Super Marine

Swindon Supermarine 3-1 Winslow United (FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay)

I’ve always been fascinated by the name the Swindon Supermarine. The club originates from a merger between Swindon Athletic and Supermarine FC in 1992, before that the Marine founded in 1946 as Vickers Armstrong which was a social club associated with the Supermarine Aircraft company which made planes during the second world war, in 1983 the club decided to adopt the name Supermarine and I suppose the rest is history.

These days of the Southern League South Division, they spent five seasons between 2007 and 2012 and seven years between 2018 and 2025 at step three and are top of the table this season so far in step 4 (English football’s eighth tier) with four wins from four in the league.

Winslow United are from Buckinghamshire, nicknamed the Ploughmen they are 135 years old and play in the Southern League Central Division One, their highest ever run on the ladder, having earned promotion from the Spartan South Midlands League last season.

Cup history has been sparse from Winslow who entered the FA Cup for the first time in 2018 this is the furthest they have ever got having beaten Royal Wootton Bassett Town and Longlevens on penalties after a replay.

On Saturday they drew 0-0 with Swindon who have had plenty of cup success since the start of the Millennium, their best efforts in 2010/11 reaching the second round before being beaten narrowly at Colchester United, they have seen off Tuffley Rovers and Didcot Town so far ahead of their weekend draw with Winslow.

Winner gets to host Weymouth in the second qualifying round, a good two-and-a-half-hour drive is Swindon from my home in Nottingham, so I set off at 3pm as to not get caught in the Monday evening traffic, although I’m not entirely expecting a huge gate at the Imagine Cruising Stadium tonight.

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The Venue

I’m down the M1, A43, M40 back on the A43 past Oxford and then the A420 before bouncing along some country roads ahead of destination. The Hunts Copse ground is in the Northern part of town next to South Marston Industrial Estate which used to be the old airfield, South Marston Masters, Stirling Bombers and Spitfires all at one time made here.

These days it’s home to Amazon and DHL and the adjacent sports club is a sports hub of sorts, rugby, bowling, indoor shooting, outdoor model car racing, and of course football, it’s leafy, rural, you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere as I park up in the complex around 6:30pm at the same time as a lot of the home teams players arrive.

The Imagine Cruising Stadium (known by its current sponsor) is back lined by huge fir trees, I’m looking for the entrance as I’m directed by the steward to the turnstiles which are behind the club house and at the side of the model racing track which has a couple of cars buzzing around.

It’s £10 to get in as I enter at the side of the pitch, wide and fluffy looking aged surface the venue is small in the fact it only has a couple of roofed areas, to my right two separate seated stands no more than four or five rows high some with the seats off their hinges, opposite is an open end with changing facilities and two concrete dugouts, behind that to the left a small standing platform with roof, to the left and right ends which are pretty open, but I can’t help noticing a huge inflatable marquee type building behind the goal, apparently it has an all-weather pitch inside and gym.

It’s a venue that has seen better days, and it’s a venue annoying me as my EE signalled mobile has no signal, I’m walking around the perimeter trying to get some service and find two spots, behind the dugout in the cold, or by the corner flag, in the cold, I won’t be sitting down tonight.

The Game

I’m in a bad mood, the game has kicked off and I’m still trying to find a spot to watch it as I head towards the corner flag and perch myself over the barrier which seems a distance from the action as all the early play is over the far end.

The pitch is set back from the perimeter, plenty of space around it, most of the fans prefer to be stood up in the open end than sat down where the view is even further back. It’s a full throttle start and suddenly Winslow in pink are in their opponent’s box, a ball bouncing around the area falls to Abu Khan who volleys home and gives the away side the lead.

There’s a few travelling fans who celebrate, no more than 30 but their joy is cut short as Swindon Supermarine in their white and blue Reading Royal hoops go up the other end and win a corner. Smart play by the taker Cheldon Valere who drives a short low cross to the front post where Brad Hooper is on hand to smash home and level.

The slight framed Valere is a highly talented young teenager on the right wing, tricky and game he causes plenty of problems for the visitors but its bulkier blonde midfielder Zach Rugman making the difference, he puts a foot in and looks to deliver balls into the box, one of which finds centre forward Dan Ware who emphatically volleys home a second, some goal, you wait all weekend for some net bulging action, suddenly three come at once.

The Score

It’s a deserved lead for Supermarine at half time, they have most of the play and impress with solid no frills defending, some tenacious midfield ball winning and some speedy wide play, Winslow on the break look dangerous but don’t really get the rub of the green, Ty Deacon is isolated up front, Lynton Cross looks to be an outlet, wearing number ten, but every time he carries the ball forward, he’s often isolated, and eventually dispossessed.

