IT IS A a big day for Okehampton Argyle Football Club tomorrow, Saturday, when they play their first game in the FA Cup — on the first day of the 2023/24 tournament.

They will play Brixham, a familiar adversary from the South West Peninsuala League (East), with kick off at 3pm.

The club has been accepted to take part in both the FA Cup and the FA Vase — the tournament for grassroots level football across the country.

The Okehampton club has been accepted for both for the first time ever, thanks to improvements to their Simmons Park ground including new shelters and a new perimeter fence and lighting. These allow the club to host games in a higher league than previously.

Chris Wills from the club said: ‘We have been making huge improvements to the ground. To start wih we have had floodlights as well as which is huge. It allows us to enter competitions like the FA Cup and the FA Vase.

‘We have also got a 2.42 metre perimeter fence. This allows us to secure the ground. We have a new speaker system and new CCTV and we can now go ahead without the fear of it being vandalised. It also means we can take a lot more at the gate. We have extended the main stand and we have got brand new turnstiles.’

The ground has suffered greatly from repeated attacks by vandals in recent years so the improvements have give the club the confidence to plan for the future, including entering both the FA Cup and FA Vase tournaments.

‘A lot of work has gone in over the summer by the club’s volunteers and a handful of player as well,’ said Chris. ‘We thought we would try our luck and enter the FA Cup and FA Vase and we actually got into both. We are entered into both for the first time in the club’s history and town’s history.’

‘We haven’t had the facilities to do so before, but now we can, we are going to give it a go. Just to be in the competition and know we can enter is brilliant. If I’m being realistic [winning the FA Cup] is a bit out of our reach but you have to dream.’