Stafford Rangers play National League Gateshead away on Saturday 17 October at 3pm. A win is worth £9,375 and a place in the FA Cup first round proper.

Stafford Rangers are one win away from the first round proper of the FA Cup. They play Gateshead away on Saturday 17 October, kick-off 3pm, in the fourth qualifying round.

Rangers got there by winning Tuesday’s replay at Halesowen Town 2-1. Joe Dunne headed the opener on 31 minutes and substitute Remi Efunnuga scored the winner on 82 minutes. The club’s match report puts the crowd at 2,078, including about 600 travelling Rangers fans.

The first tie, at Marston Road on 3 October, finished 1-1. Rangers were seconds from winning it before Halesowen equalised in stoppage time.

Six ties, six games unbeaten

Rangers play in the Northern Premier League Division One West. This season’s run has taken six games, five of them at home. The results, from the club’s fixtures and results page:

Date Round Opponent Result
8 August Extra preliminary Tividale (home) Won 5-0
22 August Preliminary Matlock Town (home) Won 2-1
5 September First qualifying Northampton ON Chenecks (home) Won 3-0
19 September Second qualifying Hereford (home) Won 3-2
3 October Third qualifying Halesowen Town (home) Drew 1-1
6 October Third qualifying replay Halesowen Town (away) Won 2-1

The club’s own report calls Halesowen “a higher ranked side”. Gateshead are higher again. They play in the National League, three divisions above Rangers, and the fourth qualifying round is where they come into the competition. Gateshead announced the tie on 5 October. The match is at Gateshead International Stadium.

The scoreboard at Halesowen Town's ground reading 90:00 and 1-2, above the Harry Rudge Stand with spectators below
The scoreboard at Halesowen at the end of normal time on Tuesday. Photo: via Stafford Rangers FC

What the run is worth

The FA pays prize money to the winner of every round. Its 2026-27 prize fund gives these amounts per club for the rounds Rangers have won:

  • extra preliminary round: £1,125
  • preliminary round: £1,444
  • first qualifying round: £2,250
  • second qualifying round: £3,375
  • third qualifying round: £5,625

That adds up to £13,819 so far. A draw earns nothing extra.

Saturday is worth more than all of those put together. The winners of a fourth qualifying tie get £9,375 and the losers £3,125. Winning a first round tie is worth £47,750, which is where the money starts to change a club’s year.

The last time

The club, believed to have been founded around 1876, has a long cup history. Its history page records the 1974/75 run, when Rangers beat Stockport, Halifax and Rotherham to reach the fourth round, then lost to Peterborough in front of 31,160 at Stoke’s Victoria Ground. Its honours list adds second round runs in 1975/76, 1979/80, 1992/93 and 2006/07.

The most recent run the club’s history describes is 2006/07, when Rangers reached the second round and lost to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The league form is good too. Rangers were third in the Northern Premier League Division One West table on the club’s website, and beat Mossley 3-0 at home on Saturday, four days after the replay.

What it means for you

  • Kick-off is 3pm on Saturday 17 October at Gateshead International Stadium.
  • Away travel is on sale from Rangers. The club’s match page links to tickets and away travel.
  • Gateshead had not published its ticket details by 11 October. On 5 October the club said they would be “confirmed in due course”. Check both clubs’ websites before you travel.
  • If Rangers win, they go into the draw for the first round proper, and the £47,750 prize for winning a tie in that round.

If you are a Stafford club, school or group with news of your own, you can send it to us.

Sources