Women’s FA Cup exclusive: Cheadle Town Stingers ready to make history against Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Cheadle Town Stingers are all set to make history in the Women’s FA Cup on Saturday.

They take on Middlesbrough in the first round proper – and become the first teams to have their match televised at this stage of the competition.

Manager Dylan Wimbury tells SheKicks.net that he might have had a haircut for his media duties in the run-up to the clash – but he won’t be donning a suit for the occasion.

“I’m not changing my appearance!” he says. “I’ll be wearing my tracksuit I wear every day! I’ll be representing the badge properly.”

The news that their match had been selected for television broadcast came as a bit of a shock.

“We were expecting two Football League teams to get the call-up,” he admits. “People aren’t going to recognise ‘Cheadle Town Stingers’. We’re going to be known in the nation, not just in the north-west of England.”

It’s meant lots of work outside the usual evening training sessions for both Wimbury and his players.

“It’s been a very busy week. I’m not sure how professional managers cope with it! It’s been crazy. We’ve had press conferences, we’ve had local television, it’s been really cool to have that different side of football and that professional feel off the pitch.

“It’s a bit surreal. We still can’t get over it.

“We’re making history, we’re creating records, and we’re really proud to be one of the two teams picked for this historic occasion.”

Business as usual for Cheadle Town Stingers

Cheadle Town Stingers are currently top of the FA Women’s National League Division One North, winning all six of their league matches so far this season.

And Middlesbrough are familiar opponents. Indeed, it was Boro who pipped Stingers to promotion last season. Both teams finished on 51 points – eight points ahead of the chasing pack – but Boro won the title thanks to their superior goal difference.

Wimbury’s players would be forgiven for feeling a little extra motivation to want to win this particular cup match, then, with a trip to second-placed Wythenshawe in midweek then a meeting with Chorley at home next weekend.

“They’ve trained well,” he says. “It’s a really tough week football-wise coming up, with three massive games in the week. It needs to be business as usual.

“But they’re excited. It’s constant discussions about hair and make-up and not falling over on the telly!

“The girls are in really good spirits, and it’s a good one for the players who have been with us for a long, long time but it’s also good for the younger players for getting that exposure to what it could be like to be a professional footballer one day.”