The Bucks stop here in the FA Cup as Linnets target First Round Proper
- dbettley
- Oct 9
- 6 min read
RUNCORN LINNETS v Buxton
Emirates FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round
Saturday, October 11th, ko 3pm
APEC Taxis Stadium, Stockham Lane, Murdishaw, Runcorn, WA7 6GJ.
Here are the goals which got us here on a fantastic night in Ashton-Under-Lyne...
And here's what it means...
History trail
For the fourth time this season, the Emirates FA Cup pitches us against new opposition.
Buxton were, however, traditional, long-time rivals of Runcorn FC through Cheshire League days from the early 1930s and then when the Northern Premier League was in its infancy in the late 60s and through the '70s.
The Bucks twice visited Canal Street in the FA Cup during that period - Linnets winning 1-0 the First Round Qualifying of 1974-75 and after being held 1-1 in the Third Round Qualifying of 1978-79, Runcorn won the replay at Silverlands 4-0.
Buxton fell off Runcorn's radar after Linnets were prompted to the Alliance Premier League (now National League) as champions of the Northern Premier League (then a one- tier league) in 1980-81.
Our visitors have since played at both levels of the remodelled NPL and spent eight seasons in Northern Counties East League Premier Division from 1998-2006 before two successive promotions as champions saw them climb back into NPL Premier.
They then won the title in 2021-22 to claim a place in National League North, achieving finishes of 11th, 14th and 7th in three campaigns so far.
Although Runcorn Linnets haven't met Buxton before, we have played a competitive fixture on their ground.
In August 2021, we defeated Leek Town 1-0 in NPL West with the game being switched to Silverlands as Leek's pitch was being redeveloped - Stuart Crilly scoring the goal.
Football Club History Database (fchd.info) records Buxton's first FA Cup appearance as being in 1892-93. They lost 0-6 at home to Loughborough Town.
The tie was subsequently declared void, Loughborough returning to the Peak District to see their victory margin reduced to three without reply.
As a Cheshire County League team, Buxton made it to the Third Round Proper for the first and only time in 1951-52 (falling 2-0 at Doncaster Rovers) and the Second Round Proper in 1958-59, suffering a 6-1 away defeat to Accrington Stanley.
In 1962-63, the men from Derbyshire were knocked out 3-1 at Barrow in the First Round Proper but they then had a very long wait to get through qualifying again.
They finally did so in 2021-22 and also in 2022-23, losing 1-0 at home to Morecambe and 4-0 at Ipswich Town in successive appearances in Second Round Proper.
Last season saw Buxton lose 2-0 at Kidderminster Harriers in a Third Round Qualifying replay.
This time round, wins at home to Redditch United (3-0) in Second Round Qualifying and away to Marine (3-2) in the Third have brought them to APEC Taxis Stadium.
Buxton's biggest FA Cup win is 7-0 at home to Belper Town (1st RQ) in 2020-21. Their record defeat is 6-0 at Burton Albion in 2003-04 (4th RQ).
Lowest-ranked survivors
Runcorn Linnets are one of only three Step 4 teams still in this season's Emirates FA Cup and one of the other two will go through to the First Round Proper.
Maldon & Tiptree of Isthmian League Division One North will entertain Southern League Division One Central's Flackwell Heath, a Buckinghsmshire village club from just outside High Wycombe, in Fourth Round Qualifying.
Flackwell Heath pulled off a shock 3-0 replay win at Step 3 side Bracknell Town of Southern League Premier South with Maldon & Tiptree having at the first attempt overcome Isthmian North rivals and Essex neighbours Waltham Abbey 4-2 away from home.
There is one Step 5 side left in the competition.
Whitstable Town of Southern Counties East League Premier Division toppled opponents from two divisions higher in Third Round Qualifying.
Berkshire's Hungerford Town (Southern League Premier South) lost 2-0 in Kent, Whitstable being the holders of the FA Vase.
