Grays return to Cup action on Saturday 6th September, as we welcome Milton Keynes (MK) Irish to the EMR Stadium for an F.A.Trophy Qualifying Round tie. This will be MK Irish's debut in the F.A.Trophy. Kick off is 3.00pm.

Remember, in the Trophy, if it's level after 90 minutes, it goes straight to penalties. There is no Extra Time and no replays.

MK Irish may not be a familiar name to many of our supporters, which is not entirely surprising as they were only formed in 2020. Their background is a little complicated so bear with me. They were born as a result of a merger of three clubs; MK Robins, who were previously known as Buckingham Town F.C; Unite MK, who were founded as Wolverton Town F.C and Milton Keynes Irish Veterans.

Saturday will be our first meeting with The Irish, but we have played against one of their forerunners; we faced Buckingham Town in 1981/2 in the 4th Round of the F.A.Vase at their Ford Meadow ground, with our hosts winning 3-1. Grays consolation goal came from Trevor Spicer. Buckingham Town were evicted from Ford Meadow in 2011, eventually settling at Manor Fields in Bletchley, which is now MK Irish's home ground.

Older supporters may remember that we played Wolverton in the Isthmian League in 1987/88, but that was Wolverton AFC, who went out of business in 1992. Those games resulted in two wins for The Blues; 3-0 at The Rec, with goals from Tony "The Gazelle" Boorman, Nicky Crown and Phil Sammons and a 1-0 win at Wolverton where our winner was scored by the late, great Micky Welch.

I remember Wolverton's old ground, overlooked by a railway maintenance shed sitting atop a retaining wall that ran the length of the pitch. A very old stand was built up against the retaining wall with locals telling us that it was the oldest stand anywhere in the game. The ground was converted to a public park after the old Wolverton club folded.

MK Irish started life in 2020 in Division One of the Spartan South Midlands League, (Step 6). Coronavirus interrupted their first season but they were promoted to Step 5 on a PPG (points per game) basis. A season in the United Counties League followed before transfer back to Spartan South Midlands.

Irish enjoyed a good campaign in 2023/24, finishing 2nd, but then losing to FC Romania in the play offs. Then last season they clinched the title with 85 points, 11 points clear of runners up, Tring Athletic. They scored freely and only lost one league game all season. They also impressed in the F.A.Cup, beating Concord Rangers away and nearly doing an Island double as they led at Canvey Island before succumbing to a late winner.

This season they have been promoted to Step 4, joining Southern League Central, the same division as Hitchin Town. After a slow start, losing their first 4 games, they managed their first win last Saturday, 2-1 away at AFC Dunstable. Previously they only lost 1-0 at Leighton Town, who are one of the strongest teams in their division and had an excellent 3-2 win in the F.A.Cup over our old friends and rivals, Heybridge Swifts.

MK Irish are managed by Terry Shrieves, a former player and manager at Buckingham Town. I believe Terry has been The Irish's manager from day one. He is assisted by Glyn Creaser, a defender who played for Barnet and Wycombe Wanderers in the 1980s and 1990s.

Grays suffered defeat last time out to a very good Felixstowe and Walton side that schooled us in being clinical in the box. Although the result was 3-0 to The Seasiders, I thought some of our approach play showed promise, especially considering the disruption of yet another injury to add to the list. Our finishing was not quite sharp enough, and consequently we drew a blank for the third time in our last four games.

Felixstowe's keeper, Harry Wright, made two crucial saves either side of half time when a goal for Grays would've opened up the game. Felixstowe's second came from a good move, with George Marsh's save falling perfectly for ex Blue, Dan Gilchrist, to score. The margins can be very small, even in a 3-0 game.

It was good to see Alfie Wellens make his debut from the bench and showcase his obvious potential. Welcome Alfie, we look forward to seeing a lot more of you during your loan period with us. Also, a warm welcome to Thierry Stewart, a young striker, with loads of potential. He has been playing for Colchester United's Under 21s. Good luck in your time with us, Thierry.

Grays Athletic have a very proud history in the F.A.Trophy which we want to uphold. We must not underestimate MK Irish, who have a growing reputation and seem to enjoy the role of underdogs in Cup games. We have a rare home tie and we need to make this count.

See you all at the EMR as we play for a place in the next round. Be Loud, Be Proud.

COYB!