The romance of the cup takes Yeovil Town to Leatherhead in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round.
Ben chats to Dave Bryant, a Leatherhead super fan, a writer, author and volunteer at the club talks to us about a club on the rise.
It’s FA Cup week! Yeovil Town will travel to face Isthmian League side Leatherhead FC in the Fourth Qualifying Round on Saturday afternoon.
It’s been quite the fortnight for the Glovers. A 6–0 win followed by another 6–0 win (against Wealdstone) is something not many teams achieve. In fact, the last team to do it in the top five tiers of English football was Chelsea back in 2010. So, we’re in pretty good stead when it comes to winning the FA Cup this season…
It feels weird saying the same positive things week in, week out, but Yeovil are playing quality football. The team looks structured and organised, the midfielders and wingers are executing their roles perfectly, and the defence has kept four clean sheets in a row.
I also think it’s a testament to the squad and the management that the one thing that could’ve made us collapse this season (a falling-out between captain and manager) has, if anything,
Leatherhead’s season has been very stop-start, with the side going on runs of winning a couple of games before their momentum is stalled by a defeat. In fact, their best run this campaign has been a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, which was ended in the Surrey Cup by our new friends at Farnham Town.
The Tanners suffered a defeat last time out as they faced Cheshunt in the league. The game seemed fairly drab for the first hour, but that all changed when Cheshunt broke the deadlock through Tommy Wood. Leatherhead showed fight to get back into the game and finally equalised when Charlie Kennett found the net 15 minutes later. Unfortunately for the Surrey side, it wasn’t to be, as they conceded in added time to come away empty-handed.
They have already made it through three rounds of the FA Cup having dispatched of AFC Croydon in the first qualifying round, Kingstonian in the following round and then finally making it past Hanworth Villa in the last round.
The midfielder has been relentless since he was given his chance in the first team. With Luke McCormick out of the squad, the 26-year-old has become part of a midfield tandem with Brett McGavin that has proved indispensable.
Powell’s output to date has been nothing short of incredible, with a goal every 79 minutes. It’s that attacking intent and desire to get into the box that have caused so many teams problems. With defenders now having to worry about the former Walton & Hersham man, it has allowed McGavin more freedom to do his thing, which, as we saw at the weekend, was score.
The Glovers have a very classy midfielder on their hands, and he has made the step up to the National League look easy. If he can stay confident and keep up his current form, who knows how far he can take the team?
Now, this may seem an odd choice, considering The Tanners have kept just five clean sheets in 15 games in all competitions, but Wheeler has been somewhat of a machine in the FA competitions this term.
Of those five clean sheets, three have come in the FA Cup, and they’re made all the more impressive by penalty saves in some of those fixtures. In the last round against Hanworth Villa, the 28-year-old saved a spot-kick to keep Leatherhead in the game at 0–0. In the FA Trophy, Wheeler also saved a penalty in a shootout against Ramsgate.
With the Glovers coming off back-to-back 6–0 victories, it could be interesting to see how Wheeler performs. If he can replicate the performances he put in during the previous rounds, it will be a big boost for The Tanners and could prove detrimental to Yeovil.
Ian Selley is the man in the home dugout, and the Leatherhead boss has some history in the FA Cup.
As a player, the 52-year-old was on the books at Arsenal, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup. The midfielder was on the bench for the Gunners when they visited Huish Park for a third round tie in January 1993.
After leaving Highbury, though, Selley’s playing career was blighted by injury. He joined Fulham after Arsenal but only played a handful of times during his three years there before moving down the road to Wimbledon.
His time with the Crazy Gang was again ruined by injury, and the former midfielder then found himself kicking around the lower leagues of the English pyramid. He even spent a season playing for our friends down in Dorchester in 2009/10 before officially hanging up his boots in 2023, 20 years after his career started.
Selley started his management career in 2020, splitting his time between playing for Westfield (Surrey) and managing Sandhurst Town. He then had spells at Chertsey, Hartley Wintney and Westfield before joining Leatherhead in 2024.
