The new football season.........

...............is now well underway. Yesterday, I took my father along to see Margate battle out a 1-1 draw in the Ryman Premier with Chelmsford City. (Luke Coleman is pictured celebrating his first Margate goal).

I know it was only August 18th yesterday, but it was also the Extra Preliminary Round of the **FA Cup!

Over 730 clubs have been accepted into this years competition and many of the "minnows", according to the brilliant Tony Kempster site, did battle yesterday.

Here a just a few of the results that caught my eye:

Billingham Synthonia 2 Northallerton Town 1 (Billingham Synthonia is derived from "synthetic" and "ammonia")

Dereham 12 (yes 12) Fakenham Town 0

Epsom & Ewell 1 Crowborough 7

The beautifully named Glasshoughton Welfare 1 Liversedge 1 (Glasshoughton managed by Bruce Grobbelaar)

Ledbury Town 2 Boldmere St.Michaels 6

Team Northumbria 0 Consett 11 (yes, 11)



Acknowledgements:

Tony Kempster
Margate "Don"
Non League Paper

** Margate enter the competition in two rounds time. Our opponents will be either Ringmer from the Sussex County League or Chatham from Ryman One South. In December 2002, we were on BBC1 Match of the Day losing to Cardiff City in Round 2. How times change - but that's football.