FA Cup & Trophy Draws 2024/25
Rugby Town have been drawn away to Wolverhampton Casuals in the Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round.
The tie will be the first competitive game of the season ahead of the new NPL Midland Division campaign which starts a week later.
'Wolves Cassies' play in the Midland Football League Premier Division, one step below Rugby, and finished 16th last season.
Last season Rugby won two ties in the FA Cup, both against Step Four opposition, in the shape of Malvern Town and Newcastle Town before losing to Barwell in the First Qualifying Round.
Meanwhile in the Isuzu FA Trophy, Rugby have been drawn against Carlton Town in the First Qualifying Round, having been given a bye in the Preliminary Round.
Carlton play in the equivalent level to Rugby in the NPL East Division and after finishing fifth missed out on promotion losing in the play-off semi final to Stockton.
Last season Valley crashed out at home to new NPL Midlands rivals Grantham Town at the first hurdle last season.
FA Cup
The best run in recent years was 11 years ago when Rugby reached as far as the Third Qualifying Round before exiting to then-National League North side Worcester City in 2013.
Valley
last reached the FA Cup First Round
proper back in 1993-4 nearly 28 years
ago while Rugby's best FA Cup record
came in 1987-88 and 1992-93 when they
reached the Second Round Proper.
This year's Extra Preliminary Round tie will be played at Brinsfield Lane in Featherstone on Saturday 3rd August 2024. If the match is drawn after 90 minutes there will be a replay at Butlin Road, most likely on Tuesday 6th August.
The winners of the tie will host either Bedworth United or Stone Old Alleynians in the Preliminary Round on Saturday 17th August 2024.
FA Trophy
After winning promotion Valley featured in the FA Trophy last season for the first time since 2017 and will again have a pop at making good progress in non-league's elite cup competition.
The FA Trophy features teams from the National League Premier (Step 1 of non-league pyramid) down to Rugby's league and equivalent (Step 4).
Valley's record in the FA Trophy is pretty terrible - the last time won a tie in the competition was back in 2010 with wins over Leighton Town and Hemel Hempstead Town.
The match against Carlton will be played at Butlin Road on Saturday 7th September 2024 with the game to be determined by a penalty shootout with no extra time and no replay. |