Weekend preview: Women open season with FA Cup visit

Royal Wootton Bassett Town's Women's First Team finally get their 2025-26 season underway on Sunday when James Lally and his team visit Frimley Green in the Adobe Women's FA Cup first qualifying round (2pm kick off). In each of the last three seasons, Bassett have suffered agonising exits at the third - and final - qualifying round stage with a pair of defeats away against Torquay United and a narrow home loss against AFC Stoneham sandwiched in between. They first need to see off Frimley Green though. Frimley Green are a brand new side, though, like Bassett, they ply their trade at step six of the Women's Football Pyramid, playing in the London & South East Regional Women's Football League Division One South. Although a new club, they are likely to feature players with experience of tier six football and the Women's FA Cup as their management team have moved across from former tier six side Woking. There's a big game for the Men's First Team too as Jonny Aitkenhead's side make the short journey to face local rivals Highworth Town on Saturday (3pm kick off). Both Bassett and Highworth will be looking at the derby encounter as means to kick start their Hellenic League Premier Division campaigns. Last season saw Bassett record a league double over the Worthians - their first since the 1993-94 season. The Development team are also in away derby action on Saturday as they travel to newly promoted Cricklade Town in the Wiltshire League Premier Division (3pm kick off).