There is only one recorded meeting between the two sides, and you have to go all the way back to 1979 for that fixture.
An FA Trophy third-round game on a February afternoon saw the Glovers win 1–0 at Huish Park. A goal from David Platt (no, not the one in Corrie) was enough to secure a place in the fourth round for Yeovil.
The Tanners have no former Glovers in their squad to face Yeovil on Saturday.
James Durkin is our match official for this one and you can find out more about him Ben’s article – here.
Woahhh!!! We’ve got Billy Rowley,
Woahhh!!! He’s taking us to Wembley
Woahhh!!! Yeovil’s going all the way!
It’s FA Cup weekend and the Glovers are in action at Leatherhead in the Fourth Qualifying Round.
What’s more Luke McCormick has departed for Fylde.
All that and more in your latest Gloverscast with Ben, Dave and Abby Carter
There’s no surprise at all as to where this is going…
Brett McGavin has been named your Man of the Match for the win over Wealdstone.
The hat trick here, took over 90% of the votes from 150 cast.
As far as I can tell, this represents a record winning percentage – by some distance.
Jack Kingdon (2nd) and Johl Powell (3rd) took the minor honours.
Also, over half of you gave the performance a perfect 7/7!
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESPONSES | 1ST (Votes / Percent) | 2ND (Votes / Percent) | 3RD (Votes / Percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUGUST | |||||
| 08.08.26 | Scunthorpe | 130 | JORDAN NORVILLE-WILLIAMS (91 / 70%) | Mason Obeng (16 / 12.3%) | Jos Barker (12 / 9.2%) |
| 15.08.26 | Carlisle United | 152 | JOS BARKER (71 / 46.7%) | Jordan Norville-Williams (34 / 22.4%) | Zain Westbrooke (14 / 9.2%) |
| 22.08.26 | Gateshead | 168 | RYAN JONES (57 / 33.9%) | Luke McCormick (42 / 25%) | Archie Davies (24 / 14.3%) |
| 28.08.26 | Barrow | 174 | JOS BARKER (114 / 65.1%) | Jordan Norville-Williams (35 / 20%) | Luke McCormick (10 / 5.7%) |
| 31.08.26 | Tamworth | 156 | BRETT MCGAVIN (87 / 55.8%) | Luke McCormick (24 / 15.4%) | Jos Barker (10 / 6.4%) |
| AUGUST PLAYER OF THE MONTH | 780 VOTES | 🥇 JOS BARKER (8 PTS, 2 MOTM) | 🥈 JORDAN NORVILLE WILLIAMS (7 PTS, 1 MOTM) | 🥉 LUKE MCCORMICK (5 PTS, 0 MOTM) |
|
| SEPTEMBER | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| 05.09.26 | Southend United | 47 | JOS BARKER (12 / 25.5%) | Archie Davies (10 / 21.3%) | Luke McCormick (8 / 17%) |
| 12.09.26 | AFC Fylde | 88 | RYAN JONES (47 / 53.4%) | Luke McCormick (13 / 14.8%) | Archie Davies (10 / 11.4%) |
| 15.09.26 | Aldershot | 110 | RYAN JONES (49 / 44.5%) | Archie Davies (17 / 15.5%) | James Daly (13 / 11.8%) |
| 18.09.26 | Solihull Moors | 127 | RYAN JONES (52 / 40.9%) | Zain Westbrooke (18 / 14.2%) | James Daly (16 / 12.6%) |
| 26.09.26 | Kidderminster Harriers | 157 | JOS BARKER (80 / 51%) | Ryan Jones (17 / 10.8%) | Johl Powell (15 / 9.6%) |
| 29.09.26 | Worthing | 112 | BRETT MCGAVIN (38 / 33.9%) | Ryan Jones (35 / 31.3%) | Jordan Norville-Williams (21 / 18.8%) |
| SEPTEMBER PLAYER OF THE MONTH | 641 VOTES | 🥇 RYAN JONES (13 PTS, 3 MOTM) | 🥈 JOS BARKER (6 PTS, 2 MOTM) | 🥉 ARCHIE DAVIES (5 PTS, 0 MOTM) |
|
