Preview | Edward Case Cup Preliminary Round
Tue 26th August 2025 | Match Previews | By Ben Wilkinson
This weekend sees the first cup action of the season within the NWCFL as the Edward Case Cup begins with the preliminary round.
To reduce the 37 eligible clubs to 32 for the competiton 'proper', we require five Preliminary Round ties contested by the lowest-ranked clubs in last season's standings. For this season, that was the four clubs promoted from the Regional Feeder Leagues and those clubs that finished 15th or below in the First Divisions North & South.
To reduce travel for clubs and supporters, the early rounds of the cup are split into North and South sections, with two ties in the North and three in the South at this stage.
North Section
Steeton and Fulwood Amateurs meet at the former's Marley Stadium for the second time in a month in Tuesday's only North section clash. The 'Chevvies' fell to their first defeat of the season on Saturday in the FA Vase and the 'Ams' made it three wins in a row via a shootout victory at home to AFC Blackpool, having scored a total of 13 in their past three matches. It is Fulwood's debut in the competition whilst Steeton, members of the NWCFL in 2018, are still looking for their first win in this particular cup having fallen at their first hurdle in every edition they have participated in to date. Both sides have started the season well and sit in the top five of the table but with such a short league season, the cup may be seen as less of a distraction and more of an opportunity to keep the momentum going and put a cup run together.
The other fixture in this section takes place at Jericho Lane on Wednesday evening, new boys MSB Woolton will host repreived Garstang for a place in the First Round. The 'Woo' have had a difficult start to life in the Counties, drawing one and losing the other two of their opening league games alongside being dumped out of the Vase on Saturday afternoon. Garstang have fared slightly better in the opening month following their summer stay of execution by the FA, a notable result so far being an impressive 2-1 victory at home to Droyslden. They did however go down 7-1 to Fulwood Amateurs in their next game and that sort of defensive weakness is what Mike Harvey's MSB side will be looking to expose in L17.
South Section
There are three ties in the South with the two promoted clubs joined by the bottom four from last season's standings, with no lateral movements or relegations in this division. Tuesday sees two ties take place, all involving the clubs who finished at the wrong end of the table in 2024/25. Shawbury United host Wolverhampton Sporting Community having had a mixed start to the season so far - a 5-1 thumping in the Vase on Saturday coming after two wins and two defeats in the league. Wolves Sporting took four points from the two league fixtures last term so hold the upper hand in terms of the H2H but they languish down in 18th place after another tough start to a campaign.
The other tie on Tuesday sees Foley Meir and Allscott Heath go head-to-head at the Trentham Foods Stadium, with kick off set for 8pm. Both sides have won just one of their opening five encounters and come into this clash well-rested, having last played on Saturday 16th. Both may consider themselves unlucky to have such a poor return from the first month of the season with neither being particularly shy in front of goal.
Two newly-promoted sides round out the preliminary round as Telford Town welcome Haughmond to the DRM Aggregate Arena for the second time in the space of a month. The 'Ams', led by Matthew Boswell, won that league fixture comfortably by three goals to nil and they sit pretty at the top of the standings at this early stage of the season, a very different picture to that of the visiting 'Academicals' who are yet to get off the mark in the NWCFL. The cups may provide some respite for the 'Mond as they seek to build upon their victory in the FA Vase over the weekend.
Preview | Edward Case Cup Preliminary Round
Tue 26th August 2025 | Match Previews
By Ben Wilkinson
This weekend sees the first cup action of the season within the NWCFL as the Edward Case Cup begins with the preliminary round.
To reduce the 37 eligible clubs to 32 for the competiton 'proper', we require five Preliminary Round ties contested by the lowest-ranked clubs in last season's standings. For this season, that was the four clubs promoted from the Regional Feeder Leagues and those clubs that finished 15th or below in the First Divisions North & South.
To reduce travel for clubs and supporters, the early rounds of the cup are split into North and South sections, with two ties in the North and three in the South at this stage.
North Section
Steeton and Fulwood Amateurs meet at the former's Marley Stadium for the second time in a month in Tuesday's only North section clash. The 'Chevvies' fell to their first defeat of the season on Saturday in the FA Vase and the 'Ams' made it three wins in a row via a shootout victory at home to AFC Blackpool, having scored a total of 13 in their past three matches. It is Fulwood's debut in the competition whilst Steeton, members of the NWCFL in 2018, are still looking for their first win in this particular cup having fallen at their first hurdle in every edition they have participated in to date. Both sides have started the season well and sit in the top five of the table but with such a short league season, the cup may be seen as less of a distraction and more of an opportunity to keep the momentum going and put a cup run together.
The other fixture in this section takes place at Jericho Lane on Wednesday evening, new boys MSB Woolton will host repreived Garstang for a place in the First Round. The 'Woo' have had a difficult start to life in the Counties, drawing one and losing the other two of their opening league games alongside being dumped out of the Vase on Saturday afternoon. Garstang have fared slightly better in the opening month following their summer stay of execution by the FA, a notable result so far being an impressive 2-1 victory at home to Droyslden. They did however go down 7-1 to Fulwood Amateurs in their next game and that sort of defensive weakness is what Mike Harvey's MSB side will be looking to expose in L17.
South Section
There are three ties in the South with the two promoted clubs joined by the bottom four from last season's standings, with no lateral movements or relegations in this division. Tuesday sees two ties take place, all involving the clubs who finished at the wrong end of the table in 2024/25. Shawbury United host Wolverhampton Sporting Community having had a mixed start to the season so far - a 5-1 thumping in the Vase on Saturday coming after two wins and two defeats in the league. Wolves Sporting took four points from the two league fixtures last term so hold the upper hand in terms of the H2H but they languish down in 18th place after another tough start to a campaign.
The other tie on Tuesday sees Foley Meir and Allscott Heath go head-to-head at the Trentham Foods Stadium, with kick off set for 8pm. Both sides have won just one of their opening five encounters and come into this clash well-rested, having last played on Saturday 16th. Both may consider themselves unlucky to have such a poor return from the first month of the season with neither being particularly shy in front of goal.
Two newly-promoted sides round out the preliminary round as Telford Town welcome Haughmond to the DRM Aggregate Arena for the second time in the space of a month. The 'Ams', led by Matthew Boswell, won that league fixture comfortably by three goals to nil and they sit pretty at the top of the standings at this early stage of the season, a very different picture to that of the visiting 'Academicals' who are yet to get off the mark in the NWCFL. The cups may provide some respite for the 'Mond as they seek to build upon their victory in the FA Vase over the weekend.
