Slimbridge AFC welcome Dorchester Town to Thornhill Park this Saturday (August 30th) in the FA Cup First Round Qualifying, with kick off at 3pm. 

Admission for this cup game is £8 for adults, £6 for concessions and U16s free. It is also important to note that season tickets are not valid for this game.

This tie marks just the fourth time on record that the Swans have faced a Step 3 side in a competitive fixture, following previous encounters with Yate Town, Merthyr Town and Chippenham Town.

Ahead of the game, Slimbridge would like to thank Kevin & Kirsty from the Hoptician micro-pub Dursley for being our match ball sponsor for this huge game at Thornhill Park. 

We'd also like to thank EDM Solutions, are matchday sponsor. We appreciate all your support this season. 

Dorchester play their football in the Southern League Premier South, and currently sit 21st after recording two points from their opening five matches. 

Their top goal scorer so far this season is attacking midfielder, Tom Smith, who has three goals to his name. Smith brings plenty of pedigree, with over 250 appearances for Bath City, and last season netting nine times in 36 outings for Taunton Town. Underlining the quality Slimbridge will come up against this weekend.

The Swans, however, have made a flying start to the season, winning five and drawing one of their opening six league matches. With FA Cup victories over Corsham Town and Portishead Town having now set up this historic clash at Thornhill Park.

Speaking ahead of the game, the management team reflected on both the strong start and the memorable cup journey so far:

"The season has started better than any of us could have expected. The group has really come together. And since our pre-season game against Forest Green Rovers, the bond has grown stronger, creating a fantastic atmosphere both on and off the pitch.

"The lads have worked hard, and the results so far reflect that effort. We know it's still early days, but confidence is high at the moment."

On the Swans' FA Cup run, they added:

"The FA Cup has provided us with some tough challenges, with draws that haven't always been kind. Beating Corsham in the Extra Preliminary Round was a special day for the supporters, and we felt we fully earned it.

"Portishead, however, was a very different test. With three or four lads missing, we travelled there with hope. But the group thrived off confidence that grew throughout the game, and showed real character to get the win."

Finally, the management team praised the Swans faithful and called for another strong show of support at Thornhill Park:

"This Saturday brings another challenge, and one the lads are really looking forward to. It would be fantastic to see a big crowd behind us, especially as it's been a while since we've played at home.

"The away support over the last four games has been outstanding, and we're hugely grateful for it. We'll train on Thursday and head into the weekend ready and focused."

This is the FA Cup, everyone knows what can happen in this competition. The games we've played to get us into this position have confirmed that. 

It's time to go again, but this time, we do it at our home. Make sure you join us and get behind the lads as we look to create more club history this season.