| OCTOBER | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| 03.10.26 | Boston Utd | 175 | JOHL POWELL (47 / 26.9%) | Jordan Norville-Williams (37 / 21.1%) | Ryan Jones (29 / 16.6%) |
| 10.10.26 | Wealdstone | 150 | BRETT MCGAVIN (136 / 90.7%) | Jack Kingdon (6 / 4%) | Johl Powell (3 / 2%) |
| 24.10.26 | Altrincham | ||||
| 27.10.26 | Hornchurch | ||||
| 31.10.26 | FC Halifax Town | ||||
| NOVEMBER | |||||
| 14.11.26 | Boreham Wood | ||||
| 21.11.26 | Forest Green Rovers | ||||
| 24.11.26 | Eastleigh | ||||
| 28.11.26 | Harrogate Town | ||||
| DECEMBER | |||||
| 05.12.26 | Hartlepool United | ||||
| 09.12.26 | Wealdstone | ||||
| 19.12.26 | Boston United | ||||
| 26.12.26 | Sutton United | ||||
| 28.12.26 | Woking | ||||
| JANUARY | |||||
| 02.01.27 | Altrincham | ||||
| 09.01.27 | Hornchurch | ||||
| 16.01.27 | |||||
| 23.01.27 | Carlisle United | ||||
| 26.01.27 | Eastleigh | ||||
| 30.01.27 | Scunthorpe United | ||||
| FEBRUARY | |||||
| 06.02.27 | Forest Green Rovers | ||||
| 13.02.27 | Kidderminster Harriers | ||||
| 17.02.27 | Worthing | ||||
| 20.02.27 | Solihull Moors | ||||
| 23.02.27 | Aldershot | ||||
| 27.02.27 | Gateshead | ||||
| MARCH | |||||
| 06.03.27 | Barrow | ||||
| 09.03.27 | Tamworth | ||||
| 13.03.27 | Southend United | ||||
| 20.03.27 | AFC Fylde | ||||
| 26.03.27 | Woking | ||||
| 29.03.27 | Sutton United | ||||
| APRIL | |||||
| 03.04.27 | FC Halifax Town | ||||
| 10.04.27 | Boreham Wood | ||||
| 17.04.27 | Hartlepool United | ||||
| 24.04.27 | Harrogate Town | ||||
Yeovil Town midfielder Luke McCormick has joined National League Premier Division rivals AFC Fylde on loan until the middle of January.
The former club captain has not featured since appearing as a second half substitute in the 1-1 draw at Aldershot Town a month ago after what Glovers manager Billy Rowley described as “a disciplinary problem.”
He began the season in stunning form scoring six goals in his opening eight matches, the last of which was a consolation goal in a 4-1 defeat to Fylde at Huish Park in mid-September.
In a statement posted on Thursday evening, Yeovil said: “We can confirm that Luke McCormick has joined National League side AFC Fylde on loan until 13th January 2027.
“Following internal discussions, an agreement has been reached that allows Luke to continue playing his football with AFC Fylde for the coming months.”
The former Chelsea youngster joins a Fylde side sat seventh in the National League Premier Division table, three places and two points behind Yeovil, having been promoted as National League North champions last season.
In a statement on the Fylde website, McCormick said: “I’m really happy to be here, it’s a club on the up having been promoted last year and have started the season excellently, so much so that we’re in the play-offs so I’m just hoping to add to what is a brilliant group already and hopefully we can have a successful period.”
Fylde boss Craig Mahon added: “Luke is a player whose technical ability fits perfectly with the way we want to play at Fylde. He’s comfortable on the ball, has real quality in possession and, importantly, has goals in his game from midfield. We believe he’ll add another dimension to the team and we’re delighted to bring him to the club.”
