Screen test for Linnets on Pickering's pasture

Pickering Town v RUNCORN LINNETS

Emirates FA Cup Second Round Qualifying

Saturday, September 13th 2025, ko 12.30pm.

Recreation Club, Mill Lane, Pickering, YO18 7DB

The game will be televised 'live' on BBC via the iplayer and red button.

History trail

Linnets played in the same division as Pickering Town for two seasons but our only previous visit was for an FA Trophy tie.

Northern Premier League trips to the North Yorkshire club fell victim to Covid in the abandoned campaigns of 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Just one of four scheduled contests in the former North West Division survived - in the first of these seasons as we won our home game in February 2020 2-1.

It was Iwan Murray at double on our our only previous visit to Pickering almost five years ago. Picture by Will Layton.

The Trophy meeting was a Third Round Qualifying clash in October of the same year, two Iwan Murray goals in the last nine minutes sealing our 4-1 success.

Stuart Crilly (17 mins) and Craig Lindfield (36 mins, penalty) had sent Runcorn into half-time 2-0 up with Harry Jessop reviviving Pickering's hopes within a minute of the restart.

The NW Division lasted for just two seasons. In 2021-22, Pickering were reallocated to the East Division, where they had spent 2018-19.

2022-23 saw them in the North Division before relegation back to the Northern Counties League East Division at the end of that season.

Pickering have since been placed 19th and 10th in the Step 5 league.

They had competed at various levels in the NCEL from 1982-83 through to promotion as Premier Division runners-up in 2017-18.

Pickering in the FA Cup

Pickering's inaugural FA Cup tie was in the Preliminary Round of 1993-94 - a 5-2 home victory against Penrith. They also defeated the Cumbrians earlier in this season's tournament.

Saturday's hosts have made three previous appearances at this stage but this is their first since 2003-04 when they lost 1-0 at home to Ossett Albion.

Their maiden Second Round Qualifying appearance in 1999-2000 was one they would rather forget. They suffered a 6-0 defeat to Guiseley.

The second in 2001-02 brought a 2-1 home defeat by Accrington Stanley, who were then in the NPL Premier Division but within five years had returned to the EFL.

The Pikes' record FA Cup victory is 5-0 - in 1976-77 at home to Bacup Borough in the Extra Preliminary Round. Their biggest loss was at the same stage in 1998-99 - by an 11-1 margin against Bedlington Terriers.

This season's run began with a 3-2 home victory over Penrith in the Extra Preliminary Round, Pickering having in 2024-25 lost 3-0 to the same opponents in Cumbria at the same stage.

In the Preliminary Round Easington Colliery were beaten 2-0 in a home replay after the initial contest had anded goalless.

But the Pikes' most impressive performance was in First Round Qualifying as Step 4 visitors Redcar Athletic, lying third in NPL East, were eliminated 5-2.

Form guide

Like ourselves, Pickering suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday, a 3-2 NCEL loss at Albion Sports putting paid to their 11-game unbeaten start.

Both sides will enter the game lying fifth in their respective leagues while having players high in the goal charts.

Our 1-0 midweek setback at Bury was nine-goal Scott Bakkor's first non-scoring game since the opening day of the campaign.

The Pikes have George Brown on nine goals and Souleymane Coulibaly on seven.

Match facts

This is not a ticketed game.

Admission is:

Adults £8

Concessions £6

Under 16s Free

Turnstiles open at 11am.

How to get there

By car - The postcode from the ground is YO18 7DB.

Directions on Pickering Town website for those travelling from the west:

From the A64 leave to head onto the A169 taking the 1st exit signposted Pickering and Whitby, travel on the A169 for 7 miles. On entering Pickering, pass the police and fire stations and turn left at the BP garage which is on your left, into Mill Lane.The football ground is on your right hand side.

By train - Pickering's railway station serves the historic North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and is not part of the national rail network. The nearest station is eight miles away in Malton.

Parking

There is a large car park to the rear of the ground.

If it's draw ...

Should scores be level at 90 minutes, the tie will be replayed at APEC Taxis Stadium on Tuesday, September 16th, ko 7.45pm.

This would cause the postponement of our home game against Kidsgrove in NPL West.