Saturday marks our first fixture outside of the Isthmian Premier League this season. Having played five matches in the league, our attention turns to the Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round. We will be taking the ~50 mile journey into Oxfordshire to face Southern League Division One Central (step 4) side Thame United, a team we have never faced in the FA Cup and haven't faced at all in over twenty years!
Our Opponents
Thame United had a tough season in 2023/24, amassing 37 points from 36 matches placing them in 18th place of 19 teams in the Southern League Division One Central, being given a reprieve from relegation with only one team being relegated (Kempston Rovers), due to Nuneaton Borough resigning from the Southern League. This season, however, the Red Kites have made a much brighter start, sitting in 7th place after four matches, with three wins and one defeat.
Did you know?
Thame United’s history dates all the way back to 1883, however their current stadium Meadow View Park was completed in 2010, with their record attendance of 1,382 coming at the official opening of the stadium in a match against Oxford United.
Head To Head
Thame’s history and location has meant that they have regularly played their football in other parts of the non league pyramid to Wingate & Finchley. In fact in 1991-92, when Wingate & Finchley merged, we played in the South Midlands League, the league which Thame United had just departed to join the Isthmian League Division Three.
When Wingate & Finchley did join the Isthmian League (Division Three) in 1995-96, Thame United had been promoted twice and were in Division One of the Isthmian League. Finally, in 2002-03, both clubs finally found themselves in the same division; Isthmian Division One North; with Thame finishing 8th and Wingate & Finchley 18th, and again in 2003-04 where Wingate & Finchley finished 11th and Thame United 15th. In that season there was an away win apiece with the Blues winning 2-1 in Oxfordshire while Thame beat us 4-0 at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. After this, a restructure of the divisions saw the teams separated, and haven’t been paired in the same division since. We have also not faced Thame in an FA Cup tie in the past.
Last Time Out
As mentioned, Thame have made a good start to the season with three wins in the league against Ware (3-2), Enfield (1-0) and Kidlington (5-0) and only one defeat (4-0 at the hands of Berkhamsted) while in the FA Cup Thame have already played twice; beating two fellow Southern Division One Central sides; former groundshare tenants Aylesbury United 3-0 in the Extra Preliminary Round and Beaconsfield Town 5-0 victors in the Preliminary Round. With a current FA Cup record of eight goals scored and none conceded in 180 minutes, the Blues will be all too aware of the danger posed by the Red Kites. Last season, Thame went out at the Extra Preliminary Round, losing 3-2 at home to Bristol Manor Farm.
The Blues' most recent match was at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, as a clinical Potters Bar Town side made their chances count, scoring twice from a limited number of opportunities, while the Blues spurned a number of attacks, only netting once in the dying seconds through Ryan Lowe. In last season's FA Cup, the Blues beat step 5 side Whitstable Town at this stage 3-2 before drawing Farnborough of the National League South in the second qualifying round, earning a draw in the home leg, before Farnborough brushed the ten man Blues aside in the replay in Hampshire 6-0.
Players To Watch
Thame have been scoring goals aplenty this season but also keeping it very tidy at the back, with 4 in their last 6 games and left back Oscar Lucey earned their most recent man of the match award for his performance, the 20 year old joining on loan from Slough Town in 2023/24 and staying with Thame this season. Another youngster that has impressed this season is forward Harry Alexander, who got his name on the scoresheet in each of their last two league matches; the 5-0 win over Kidlington and the only goal in the 1-0 win over Enfield. At the other end of the age spectrum is 45-year old player-coach Jefferson Louis, another attacking option for Thame, who may be the ultimate definition of journeyman striker, with some of his many clubs over the years including Oxford United, Wrexham and Crawley Town.
For Wingate & Finchley, defender Toby Byron has been an ever-present since joining this summer, and on Monday made his presence known with some excellent physical defending, while also setting off attacks with some marauding runs forward. Further up the pitch, attacking midfielder Andronicos Georgiou started on Monday and had lots of positive attacking involvements, and will be looking to push himself into contention for the starting XI again on Saturday.
The ASM Stadium is the location for this match (OX9 3RN) and ticket prices are £10 for adults, £5 for concessions, £3 for U16s and U5s go free.
Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.
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