Thackley embark on their FA Cup journey for the 47th time in their history when they entertain Frickley Athletic at Dennyfield on Saturday. They, along with another 441 clubs compete over this weekend to progress to the next round in two weeks time. Thackley’s FA Cup experience started in 1969 with a home defeat in the opening round to Gainsborough Trinity. They waited ten years for their next game in the competition and have been involved every year since. I read somewhere that Thackley have the worst record of any club in exiting the FA Cup in their first game in the competition. I am not sure if this is true, but their record shows, of the forty six attempts so far, they have been knocked out in their opening game on thirty two occasions, eight of which were after replays. The last time they won their opening game was in 2015, when they beat Durham City, they went to beat Ashington in the next round before losing out to Abbey Hey in a replay. This season Thackley will be looking to end this current sequence and progress to play the winner of the Padiham – Golcar United game on the 17th August.

Frickley’s FA Cup record is rather more impressive, reaching the FA Cup proper in four successive years from 1983. They reached the second round in 1984, losing to Darlington and going one better a year later. After beating Hartlepool United away in the second round (their first ever win over Football League opposition), Frickley got the home draw they wanted in the third round, with local rivals Rotherham United the visitors to Westfield Lane. The Millers came away with the spoils, winning 3–1 in front of a ground record crowd of 5,800.

This will be Frickley’s third visit to Dennyfield, their previous two being in the league. ‘The Blues’ have been around since 1910 and since the 1920’s have played at a higher level, attaining Conference status in the 1980’s. However, in 2022, they dropped into the NCEL for the first time. In their first season they finished in seventeenth position in the table and improved to finish fifteenth last season.

Frickley played six preseason games, mostly against higher level opposition, winning two, losing three and drawing one. In their opening game last weekend, they lost at the Wezzie to Pickering Town, this after going two goals up early in the second half, the away side hit back scoring four second half goals. Frickley announced a new management team in May, James Baxendale was appointed manager along with Matthew Flanagan as his assistant, both will be looking to revive the fortunes of the club.

Thackley and Frickley have met on four previous occasions, all in the NCEL Premier Division. Thackley took all six points in Frickley’s first season, 2-1 here at Dennyfield (Aidan Chippendale and Lewis Waddington scored for Thackley – Alhassane Keito for Frickley). Goals from Ben Grech-Brooksbank, Chippendale and Tom Greaves gave Thackley a 3-0 win at the Wezzie later in that season. However, Frickley reversed that score line in their home fixture last season, goals from Luke Walker, Keegan Townrow and Reeves Boocock securing all three points. In Thackley’s final home game of last season, Thackley secured a win courtesy of first half goals from Grech-Brooksbank and Finn Donovan, Morgan James pulled one back for Frickley in the second half. A result that helped Thackley finish seventh in the table their highest position since 2017.

Thackley started the season with a hard earned win against promoted club Beverley Town last Saturday. Finn Donovan scoring twice, his opener in the first half, cancelled out by a Danny Earl penalty, his second after the break, proving to be the winner. The FA Cup is a special competition for teams at this level and all clubs want to do well. Both teams will be looking for a win and it is likely to be another fiercely fought contest.

Entry to the match is £6 for Adults and £4 for Concessions. Arthur's Bar opens at 12.30pm and the Gates will open at 2pm.