Real Bedford Women will travel to Middlesbrough in the first round of the FA Women’s National League Cup following Wednesday evening’s draw.

The Pirates were paired with the Northern Premier Division side in the northern section of the draw on 30th September, setting up a trip to Teesside with a place in the last 16 at stake. The tie follows a perfect group-stage campaign for Charlie Bill’s side, who won all three matches to secure top spot in Group P.

First-round fixtures are scheduled for Sunday 1st November. Further information on the venue, kick-off time and tickets for our trip will be shared once confirmed. 

Match details

Competition: FAWNL Cup - First Round

Date: Sunday 1st November 2026

Kick-off: 2pm

Venue: MAP Group UK Stadium, Stockton Town FC, Bishopton Road West, Stockton-on-Tees, TS19 0QD.

Our cup journey

Our route to the knockout stages began with a 5-1 victory over Northampton Town, followed by an impressive 4-0 win away at London Bees. Those results set up a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur PGA at the Ledger Stadium, with both teams heading into the final group fixture on maximum points. 

The Pirates completed the job with a 3-0 victory on Sunday. Melis Mehmet opened the scoring before Ellie Head struck twice to secure first place and automatic qualification for the Cup knockout stages. We finished with nine points from nine, scoring 12 goals and conceding just once across the three matches. 

Middlesbrough now provide a different challenge as we face opposition from the northern half of the third tier. 

Opposition focus

Boro won the FAWNL Division One North title in 2024/25 and followed that promotion with a fifth-place finish in the Northern Premier Division last season.

Head coach Joe Lillie leads a side with recent experience of reaching the latter stages of this competition. Middlesbrough progressed to the FAWNL Cup quarter-finals in 2025/26, where their run ended against Burnley. Their first season back at third-tier level therefore brought both a top-half league finish and a place among the Cup’s final eight. 

Boro have had a tougher start to the current league campaign, taking three points from their opening five matches. Their victory came against West Bromwich Albion, while their four defeats included three narrow 1-0 losses. With only five league goals conceded in those five games, they have remained competitive defensively despite results leaving them tenth in the table at the end of September. 

about the cup

The FAWNL Cup brings together National League clubs and participating Professional Game Academy teams. This season’s group stage fed into two separate knockout competitions: the 22 group winners and ten best runners-up qualified for the Cup, while the remaining 12 runners-up and 20 best third-placed sides entered the Plate. Our first-place finish secured a place among the 32 Cup qualifiers. 

From here, the competition is a straight knockout. Victory at Middlesbrough would take the Pirates into the second round, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. Teams eliminated from the Cup at this stage do not transfer into the Plate.

Under the published FAWNL Cup rules, a match level after 90 minutes goes to extra time, with two additional periods of 15 minutes. If the scores remain level after extra time, a penalty shootout decides who progresses. There is no replay. 

After an excellent start to our cup campaign, the aim is now to carry that form into the knockout rounds and bring a place in the last 16 back to Bedford.

Keep an eye on the club website and our women’s social media channels for further fixture information. Follow @RBFCWomen on X and @realbedfordwomen on Instagram for the latest updates.