One player who impresses me in the first half with his defending, impresses in the second with his delivery, left back Tawana Changa is an English Colleges FA International, he is physical and no nonsense, he swings a lovely left footed cross which is met by the late running Brad Hooper again, the number eight heads home and grabs a second of the game, a goal which is a killer blow for Winslow and is one scored on 53 which looks to have put the tie to bed.

There’s plenty to go and the visitors don’t give up, but their attacking threat is limited, in fact their best player in possession is arguably their goalkeeper Jake Strong who has one of the best right foots I’ve ever seen. His kicking is ridiculously long and straight, he reaches the opposition box from his own area with nothing more than a soft punch, I can’t help watching his technique, the Swindon secretary mentions that Winslow’s two strengths on Saturday came from corners and goal kicks, I think everyone around me is impressed with how clean and how far this keeper can kick the ball.

There’s banter from the sideline as Strong tries on a couple of occasions to chip balls across to his full backs, he’s not so good at those and a couple go out of play, to one fans delight, Strong is now in full conversation with a Swindon fan on the sideline about his kicking, whilst the game continues at the other end, as he gets the ball back to him, he then pumps a 70 yard cross field pass perfectly to his winger. “How about that one fella” says Strong. “YOU CAAANT” he follows, in a southern accent.

Despite Winslow’s late rally the game stales towards inevitable ending, it’s been a decent performance by Swindon who are top of their league for a reason, they have some good bloody players, and I’m sure they’ll give Weymouth a tough time in the next round.

One bonus for me? I’m stood by the corner flag which is nearest exit to the car park, there’s only 280 in tonight but I’m first out through the doors, straight into the car and out before the players have finished shaking hands, on my way back towards Oxford and home in the north.

The Stars

Brad Hooper impressed with two well taken goals the midfielder got forward and was allowed to do so because Zach Rugman next to him played the destroyer, tackling, heading, doing the ugly stuff and breaking things up as an enforcer.

Out wide their young winger Cheldon Valere had a really good game and looks to have a promising career ahead of him whilst in attack Dan Warre took his goal brilliantly, and worked very hard for the team.

I really like Miles Ferguson at centre half a good sized figure with his dyed blonde hair who was calm and collected both on and off the ball, whilst left back Tawana Changa didn’t always get his delivery spot on, but one v one defending was a particular forte he enjoyed.

As for Winslow, Lynton Cross perhaps the best of an average bunch wearing ten, Abu Khan worked hard wide in midfield, I expected more from lone front man Ty Deacon who I had previously watched at Stratford Town, he picked up a booking and was subbed before defender Ethan Ferguson ended the match in attack, the star of United’s show, no question the goalkeeper Jake Strong, who I might be tempted by if I was an NFL team looking for a kicker.

The Verdict

Signal struggles aside it’s a ground that has a bit of old charm and character but it’s not one that instantly warms the heart and I doubt I’ll be back anytime soon (note to myself to perhaps give this a miss if I ever do read this back). A little isolated is the Supermarine Sports Club (from anywhere) and with the pitch set back you don’t get that intimate feeling of being on top of the action, everything feels so far away.

As for the team itself, they are a good outfit, well organised with players who I feel are better than step four, and I highly believe that they should finish the season with some silverware that leads to promotion. They won’t win the FA Cup, but why not a little run that will put some more money into the Marine bank?

Winslow will head home heads held high, after taking on a top team over two legs and doing very well against them, in the end that little bit of quality that Swindon have, was what was needed to edge them through.

The Teams

Swindon Supermarine: Joel Halliday, Sam Turl, Tawana Changa, Ollie Case, Miles Ferguson, Zach Rugman, Cheldon Valere (Lucas Wilkinson 85), Brad Hooper (Dayo Sonoiki 87), Dan Warre (Jordan Annear 83), Joe Shepherd, Gabe Reivers (Jamie Edge 81).

Winslow United: Jake Strong, Jack Smith, Jack Rowe (Levi Nicholson 54), Ethan Flannagan, Ryan Freshwater, Harry Stratton (Ed Odley 85), Scott Valentine (Toby Herdman-Smith 74), George Kerr (Alex Munroe 59), Ty Deacon, Lynton Cross, Abu Khan.

7:4pm Kick Off. Monday 7th September 2026, Hunts Copse, South Marston (att 284).