In his most recent update at the start of the month, Rowley confirmed that the 27-year-old, who was named club captain at the start of the season, had never asked to leave Huish Park. The manager previously admitted that the pair had “a bit of a dispute” adding: “My job for this club and the dressing room is to always do what I think is best for the team, and at the moment he won’t be playing for me.”
This followed a statement published by McCormick on his own social media in which he spoke of his “love and respect” for everyone connected to the Glovers.
New signing midfielder Joe Haigh is hoping to be available to be available for selection by Yeovil Town at the start of November.
The 23-year-old was a highly-anticipated new arrival when he signed in the summer after starring for Dagenham & Redbridge in the National League South last season, but underwent a planned surgery ankle surgery in the summer.
Speaking to BBC Somerset reporter Jack Killah on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s trip to Leatherhead in the FA Cup, the former Chelsea youngster confirmed he was aiming to be back in full training in the next fortnight.
He said: “I did a bit of training with the team today and I’m hoping to be back in full training within the next week and a half maybe. Just slowly easing myself back into it. Then, hopefully, I’ll be back out at Huish Park at the start of November. So that’s about three or three-and-a-half weeks away.
“Last season with Dagenham, I sort of got misdiagnosed and it’s been dragged on a lot longer than it really should have. So it’s been a bit of a mental battle and anyone who’s had injuries knows how tough it is. But I’m at the end of the road now, hopefully, so I haven’t got much longer to wait at all.”
Like many new signings who arrived at Huish Park under the reign of manager Billy Rowley, Haigh said that the appeal of playing under the Glovers’ boss was what convinced him to move to Somerset. Speaking to the Gloverscast at the start of the season, Rowley revealed there was interest in the midfielder from Football League clubs.
Haigh said: “I think from knowing Walton and Hersham and the way they played, they always played good football. A lot of people around where I live know Billy as well and I’ve always heard good things. When I spoke to them, they only said good things and the project is really exciting.
“Comparing this football to some of the football I’ve played in the past, this team is really exciting to watch. From a fan’s point of view, they must be buzzing. All the players seem to love playing in this team. It’s a really exciting team to play in and, for attackers, you can see the amount of chances you get.
“So I’m itching to hopefully get out there and score some goals. I work hard, I’m technically good, I like to dribble, combine with my teammates and try to excite the fans.”
Although he will not be in the squad for this weekend’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie, Haigh has said his team-mates should not underestimate their opponents, Leatherhead, who sit mid-table in the Isthmian League Premier Division after ten matches.
Haigh said: “When I was eight, I joined Leatherhead and was there for about a year and a half before I got scouted by Chelsea, so I left Leatherhead. Leatherhead is under 10 minutes from my house, so it’s going to be a nice away day for me when I go there.
“My brother played for them two years ago as well, so I know some of the management staff there and one of the players who I used to play with. Their manager (former midfielder Ian Selley) used to play for Arsenal, so they have some excellent experience there. I think Leatherhead has always been a well-known non-league club, around Step 3 or Step 4. They’re a tough place to go.
“I went to watch them in pre-season when they played Dorking and they beat them, so it’s definitely not going to be an easy game. But if we turn up and play well, hopefully we should be okay. It’s definitely not going to be an easy game.”
Ahead of Yeovil Town’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round clash against Leatherhead, Glovers manager Billy Rowley has been speaking with BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah about his squad’s phenomenal run of form, recent recruitment, and the magic of the cup.
Yeovil head into the weekend fixture riding the wave of confidence following an impressive string of victories, including consecutive 6-0 wins. While acknowledging the score lines might flatter them slightly, Rowley remains quick to praise the tireless day-to-day efforts of his players.
”I said it in the post-match last week, sometimes you do get some freak results,” Rowley said, reflecting on the team’s dominant streak. “The lads’ hard work day-to-day… it’s been another really good week out here for us”.
