What were you doing on 5 October?
Maybe you were at work. Maybe you were enjoying your Sunday roast. Maybe you were making memories in Marbella.
South London Women, however, were booking the biggest match in their history.
And after seeing off Ashridge Park 6-0 in the final qualifying round of the Women’s FA Cup, the level-seven outfit face a 2pm date with two-time winners Fulham in Sunday’s first round and South London club captain Harriet Drudge is relishing the chance to take on the fourth-tier side.
She said: “We’re really excited – it’s our second-ever time in the first round proper.”
“We’ve beaten teams from higher tiers to get here, so we’re absolutely delighted to be at this stage.
“We’re very, very excited to give it our best shot.”
The club’s achievement is all the more remarkable given they have only been eligible to compete in the competition for two years.
Participation is only open to teams from tier seven and above, a level which South London gained promotion to in 2023/24.
They also made the first round in their maiden appearance last season, eventually going down 2-1 to fifth-division Saltdean United.
Needless to say, the side’s exploits in the tournament have swelled their coffers.
They have already made £9,400 from this year’s run, and stand to take home at least £1,500 more even if they lose.
For Drudge, such figures are life changing.
She said: “It has such a big impact for a club like ours.
“It costs us around £30,000 to £40,000 to keep operational so the financial side of things has been really beneficial for us.”
And it isn’t just off the pitch that the club are reaping the rewards.
On it, their achievements have led to a raft of interest from new players.
Drudge said: “We’ve definitely used the fact we’re playing in the FA Cup as a recruitment tool.
“We’re very ambitious. We’re looking to progress and maybe make it into tier six, and being in the FA Cup has been a big draw for that.”
If South London are to play David to Fulham’s Goliath, then the contribution of Rachel Todd will be particularly vital.
The dynamic winger has FA Cup pedigree, having popped up with goals in last season’s competition – including in the ultimately unsuccessful effort against Saltdean.
Ruth Orbach is another key player to watch. The tenacious defensive midfielder is a rock in the centre of the pitch, and has herself netted a couple of times in this year’s campaign.
Preparation for Sunday’s big game couldn’t have gone any better, with the side securing a thumping 5-0 victory over their bogey team Comets in the Greater London Women’s Football League.
Such results, allied to the team’s feats in the world’s premier knockout competition, are enough to make anyone forget South London are a Sunday League side.
But it is a fact Drudge is well aware of, and she is under no illusions as to the scale of the task ahead.
She said: “It’s gonna be a big challenge for us.
“We’re amateur players who pay to play every week against some players who may be looking to turn professional at some point.
“They have access to facilities and resources that we don’t.”
No one knows what the result will be on Sunday.
Probability maths, to borrow a Terry Pratchett concept, would suggest that Fulham win comfortably.
But the magic of the Cup is that anything can happen, especially when the football gods are smiling down.
South London are hoping Sunday is their day. But even if it isn’t, they have done amateur football proud.
Feature image: South London Women FC
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