Emirates FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying
Harborough Town v Rushall Olympic
Saturday 19th September 2026
Kick-off: 3.00 pm
Venue: The Beehive
Author – James Lee
Image – RB Media
FA Cup action returns to The Beehive on Saturday as Harborough Town take on Rushall Olympic FC. This will be the first competitive meeting between the sides, so both teams will want to make an impression.
This clash has all the makings of a classic cup tie and is sure to be a tough test, backed up by manager Mitch Austin. He said: “We need to take this very serious, Rushall are a good side.”
Rushall Olympic were originally founded in 1893 and competed in District leagues but disbanded before the Second World War. Reformed in 1951, they moved to Dales Lane in 1977, where they have called home ever since. Earning promotion to Step three in the 2010/11 season through the playoffs, they established themselves before making club history by getting promoted to the National League North through the playoffs in the 2022/23 season, where they finished 19th in 2023/24 before returning to Step three the following season after finishing 22nd with 35 points, and now compete in the Southern Premier League.
Manager Ian Long was appointed in April 2025. Long established himself as a manager after starting his managerial career with Tipton Town in 2012 before managing other clubs such as Alvechurch, Stourbridge and Walsall Wood, before returning to manage The Pics, where he played until 2003. Rushall currently find themselves in seventh in the Southern Premier League, winning four out of their seven league fixtures so far, but did most recently lose 4-2 away against Peterborough Sports. However, in the first qualifying round, they came out victorious, beating fellow division side Stourbridge 3-1 away from home.
There are several players that Harborough will have to monitor closely during the game, one of these being midfielder Alex Moore, who has earned himself the nickname of ‘Scholesey’ within the club. His association with The Pics goes back over seven years before he rejoined the club prior to last season. He has had a good start to the season, scoring three goals, which makes him the club’s joint top scorer so far. Another key player is 22-year-old Tyler Roberts, who is a product of Wolves’ academy and has featured for clubs such as Doncaster Rovers, AFC Fylde and Tamworth before joining The Pics in August. Scoring two of the three goals against Stourbridge to qualify his team to this round, he will be looking to help his side advance further in the competition. Another key man is fast forward Luke Yates, who arrived at the club in June having previously worked with manager Ian Long at Alvechurch. He has hit the ground running, scoring three goals this season.
Harborough will be hoping to get back to winning ways after failing to clinch a victory in their past three games and not scoring in any of these, losing two and drawing 0-0 most recently at home against Telford United. Having recently lost their unbeaten record at The Beehive against Hereford, everyone will want to get back on track as soon as possible and see the goals return to The Beehive.
The FA Cup provides the magic to turn a cold afternoon into something unforgettable, a competition where reputation means little as anything can happen. The oldest national football competition in the world, football in its purest form, and it returns to The Beehive. Who will stand tall and be the hero on Saturday afternoon?
🎟️ | Ticket Purchase Link – Buy Tickets Online Now
Harborough Town Football Club can announce ticketing information for supporters ahead of our Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round fixture against Rushall Olympic on Saturday 19th September 2026.
Match Ticket Prices
Adults: £18
Concessions (65+): £10
Disabled: £10
Blue Light: £10 – valid Blue Light ID required on entry
Juniors (14–16): £5
Juniors (5–13): £5*
Carers: FREE when purchased with a paying Disabled ticket.
Under 5s: FREE when purchased with a paying Adult/Concession ticket.*
* Please note that all supporters under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Season Tickets & Coach/Player Passes
Due to Emirates FA Cup competition rules, Fanbase season tickets and coach/player passes are not valid for this fixture.
Segregation
Crowd Segregation will be in operation at the Beehive for this fixture.
Home Supporters should enter via the turnstiles to the right of the clubhouse.
Away Supporters should enter via the turnstile to the left of the clubhouse and will be situated at the top end of the ground, with dedicated bar, food and toilet facilities available.
All supporters are advised to follow the instructions of our volunteers on arrival, who will be on hand to assist with any enquiries.
Home Supporters
Home Supporters are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance through Fanbase.
Advance purchase will help supporters enjoy a quicker and smoother entry into the stadium on matchday.
Online sales will close at 11.00am on Saturday 19th September 2026.
Following the closure of advance online sales, remaining tickets will be available to purchase at the Home Turnstile from 1.30pm.
Away Supporters
Tickets for away supporters are available online only via the Harborough Town FC Fanbase Ticketing Platform.
Advance online sales will close at 11.00am on Saturday 19th September 2026.
There will be no away ticket sales on the gate on the day of the match. Any away supporters arriving without a valid advance online ticket will be refused entry.
Away supporters are therefore advised not to travel without first purchasing their ticket online.
Purchase tickets here:
https://app.fanbaseclub.com/fixture/harborough-town-fc/22620