“I think we’ve got a really level-headed group, really professional group of lads, so I haven’t really sensed any like overconfidence or cockiness. I think we have to approach every game, I said this pre-Wealdstone, I think we have to approach every game with a kind of equal amount of confidence and cockiness as we do humility, so you know, we want to run harder than everyone, we want to fight for every ball, we want to win every goal, but we also want to be really confident on the ball and show show what we’re about.
So I think the lads have bought into that and um and they’re showing that they’re capable of of both sides of the ball at the minute which is which is really really important for us.”
Rowley is fully focused on keeping his squad’s feet planted firmly on the ground. He insists that the group’s professional and level-headed nature prevents any danger of overconfidence or cockiness creeping into the changing room;
“I’ve been I’ve been so pleased with all the boys. I think we we worked really hard to to profile players that would fit into our system, on top of that, fit in from a personality perspective, are they good humans? What do we know about their background? How do they train? All that stuff… I think for the most part we’ve been we’ve been spot on with with most of the lads, and I’ve been really full of praise for them in these recent weeks and like you’ve just mentioned, I think it’s important that we keep our feet on the ground, we keep working hard every day and every week and and long may it continue ” Rowley added.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s opponents, Rowley is under no illusions about the challenge Leatherhead will pose. Rowley retains absolute faith in his squad’s mindset.
“I’ve got full faith in our lads to approach this in the right mindset. It’s a competition that we as a club, I’m sure, and I know the fans do, the ownership do, we want to do really well in this. You often dream of going a playing against a, you know, a Man Utd or something in these competitions, but, you know, that’s that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? So, we want to make sure that we are turning up at at Leatherhead, [the] best version of us, you know, work really hard and and we should we should get a positive result there.
As the squad finalises preparations, fitness concerns remain minimal, though Zane Westbrooke is ruled out (calf) and forward Ryan Jones faces a late fitness test following a head knock sustained vs Wealdstone.
For the players currently watching from the sidelines, Rowley offered a clear message of encouragement: stay ready, because opportunities in football can change in a single week.
“That’s my message to the lads as well, you’ve always have to be ready, I fully appreciate when you’re not picked on a Saturday, you know your head goes down, but you’ve seen what Joel Powell’s done, you’ve seen what Jack Kingdon’s done in these recent weeks. You’ve got to be ready for your opportunity and as soon as it’s given to you, grab it with both hands and and they’ve both done that, so I think it’s a really good learning curve for them, but also like an opportunity for for the other boys to learn from that and see that that’s all it takes, one injury, one moment, one week and you’re a star player”
With the financial incentives of reaching the first round proper running parallel to the psychological boost it offers, Yeovil Town travel to Leatherhead fully aware of potentially setting the next chapter of our wonderful club’s history in this competition.
James Durkin will be the man in the middle for our FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round tie away at Leatherhead.
James, son of former Premier League official, Paul, has already taken charge of nine games this season, across EFL, National League and cup competitions.
He has dished out 39 yellows and two straight red cards, pointing to the spot three times.
Durkin was the man in charge for the National League Play Off Final in 2024 – Bromley beating Solihull on penalties – you remember Byron Webster giving the ‘keeper a knowing look before smashing home the winner.
He has taken charge of seven Yeovil games before, most recently, the dramatic 3-2 win over Sutton United last season, Durkin awarding the Glovers a 95th minute penalty to seal the points – the second time he’d give the Glovers a spot kick in the game, Luke McCormick missing a first half spot kick.
He booked three Yeovil players, Terrell Works, Harvey Greenslade and Josh Sims.
We’ve won two, drawn two and lost three of the seven games he’s taken charge of.
Leatherhead FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
FA Cup
Referee: Durkin, James
Assistant Referee: Butler, Stuart
Assistant Referee: Hillier, Jake
Fourth Official: Barnett, Craig
Leatherhead have given Yeovil Town 100 new tickets for this weekend’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie.
The Glovers have confirmed that they have sent emails direct to Huish Park season ticket holders offering them the opportunity to buy up to two tickets per season ticket holder.
