Tadley Calleva host Dartford at Barlows Park on Saturday 3 October, 3pm, in the club's first FA Cup third qualifying round tie. A win is worth £5,625.
Tadley Calleva play Dartford at Barlows Park on Saturday 3 October, kick-off 3pm, in the third qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup. No Tadley side has reached this stage before.
The fixture, venue and kick-off time are on the FA’s Full-Time record for Tadley Calleva and on Dartford FC’s own fixture list. The FA called the run “the best cup run in their history”.
Four ties won since August
Tadley Calleva play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South, the ninth level of English football. They entered the cup in the extra preliminary round on 8 August. The FA Full-Time record shows how they got here:
| Round | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Extra preliminary | Sat 8 Aug | Tadley Calleva 2-1 Bemerton Heath Harlequins |
| Preliminary | Sat 22 Aug | Hamble Club 0-0 Tadley Calleva |
| Preliminary replay | Tue 25 Aug | Tadley Calleva 3-1 Hamble Club |
| First qualifying | Sat 5 Sep | Tadley Calleva 3-1 Laverstock & Ford |
| Second qualifying | Sat 19 Sep | Bishop’s Cleeve 0-1 Tadley Calleva |
The winner at Bishop’s Cleeve was a 41st-minute header by Brad Neal from a long throw, according to the FA’s report of the round. The FA’s report also describes the squad as a team of “office workers and tradesmen”.
Who Dartford are
Dartford play in the Isthmian League Premier Division, two levels above Tadley. The Kent club announced the draw on 21 September: “Darts have been drawn away to Tadley Calleva in the third round qualifying of the FA Cup.”
The FA made the draw the same day. There are 40 ties in the round, all played on the weekend of 3 October.
What the tie is worth
The FA pays prize money to every club at every round. Its 2026-27 prize fund sets these sums for winners:
- extra preliminary round: £1,125
- preliminary round: £1,444
- first qualifying round: £2,250
- second qualifying round: £3,375
- third qualifying round: £5,625, or £1,875 for the losing side
- fourth qualifying round: £9,375
Four wins have already earned Tadley Calleva £8,194. Beating Dartford would add £5,625. Losing still brings £1,875.
The fourth qualifying round is on 17 October. A place in the first round proper, where League One and League Two clubs enter, would need two more wins.
What it means for you
- When and where: Saturday 3 October, 3pm, at Barlows Park, Tadley. Tadley is about seven miles north of Basingstoke town centre.
- Tickets: the club has not published prices on a page we could read today. Check Tadley Calleva’s X account or its Facebook page before you travel.
- Ground size: Barlows Park has a capacity of about 1,000, according to the club’s Wikipedia entry, so arriving early is sensible.
- League game moved: Tadley’s league match at Redhill, also listed for 3 October, is shown as postponed on FA Full-Time. The next home league game is Yateley United on Tuesday 13 October, 7.45pm.
Tadley’s form going in is good. They beat Camberley Town 4-2 on 15 September and drew 3-3 with Sutton Common Rovers at home on Saturday.
For more things to do across the borough, see our guide to things to do in Basingstoke.
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