The magic of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup is back, and for our local sides across the Wokingham and Reading, the long, winding road to Wembley officially begins later this month.
Following the fixture releases from the Football Association, the early rounds of the 2026/27 campaign promise some scintillating local matchups as the grassroots tiers of the English Women’s Football Pyramid take centre stage.
For the Wokingham area, the action kicks off immediately with Finchampstead, who have been drawn in the preliminary round. They will host Whitchurch United on Sunday, August 23.
Finch will be hoping to secure not just a spot in the next stage, but a handy £1,000 winner’s prize pot. Should they successfully navigate their opening test, a tricky away trip to Corsham Town awaits in the First Qualifying Round on September 6.
Also entering the fray in the First Qualifying Round are Cantley Park-based Ashridge Park.
The Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football League Division One side will be desperate to replicate the heroics of their incredible 2025/26 FA Cup campaign.
Last season, Ashridge upset the odds to reach the Third Qualifying Round for the first time in club history – a run that featured a 10-0 demolition of Highworth Town and a giant-killing 3-2 victory over Kidlington, spearheaded by striker Lauren Broadhurst. With confidence high, fans will be eager to see if lightning can strike twice for the local favorites this autumn.
Over in Reading, Caversham United also get to bypass the opening weekend alongside Ashridge Park.
The Goats will enter in the first qualifying round, where they are scheduled to face the winner of the preliminary clash between Wallingford & Crowmarsh and Basingstoke Town.
Fans of Woodley United and Reading FC Women will have to wait a little longer to see their sides in cup action.
Reading FC Women – now competing in the Southern Region Women’s Football League (Tier 5) alongside Woodley United – have both been granted exemptions until the second qualifying round, which will take place on Sunday, September 20.
The Women’s FA Cup represents a massive financial opportunity for our regional clubs.
With preliminary round losers taking home £400 – and the prize money scaling up into the thousands as the qualifying rounds progress – a good cup run is about much more than just glory; it’s about sustaining and growing the future of women’s football here in Berkshire.
For the full national list of upcoming fixtures and to track the wider tournament progress, you can visit the official Women’s FA Cup fixtures page.