In the email, the club have confirmed that tickets will be available on a “first come, first served basis.” So, if you are a season ticket holder, check your email if you don’t have a ticket and want one. If you’re not a season ticket holder, find someone who is.
The initial allocation of 300 tickets which was given to Yeovil went on sale five days ago and sold out in double quick time.
Yeovil fans heading to Hornchurch on Tuesday 27th October (7.45pm Kick off) can now buy their tickets.
The Hornchurch site states that away fans MUST buy their tickets in advance.
Tickets prices are as follows.
You will need to sign up for an account and log in, should you wish to complete the transaction.
AWAY SUPPORTERS
Away supporters will enter the stadium via the Abraham Court entrance.
AWAY SUPPORTERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR TICKET IN ADVANCE.
There will be No tickets at the gate on the day for away supporters.
Following our promotion to the National League, we are currently constructing multiple improvements to our away facilities. However, due to planning and construction requirements, these improvements will be implemented over the course of the 2026/27 season. Therefore, some facilities are limited during this period – which is highlighted below.
Where is the Away Supporters Section Located?
Away supporters are currently located in the ‘Riverside’ section of the ground. The allocation to away supporters is a mixture of open terracing and approximately 160 unreserved covered seats (in the Rom Valley Glass & Glazing Stand). The current capacity is 600.
A raised wheelchair accessible viewing area is found in the open terracing (via a ramp). If you require this area, please email matchday@hornchurchfc.com no later than 24 hours before the match so we can make the necessary arrangements.
During the season, our plan is to install a new 544 capacity covered terracing alongside 250 seats. However, this is not anticipated to be ready until the end of 2026.
How do supporters enter the away section?
During the summer, we have constructed a new away entrance from Abraham Court, directly next to the away section.
Supporters are to enter via Abraham Court, opposite the Windmill pub. You will then follow the public footpath on the right-hand side direct to the new Abraham Court turnstiles. The turnstiles will be open 90 minutes before kick-off. They will close 30 minutes after kick-off.
Our volunteers will be on hand to direct you to the correct entrance off Upminster Road.
Please note that if you visited the stadium last season, this entrance is now in a different location.
Supporters should have their QR codes ready for scanning/use on turnstile as they enter to prevent queues forming.
Any away supporters found in the home end will be evicted, with no refunds issued.
Parking
There is no parking on site or at the Abraham Court flats. Our car park is strictly for players and officials only, unless a Disabled Parking Spot is requested. All disabled parking must be booked in advance by email to matchday@hornchurchfc.com. This request must be made no later than 48 hours before kick-off. However, please note that the away entrance is at the opposite end of the ground.
Street parking is available along Bridge Avenue and opposite the ground in Brookdale Avenue. Please be aware that there will be increased traffic enforcement in this area on matchdays due to parking across driveways and on double yellow lines. Please park responsibly and with consideration to local households.
We would request supporters use public transport.
Coaches
We also do not have any coach parking facilities for away supporters on site or in the nearby streets.
Therefore, we recommend coach drivers to drop off at the bus stops highlighted below and proceed to a dedicated coach park at Thurrock Services. This is an approximate 15-minute drive from the Stadium.
The address is Arterial Road, West Thurrock, Grays, Essex, RM16 3BG.
Facilities
As mentioned above, we are in the process of installing permanent away facilities.
Mobile toilet blocks have now been installed while the permanent facilities are constructed.
There will be a mobile food outlet providing soft drinks and hot food.
There is no alcohol served in the away end.
Programmes, Badges & 50/50
Match programmes and 50/50 raffle tickets will be on sale inside the away section.
Programmes cost £3.50.
50/50 tickets are cash only with the draw announced at half time.
A selection of Hornchurch FC club badges will be available for purchase.
Smoking Policy
Smoking inside the stadium is not permitted.
Prohibited Items
The following items are prohibited from the stadium.
Bag searches may be in operation to enforce this.
In addition, due to a council ruling, dogs are not permitted inside the stadium. Assistance dogs are permitted, but only by prior arrangement by emailing matchday@hornchurchfc.com
