The Fleet will host Sittingbourne in the Isuzu FA Trophy Second Round following today’s draw.

Like our FA Cup opponents earlier this season Faversham Town, the Brickies also play in the Isthmian South-East and are currently in ninth place, having only just missed out on promotion last season in an epic head-to-head with Ramsgate. Sittingbourne also enjoyed a momentous nine-match run in this competition in 2024/25, knocking out Southend United at Roots Hall to reach a quarter-final where they were finally beaten by eventual winners Aldershot Town.

We last played Sittingbourne in a pre-season friendly in summer 2023 (below) but were close rivals with the Swale club during the 1990s.

This will be the 37th competitive meeting of the clubs but only the second in the Trophy after an earlier tie in 1972 at Stonebridge Road. We have also met numerous times in the FA Cup and Kent Senior Cup (indeed our last four meetings have all been in the county cup).

Sittingbourne are managed by former Braintree boss Ryan Maxwell, who had a short time at the Fleet as a player in 2005, and their squad also includes Bagasan Graham who played 33 games for us from 2017–19. Notably, Jordon Ibe has also just been announced as their latest signing, subject to the usual clearances.

The Brickies have seen off Faversham Town, Crowborough and Hashtag United in the competition so far.

The game will take place on Saturday, November 15th at 3pm. Prize money in the Second Round is £3,750 for the winners and £1,000 for the losers. The full draw is here.

Meanwhile before that Trophy game, in the Kent Senior Cup, the Fleet have been drawn away to Sittingbourne’s divisional rivals VCD Athletic – that tie will take place on Tuesday, November 11th, with a 7.45pm kick-off.