Tooting Bec keen to extend fairy-tale FA Cup run
· Yahoo Sports
Tooting Bec Women are plotting another FA Cup upset having caused one of the shocks of the third qualifying round to reach the competition proper for the first time.
The tier-six side came from behind to beat tier-five Oxford City 2-1 last Sunday and will now face tier-four outfit Chatham Town in the first round at the end of October.
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Not only does the win over Oxford represent one of the greatest results in The Bec's history but it also secured them much-needed funds through the Women's FA Cup prize purse.
Even if they lose to Chatham they will exit the competition having earned £12.3k, while another surprise victory would see that total soar to a minimum of £20.8k.
"It's already an incredible amount of money for a club like us," Tooting Bec director of women's football Chloe Parsons told BBC London.
"It costs around £25k a year to run the club. About £10k of that comes from the players themselves.
"It's very hard to find the rest of the money especially as our costs have soared since both our first team and reserve team won promotion last season.
"Pitch costs have gone through the roof. The cost of officials has gone through the roof. So, the prize money we've earned so far means the rest of the season is safe and we can start building for next year."
As is the case for most of the clubs in the qualifying rounds of the Women's FA Cup, Tooting Bec are a grassroots club with players paying subs to play.
The south London outfit do not have their own ground and host games on the training pitches at Imperial Fields, the home of semi-pro men's club Tooting & Mitcham FC.
'Incredible journey'
Tooting Bec FC women's team was founded in 2018 by Simon Hancock who ran the club until the end of last season when the first team won promotion to the London & South East Regional Women's League Division One North.
That success was achieved under current first-team manager Luis Emanuel whose "pre-match prep and analysis have been second to none", according to Parsons.
Despite being newcomers to tier six, the team has come through three rounds of FA Cup qualifying, beating fellow tier-six sides Greenwich Borough and Maidstone before the victory over Oxford City.
Of the 142 teams to play in this season's third qualifying round so far (one postponed game is yet to take place), The Bec were one of only nine to beat a team from a higher division.
Against Oxford, they were trailing 1-0 before striker Bryony Bancroft equalised and, three minutes into added time, central midfielder Simone Folkes headed home the winner from captain Eleanor White's free kick.
"With one minute to go it was absolutely incredible," said White, who works as a team lead in community mental health.
"It just shows the grit and determination that this club and this group of girls has got that we've made it this far. It's been an incredible journey."
Goalkeeper and vice-captain Rosie Lethbridge described the scenes at the final whistle as "pure emotion", and said the cup run embodied what grassroots football is all about.
"This club is built on the back of volunteers and it's such an incredible achievement to beat Oxford," she said.
'Up for the fight'
Tooting Bec have been fortunate to land a home draw in every round of the FA Cup and will now face Chatham Town at Imperial Fields in the first round on Sunday 25 October.
Chatham represent a considerable step up in quality of opposition.
They are currently riding high near the top of the Women's National League Division One South East, two divisions above Tooting Bec.
"We've always got a chance," said Parsons. "We're used to being the underdogs."
White agreed, saying: "With Chatham being two tiers above us we know it's going to be a challenge but we don't doubt ourselves and we're going to be up for the fight."
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