Plymouth Parkway Vs Paulton Rovers

Bolitho Park, 24/08/19

Every manager, player and fan of a football club will always dream of winning the FA Cup, it is of course, the oldest and most prestigious cup competition in world football.

For non-league clubs, winning it might not prove a realistic dream but that doesn’t mean the players can’t dream of scoring the winning goal in the final!

Last season, Parkway put a run together that would see them make history within the club, as they reached the 2nd qualifying round, the furthest the club have been since their inception in 1988

Beating Hengrove, Larkhall and Street along the way, Parkway eventually crashed out of the competition at the Jubilee Stadium against National League South side Gloucester City 3-1

It was a wonderful run for the club and fond memories from all who enjoyed the journey. The highlight being a total footballing performance at The Tannery. Jordan Trott, Mikey Smith and an Adam Carter double (including a wonder strike) would see Parkway beat Street 4-1 and deservedly get column inches written about the display.

This seasons cup journey has started well, Parkway beating Buckland Athletic 1-0 in a hard fought contest in difficult conditions, with Jack Calver bagging himself a 45th minute FA Cup goal.

Bolitho Park will see another weekend of FA Cup football action on the 24th August as Southern League South outfit Paulton Rovers come to town. We all know by now, the clubs aim is to reach the Southern League, and playing another SL South side will again give the squad a good test. A preseason victory over another SL South side, Bristol Manor Farm 2-1, will mean that this tie will be another evenly matched contest.

Another huge benefit of a cup run is the financial reward for non-league clubs. This match will be huge, not only for what happens on the pitch, but also what happens off it. The winners will receive £2,890, with the runners up also receiving  £960 – For any non-league club, the lure of an FA Cup run can help fund projects that will only benefit clubs as they look to the future.

Plymouth Parkway will be Paulton Rovers first challenge int the FA Cup this season as they join the competition at this stage.

Lat season, Rovers would beat Bradford town 1-0 and then go on to be held at home in the next round, 1-1 to Basingstoke Town. The replay would see Basingstoke progress to the next round with a 2-1 victory on home soil, leaving Rovers dream of cup glory put on hold for another year.

Paulton Rovers start their league campaign at The Spiers & Hartwell Jubilee Stadium, as they travel to face Evesham Town off the back of a good  preseason. Wins against Keynsham Town and Salisbury 3-2 have put Rovers in a positive mood heading into the new campaign.

So on the 24th August, we can dare to dream of another cup run, to enjoy the magic of the FA Cup, and of course, be one step closer to Wembley…

#PPFC #Parkway