Whitstable's reward is a trip to National League club Wealdstone, whose home is in Ruislip (in the London borough of Hillingdon) instead of Harrow at the Lower Mead ground which some fans will remember visiting with Runcorn AFC.
Linnets' 2-1 3rd RQ replay win at NPL Premier outfit Ashton United was only our second FA Cup victory over a Step 3 team. The first, four years ago, saw us eliminate Bamber Bridge, then fifth in NPL Premier, 3-1 at home in Second Round Qualifying before bowing out at the next stage to visiting Gateshead.
Fourth Round Qualifying in focus
Our tie against Buxton is one of 32 at this final qualifying stage, when 24 National League teams enter the competition. They join the 40 Third Round Qualifying winners.
We are one of three NPL representatives, competing alongside Gainsborough Trinity and Hyde United from the Premier Division.
Linnets have already come through six games over five rounds to get this far, having launched our campaign in the Extra Preliminary Round on the first day of our season.
We are one of three clubs in 4th QR for the first time.
In our case, it's at the 18th attempt but FA Cup Factfile (www.facupfactfile.wordpress.com) reveals that we have got there much quicker than the others!
Whitstable are in their 99th FA Cup campaign and Farnham Town their 36th. Southern League Premier Division South's Farnham will host fellow Surrey club and former EFL outfit Suton United, now of the National League, on Saturday.
Dorking Wanderers, Flackwell Heath, Enfield Town and Macclesfield FC have each equalled their best runs to date in the competition.
The draw, split regionally north and south, set up a hat-trick of all-National League games, a couple of these involving former EFL outfits - Rochdale versus York City and Carlisle United (managed by Manchester United and Wales legend Mark Hughes) against Boston United.
Robbie Savage's National League leaders Forest Green Rovers head to Worthing of National League South.
Cups that cheer
This afternoon will be our fifth successive game in knockout competitions, our sixth if the abandoned Isuzu FA Trophy tie against Bury is counted.
However, this isn't a club record.
From Saturday, September 3rd to Saturday, October 1st, we went EIGHT games without playing a league match.
These included five matches in the FA Cup - defeating Mossley from the league above and Squires Gate, both after replays, before losing to Hebburn Town in the final game of the knockout sequence.
We also won at Congleton Town and at home to Bootle in the FA Vase but were edged out 1-0 by Cheshire Senior Cup visitors Warrington Town.
Prize pot
Prize money in this round is £9,375 for winning clubs and £3,125 for losers.
Admission
This is NOT an all-ticket match but tickets are on sale through Kaizen. Unless all 1,600 sell in advance, admission will be available at the turnstile.
Adult - £11
Concession (Over 65s) - £8
Juniors (18 and under) - £2
If scores are level...
A draw at 90 minutes would see the tie being replayed at Silverlands, Buxton on Tuesday, October 14th, ko 7.45pm.
How to get here
By car - postcode for APEC Taxis Stadium is WA7 6GJ.
By train - Runcorn is served by two railway stations, Runcorn (Liverpool Lime Street to London line, also with services from Chester and Birmingham)Â and Runcorn East (trains to and from Manchester, Chester and North Wales). Both stations are served by buses running close to the stadium, although Runcorn High Street bus station (10-minute walk) offers a wider choice for passengers using Runcorn Railway Station.
By bus - the ground is a short walk from the Runcorn Busway - alight at Orniston Bollingbroke Academy (Halton High School) and follow pathway on the opposite side of the busway from the school to Murdishaw Avenue and cross into Stockham Lane. Many local services (including Shopping City circular) run on the busway as well as those from Widnes, Warrington, Liverpool and Chester.
A local taxi service is provided by APEC Taxis (tel 01928 575757).
Parking
There is a large free car park on site.
Bar and catering
The licensed clubhouse bar offers a range of alcoholic and non-alcholic drinks while hot food, tea, coffee and soft drinks and confectionery are on sale from the tea bar.
