Spalding chase first FA Cup first round since 1964 despite injury crisis

Thursday 15 October 2026 · By Seth Calderbank

Spalding United are one win away from the FA Cup first round proper for the first time since 1964. Jimmy Dean’s side host Alvechurch of the Southern League Premier Central at the Sir Halley Stewart Field on Saturday (17 October, 3pm), and the manager’s message is simple.

“Carpe diem and seize the day – because it’s a massive match for us,” Dean told Lincs Online. “It’s a massive game for the town and we want to be in that hat for the draw on Monday.” He added that “the town has waited a long time to have a team with a real chance”.

The first round draw takes place on Monday 19 October.

Spalding will have to do it without several key players. Six senior players are out injured: skipper Liam Moore, Tosin Olopade, Tom Pugh, Yusifu Ceesay, Jack Roberts and Dion Sembie-Ferris. That is a significant list for a squad at this level.

Dean will hope top scorer Bart Cybulski is ready. He was not risked in last weekend’s league game at Marine, which Spalding lost 1–0, to protect his fitness for the Cup.

Alvechurch are fifth in the Southern League Premier Central and will be dangerous opponents. Their squad includes Ben Stephens and Danny Newton, who were both part of Harborough Town’s title-winning squad, as well as Miracle Okafor, formerly of Tamworth and Brackley, and Jonny Ngandu, who previously played for Spalding.

Spalding reached the fourth qualifying round last season too, when they lost at South Shields. This time, they have home advantage. They reached this stage with a convincing 4–0 win over Bury Town in a third qualifying round replay on 6 October.

In the league, Spalding are eighth in the Enterprise National League North with 17 points from 11 games. They have conceded only nine goals, the same number as leaders Macclesfield and fourth-placed Chester; only Hereford and Oxford City have conceded fewer.

The Cup run has disrupted the fixture list. Spalding’s league game against Hebburn Town, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed, and the new date has yet to be confirmed by the club. After that, Spalding travel to Hednesford Town on Saturday 24 October and host Brackley Town on Tuesday 27 October.

For a club of Spalding’s size, a place in the first round would be a huge achievement. It would bring financial rewards, attention and the chance of a tie against a Football League club. Dean knows what it would mean to the town, and his words show how much the game matters to everyone at the club.

The injury list is a concern, but Spalding have shown resilience throughout the season. Their defence has been one of the best in the division, and they will need that solidity against an Alvechurch side with plenty of experience at this level.

Sixty-two years is a long time to wait. On Saturday, Spalding have a chance to end it, and Dean wants his players to seize the moment.