So, like me I am sure a lot of Chippenham fans have disappeared into the pages of Town United this week. It has been truly wonderful to read about so many great memories from my childhood and growing up with the club. Reading about all of these great times, amazing cup runs and big matches at Hardenhuish Park might make a person yearn for a bygone era but DON'T YOU FEAR. This Saturday Chippenham return to action in the FA CUP against National League South rivals, Slough Town. 

Both teams come into this game after near flawless September's. Chippenham did suffer a midweek defeat to Dorking Wanderers on the 3rd of September but, aside from that both teams went unbeaten in the month and maybe somewhat more impressively, Slough not only went unbeaten in September, they registered a perfect record of 5 games, 5 wins. Slough come into this game on a 5 game win streak and 6th in the league, but this isn't the league, it is the FA Cup and this form will buoy our opponents undoubtedly but here are a few other little factoids to fill the home support with hope and positivity. 

- Slough whilst unbeaten in quite some time, you have to go back all the way to 2016 to find a win against Chippenham in their copybook and this isn't like the usual H2H stats that people love to pull out. Slough have been in Chippenham's division every year bar one season in the last 6 years and that is their only victory against us. 
- Slough have NEVER beaten Chippenham at Hardenhuish Park in internet recorded history and if Slough have recorded a win here, that is going to have to fall on the club historian to find one. 
- The most common outcome between the two sides is a draw, if this happens again then Chippenham will find themselves once again facing a replay on a Tuesday night against the same opposition where unfortunately, Slough will have an advantage being on the artificial pitch. However, this will guarantee for the second year running, Chippenham Town will find themselves in the hat for the 4th Qualifying round and a shootout to get to the 1st Round Proper. 

Slough Town manager Jon Underwood will come into this game optimistic, but in a previous interview Jon has gone on record to state "Chippenham is a particularly hard place to go and play football, we as managers feel that we have played well their in the past and not got the result we wanted. This is because of Chippenham and the determination they have to always make sure they are in the game. It will be a tricky tie, but we are confident we can go and give a good account of ourselves and make the next stage of the competition." 

Slough Town have a very good squad of players and will be dangerous no matter what way it is dressed up come Saturday. They are a fairly high scoring side with preferred strike partnership Ben Harris and Dan Roberts conjuring 9 goals between them already this term. They are equally a dangerous in the midfield where Warren Harris and Matthew Lench have identical records of 12 games played, 4 goals for the season. Familiar faces to the Bluebirds might be a bit of a stretch this time around, but Slough still have two strikers that will be known to avid Chippenham supporters. Manny Williams, a Slough player of a long time has been a thorn in the side of CTFC right back to the Southern League days and although used predominantly as an impact sub these days, still has the power to come on and change a game when needed. Also Ryan Bird is now a Slough Town player after his departure from Maidenhead last year, the former Portsmouth striker was replaced at Eastleigh in 2017 by current Chippenham striker Chris Zebroski. Ryan has lined up against Chippenham once at Hardenhuish Park, in the FA Cup and the game finished 1-1 with a last gasp equaliser from Michael Jones against Maidenhead United.  

Chippenham manager Mark Collier goes into the game with a bit of an injury hit squad at the moment with David Pratt, Will Richards, Rhys Tyler all carrying knocks likely to keep them out of the game. Pratt has been nursing a tight hamstring for a couple of weeks now and would seem is heading back to fitness, Will Richards is still a couple of weeks away after speaking to him at the end of last weeks game, he is back in to see the doctor in a fortnight and hopefully should shine a little light on when the influential centre half should return, Rhys was at the ground last week pre Dulwich game doing some running, this hopefully will have proven valuable and see Rhys one step closer on his return to full fitness. Elias is also carrying a slight knock that ruled him out of last week against Dulwich Hamlet, when asked after the game how he was feeling, he did state that he is getting there so fingers crossed young Elias is available for selection very soon. 

Much to be said for the current state of affairs in the squad, yes it is a little threadbare and yes we could arguably use some additional squad players to challenge the first team and fill in gaps at times such as this when we are carrying a few knocks. Sadly regardless of what anyone says, the budget simply is not there for CTFC to bring in and carry a large squad. Our playing budget is directly affected by the gate figures and fundraising of both the club and it's patrons. Neil Blackmore does a fantastic job of running this football club in line with it's budgets and within our means, and the gaffer has always got more bang for his buck, putting together not only a side capable of destroying the Southern Premier League, but also consolidating the Bluebirds in the National League South. So there are a couple of ways right there in which you can help, even if you were to simply invite a friend along for a beer in the clubhouse and a game of FA Cup football it makes a huge difference. An additional 50 bodies in the ground is around £500-£600 the club wouldn't have had if it weren't for their presence so if you know someone on the fence, who used to come but not so much anymore, that's been thinking of coming for a while but just hasn't got around to it, there is no time like the present. 

So get yourselves down in your numbers to Hardenhuish Park this Saturday. Yes it might be a little nostalgia pinch after reading the book and watching the DVD again but if those experiences has taught us anything, it is that when Chippenham pull together, fans, board, players, managers and all in between, we are a fantastic club and anything is possible, even the impossible . These lot will travel well with around 100+ Slough expected to make the trip, so let's get as many there in defiance as possible and once again turn HP into the fortress it has been for so many years. 

COYMB

Last edited by TheVoice (02/10/2019 10:17 AM)