The Buildbase FA Trophy will enter its third round qualifying stage later this month, with the draw made at Wembley on Monday morning. There will be a total of 40 ties at the next stage, with games scheduled to take place on Saturday 23rd November 2019.
While Chester FC may not have an FA Cup draw to look forward to this evening like some non-league sides, they do have the not so small matter of the FA Trophy to look forward to. Chester joined the draw today at the third qualifying round stage, which is regionalised, and were handed a tough assignment away at fellow National League North side Brackley Town after the draw was made at Wembley HQ at 1 pm.
The tie will be played at St James Park on Saturday, November 23 and will be Chester’s second visit to Northamptonshire in the space of a month after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the league on November 2.
Chester managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley are keen to do well in the Trophy this year. It’s also true that today’s manager has seen his authority weaken to the point of not really being able to wield influence in some cases. Unfortunately, an early exit means blank weekends and a run in the competition can generate some welcome funds. With the bosses keen to keep their whole squad sharp for when the National League North season really kicks in, they view the Trophy as an excellent way to keep up the momentum.
So, regarding Chester FC’s upcoming match against Gateshead, the Blues are odds-on favorite for this match. Gateshead goes as a clear outsider in the game and we have absolutely no doubt about who will win this at the end of the match. So we think there´s no reason to cover this bet with a possible draw.
With games scheduled to take place on Saturday 23 November 2019, winning clubs at this stage will pick up £3750 from the competition’s prize fund, while the losing clubs will take home £1250.
