Stockton Town vs Guiseley
DATE: Saturday 5th September 2026
KICK-OFF: 15:00
ENTRY: £14 Adults, £11 Concessions, £6 U18’s, £4 U11’s (Season tickets are not valid for this fixture)
GROUND: The MAP Group UK Stadium, Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 0QD
LIVE UPDATES: @stockton_townfc – Twitter/X
LIVE COMMENTARY: Click to listen to live coverage on Anchors TV.
Stockton Town begin their latest Emirates FA Cup campaign when they welcome Guiseley to the MAP Group UK Stadium in the First Qualifying Round.
The Anchors embark on their 10th FA Cup campaign. Last season they slipped at the first hurdle as they suffered a cupset in a 2-1 defeat at Step 4 Trafford at this same stage. The season prior was their best-ever run which ended in a replay defeat at Chester in the Third Qualifying Round.
Tomorrow’s tie marks a welcomedbreak from league action for both sides after a relentless eight game stint in August, which included a meeting between the two sides as Guiseley ran out 3-0 winners at Nethermoor. It is also the club’s second-ever FA Cup meeting after they faced off in the Second Qualifying Round back in 2019. The teams were poles apart back then with Guiseley in Step 2 and Stockton Town in Step 5.
For Stockton, the defeat at Guiseley just under two weeks ago began a three-game losing streak which has cemented their poor start to the season of just a single victory in eight games.
Michael Dunwell believes the West Yorkshire side are the best Stockton have faced, “I think Guiseley are the best team we have played this season. They were great going forward and the movement from the front four was excellent.”
On tomorrow’s tie, he continued: “We have to go into it with nothing to lose. Going on the balance of play we’re probably the underdogs even though we’re at home.”
The Anchors will be boosted for their tough matchup with Layton Watts returning from his suspension.
Immediately following that win over Stockton, Guiseley suffered a disappointing home loss to Lancaster City but recovered with an impressive 4-0 win at Emley on Bank Holiday Monday.
The win saw them end August in 5th, which is reasonable after last season’s midtable finish but for their squad quality the Lions will be aiming for a serious title challenge.
Despite their league aspirations, manager Ian Richards remains hopeful of mounting an FA Cup run: “We’re going to treat the league as the priority but let’s see how well we can do in every competition. We have the squad to do it when fit and we’ll give it a right good go.”
