defeat. In 2023-4 they were Premier Division Conference South champions earning promotion to the National League South. Alex Horne was appointed Director of the club in 2022 and the club's ground featured in Horne's TV series "Taskmaster" and the programme became shirt sponsor!