AHHH! The magic of the FA Cup.

Sadly the sprinkling of FA Cup magic dust didn’t land on Leiston last week as visitors Banbury confidently booked their passage to the next round.

To add to our FA Cup wound, Banbury drew fellow Step 3 side St Albans at home in the next round, what might have been, eh?

The FA Cup is such a wonderful competition that every non-league club at our level and below dreams of reaching the first round maybe further. So when that dream of the first round, in Leiston’s case, 17 years and counting since their last appearance, disappears, it’s not a great feeling.

It’s an old cliche, but it’s always ‘whoever turns up on the day’ and unfortunately, like the interviews said after the game, Leiston didn’t show up as they had been recently.

Oh well, there’s always next year.

+++++

After a quartet of home games, it’s a quartet of away games which started last Tuesday at Walsham-le-Willows for the Blues.

It was many a year since I last visited this part of Suffolk, while my old mate Tick Tock had never been.

That was his excuse anyway, as he was heading towards Bury St Edmunds at one stage and when I asked him where we were going he replied, ‘To see Wind in the Willows at the Theatre Royal, Bury aren’t we?’

Give me strength. He never listens. Thankfully we managed to nip off at Rougham to re-route and had enough time to stop off for a cask ale at the Blue Boar, the nominated driver had a lemonade and a packet of Nobby Nuts.

The trip was made worthwhile with a fine away victory. I think next time we should revert to letting the train take the strain, so we can both enjoy some light beverages.

Now... as he's offered to drive again this weekend, how can I make sure Tick Tock puts in Lewes (Sussex) and not Lewis (Outer Hebrides) in his Sat Nav?

The things I have to worry about!