Redcar Town Faces Darlington in FA Cup Live Broadcast

The FA Cup’s capacity for a good story has never been in doubt. This time, the cameras are heading to Mo Mowlam Memorial Park.

BBC Sport has chosen Redcar Town’s Emirates FA Cup second round qualifying clash with Darlington for live broadcast, a remarkable stage for a club tasting the competition for the very first time. The tie will kick off at 12:30pm on Saturday 19 September and will be shown on BBC iPlayer, the Red Button, BBC Football’s YouTube channel and the BBC Sport website.

For Redcar Town, this is uncharted territory. New to the FA Cup, they have refused to play the part of nervous debutants. Newcastle Benfield were beaten. Bridlington Town were dispatched. Then came Blyth Spartans, a name steeped in Cup folklore, and Redcar still kept going, still found a way through.

Those wins have carried them to the second round qualifying, and now the challenge spikes. National League North side Darlington arrive fresh, entering the competition at this stage, armed with experience and expectation. They will also walk into a ground buzzing with a sense of occasion that goes far beyond league status.

The selection for live coverage underlines the appeal of the tie: a first-time entrant riding a wave of momentum against seasoned non-league opposition with loftier standing. It is the kind of meeting that keeps the early rounds of the FA Cup alive, where a modest ground can briefly become the centre of the footballing map.

Redcar Town have already written a small chapter in their own history by reaching this point. Under the glare of the BBC cameras, they now have the chance to turn it into something far bigger.