FA Trophy 2026-27 3rd Qualifying Round Review

by Phil Annets – @FATrophyFacts on X

The FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round sees the 88 clubs from the Trident Leagues’ top divisions enter the competition and one such club, Aveley FC, kick the round off on Friday night with a home game against Ware FC.

Aveley have waited 47 years for the opportunity to avenge a 1-0 defeat by their opponents in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the 1979-80 season. It is one of 13 ties in this round that have happened before in the FA Trophy and there is one club that has waited even longer to get revenge for a past defeat.

Kettering Town lost 3-2 against Matlock Town when the clubs met in the 2nd Round Proper of the FA Trophy a massive 50 years ago. Bedworth United had lost 2-1 to Redditch United in the Trophy two years earlier than that, but exacted revenge with an identical result just 16 years later. They meet for a third time in the competition this round.

Ramsgate FC and Leatherhead FC also meet in the Trophy for the third time this season with Leatherhead exacting revenge for a three goal margin of defeat in the 2009-10 season with a three goal margin of victory of their own just last season.

That tie is one of 26 ties that pit Step Three clubs against each other. Another is Poole Town versus Basingstoke Town who are facing ‘P’ opponents in the competition for the first time, despite competing in all 58 FA Trophy campaigns there have been and playing in 135 FA Trophy matches.

At the other end of the Trophy experience scale is Winslow United. The Southern League Division One Central club is the last debut team standing in this season’s competition and they visit higher level Burgess Hill Town.

Obviously, Winslow United is on a club record Trophy run and there are 20 other clubs for whom a victory would set or continue that club’s record run in the competition. Biggleswade FC versus Three Bridges is the only tie that guarantees that the victors will be celebrating a club record run.

However, Croydon Athletic would also continue their current record run with a victory at Waltham Abbey but they would actually equal their best run with a win. Similarly, Deal Town would set a club record run with a win at Ashford United for whom victory would equal their best run.

That Ashford United versus Deal Town tie is happening for the third successive season in the FA Trophy. Ashford United has won the previous two ties, and all three have happened in progressively later rounds; 2024-25 in the 1st Qualifying Round, 2025-26 in the 2nd Qualifying Round, and this season in the 3rd Qualifying Round.

Stanway Rovers versus Faversham Town is the only tie where the winner is guaranteed to equal that club’s best Trophy run. Egham Town are looking to achieve the same as they travel to higher level Maldon and Tiptree.

Egham Town are one of four clubs still involved in this season’s FA Trophy who began their campaigns in the earliest Preliminary Round. Deal Town is another, whilst Welwyn Garden City visit Step Three side Eastbourne Borough for their fourth match in this season’s competition, and Hayes and Yeading United host Erith Town in one of four all Step Four ties.