FA Cup returns to Culver Road.

This Tuesday night the Lancers first team host Phoenix Sports Football Club at the Culver Road stadium, in our Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie to kick-start the 20/21 campaign.

With a good pre-season run of games, and under the fresh new leadership of co-managers James Rhodes and Kane Louis, the first team will be relishing the opportunity to host another Isthmian side.

The Lancers’ pre-season run has seen convincing victories against Montpelier Villa (6-1), Mile Oak (2-0), Arundel (3-1), Chichester City (1-0) and defeat to Isthmian Premier side Worthing 4-1 last Tuesday night.

It’s a rare chance for the Lancers to commence an FA Cup campaign on home turf, with previous seasons attracting many away ties, and with 4 of the 5 pre-season fixtures hosted on the Culver Road 3G, it will be another great opportunity to play on familiar territory against higher-opposition Phoenix Sports.

Haven’t me met before?

Our first team squad last encountered the Greater-London based club back in 2018 in The Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round.

Lancers fans will remember that it was this round in which following a 2-2 away draw, a Tuesday night replay at Culver Road saw Pulling’s Yellows defeated 3-0 in 90 minutes. However, due to the fielding of an ineligible player by the victors, the Lancers later progressed to the second round qualifying and Phoenix discounted from the competition. Another draw and replay and resulting loss to Hendon then ended the 2018/19 cup campaign for the Yellows.

That was not the last time that we met, however. In November of 2019 our Womens team hosted Phoenix in the 2019/20 Womens Cup at Culver Road, losing 4-1 with Phoenix progressing on.

Following a mix batch of results across various cups throughout the past 2 seasons, and with a reduced number of cups this season due to COVID-19, Lancers home support will be keen for the side to replicate some of our great away results, on familiar home turf with our support behind them!

Kyle Hemsley’s gallery from our 2018 tie can be found here.

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Kick-off is 7:30pm on Tuesday night – turnstiles open from 6:45pm – please enter through the East turnstile by the car park entrance. The bar & servery will be open serving hot & cold food & drink, our new tannoy system will be making it’s debut, and all normal social distancing & hygiene measures will be in place.

Admission is £8, £5, £2 with e-programmes available on the night – simply view the programme via our website on Tuesday evening, or scan the QR/type the link into your device at the turnstile. E-programmes will be packed full of your usual Lancers content – please do have an online read for free.

We look forward to seeing everyone for the magic of the FA Cup on Tuesday night.

Our thanks to Life Water UK for sponsoring Tuesday’s tie – you can view them online here.

You can view our public set of COVID-19 documents here and Culver Road matchday information here.