After seven seasons playing at step four, last season’s relegation from the Southern League means the Kingfishers are back competing in the FA Vase. Today’s tie will be the first Thatcham have played since the 2018 final at Wembley, when Shane Cooper-Clark’s penalty was enough to defeat Stockton Town.

Thatcham have begun this season’s Combined Counties campaign with a draw and a defeat. In the FA Cup, victory over Petersfield was followed by a harsh 4-0 exit at Shaftesbury last weekend.

Meanwhile Odd Down are also winless in their Western League Division One campaign to date. From four games they have registered two points. On the opening day they returned from Cadbury Heath with a point following a thrilling 4-4 draw. Meanwhile they drew 1-1 at home to Radstock Town but lost captain Dom Walter to a bad knee injury.

In last season’s competition, Odd Down were defeated at the first hurdle, losing 2-0 at home to Brislington at their Lew Hill Memorial Ground in Bath.

In his programme notes, manager Cameron Philbey said,

"Despite the scoreline, I thought we performed well at Shaftesbury. I do think the first two goals were avoidable, but I’m not too worried about the late goals - it was cup football and we were losing so we had to change our shape and throw more forwards on.

That test against higher level opposition probably came a bit early for us. While I felt we acquitted ourselves well, I’d like to think that in a couple of months’ time we wouldn’t make those silly mistakes and would also score a couple.

Today may be different. Rather than focusing on being well organised and not doing anything too fancy, we are probably expected to be the dominant team.

We need to put that level of performance into the bread and butter of the league and start picking up points. But more generally it does feel like we are forming into a unit, starting to click, and the players are picking up the new feel of the club.

The FA Vase win was a brilliant time for the club and the town. Even people who were not football fans felt the local pride. It’s a privilege to now be in charge of the club in our first game back in the competition.

Compared to the Vase winning team, our current squad is at a different stage of its journey. But I’ve told the players how great it would be to go on a Cup run, get even more fans through the gate and hopefully land some exciting ties.

We want to put on a good show and demonstrate what we’re about.”

The club are grateful to President David Downs who is kindly sponsoring the match ball for today's tie.