Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Farnham Town.
The Opposition
Farnham Town have gone from local hopefuls to one of non-league football’s most exciting success stories, producing back-to-back promotions and rewriting records along the way.
The 2023/24 season was nothing short of extraordinary, as, under the guidance of manager Paul Johnson, Farnham made national headlines by winning their first 25 league matches in a row, setting a new English football record for the longest winning start to a season. That sensational run carried them all the way to an invincible Combined Counties Premier South title, finishing the campaign unbeaten and sealing promotion with weeks to spare, as well as enjoying their best-ever runs in the FA Cup and FA Vase, while also reaching the Surrey Senior Cup Final with a win away at Sutton in the last four.
Their football was dominant in every sense — they scored freely, defended with resilience and built a reputation for playing some of the most entertaining attacking football in the non-league pyramid. Captain Harry Cooksley, an ever-present in midfield, led by example with 14 goals and countless assists, while Owen Dean has been a crucial spearhead up front, winning the Club’s Golden Boot for the last three seasons in a row between 2022/23 and 2024/25, scoring 62 goals and providing 34 assists in 133 appearances during that spell.
The momentum didn’t fade the following year either. Now competing in the Isthmian League South Central Division, Farnham once again set the pace, finishing top of the table and securing promotion to Step 3 for the first time in their history. Over those two seasons combined, the club have amassed 67 wins from 80 league fixtures, scored roughly 250 goals, and lost only four times — a staggering level of consistency rarely seen at any level of the game. Their relentless energy and attacking flair, combined with their superb defensive record anchored by the dependable backline that includes the likes of Ryan Kinnane, Jack Dean, Jordan Stepney, Max Meaton and Joe Jackson, ensured balance and control.
Farnham have since begun to look every bit a club destined for even greater things, with a host of new signings hitting the ground running. The likes of Ogo Obi, Bobby-Joe Taylor, Mat Mackenzie, Brandon Mason, Andronicos Georgiou and Tom Leggett have added an abundance of experience and quality for a side playing at Step 3, improving a squad already brimming with confidence.
This has allowed the Town to take to the Southern League Premier South like a duck to water, sitting third in the division and are the only unbeaten side remaining, while this season’s exploits in the FA Cup have added to their impressive streak over the last couple of years.
Kick-starting their run in the First Qualifying Round, a brace from Dean sealed a 3-0 win over Erith Town after Daryl Sanders had opened the scoring at The Stanmore Stadium, and set the Town on their way to their best ever run in the competition. Johnson’s side then followed it up with wins over Burgess Hill Town and Dorchester Town to reach the Fourth Qualifying Round for the first time in their 119-year history, having previously never got beyond the Second Qualifying Round, meaning they have broken records in both of the last two stages of the competitions.
As such, the BBC cameras will be present at the Memorial Ground to capture a historic day for the club, who are also set to host a former Football League club for the first time; Sutton making their maiden visit to GU9 in a non-Surrey Senior Cup competition.
The Manager
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson has become a Farnham hero, having guided the Surrey side to back-to-back promotions.
Johnson had enjoyed great success in non-league firstly as a player and then as a manager, guiding Spelthorne Sports to promotion before taking Bedfont Sports up into Step 4, and later became Farnham manager in 2022.
He won silverware in his first season as the Town beat Balham 3-2 in the Southern Combination Cup Final in May 2023, and preceded a historic 2023/24, enjoying their best-ever runs in the FA Cup and FA Vase, reached the Surrey Cup Final for the first time ever.
This was complimented by the club being crowned champions of the Combined Counties Premier Division South after completing an invincible league campaign, before making it two in as many seasons by gaining promotion to the Southern League Premier Division last term, again as champions. 
One to Watch
Ogo Obi
A former Manchester United and Watford forward, Ogo Obi has established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in all of non-league, picking up where he left off last season with Wingate & Finchley.
Hailing from Barnet, Obi signed professional terms with Watford at the age of 16 having joined the Hornets at Under-11 level, developing himself as a mercurial talent during his time at Vicarage Road.
Ten goals in five matches at the 2013 Milk Cup resulted in the Golden Boot winner being linked with a move to Arsenal and Liverpool, and he impressed at the same tournament the following year while on trial with Manchester United, notching three goals in four matches to help the Red Devils lift the Milk Cup Premier title, before signing a two-year scholarship with Watford.
He remained in Hertfordshire until 2018, but with the Hornets an established Premier League outfit by this point, a pathway to the first team had become increasingly low, and saw him depart the club in order to pursue a career within non-league, following a brief stint in Cardiff City’s Academy.
A move to Hampton & Richmond Borough allowed him to establish himself in the National League South, with spells at further Wealdstone and Hendon preceding a move to newly promoted Southern League Premier South side Hayes & Yeading United, where he finished the 2019/20 campaign as their top scorer with 13 goals.
Obi’s form at Step Three continued with a successful two-year spell at Hanwell Town, before making the jump back to the National League South with a move to Hemel Hempstead Town in 2022.
He made the switch to league rivals Slough Town midway through the campaign though, scoring ten goals in 44 appearances across his spells for both, before joining Maidstone United the following season.
After appearing ten times in Kent, Obi dropped back into the Southern League with a loan move to Chesham United, scoring eight goals in 25 appearances as the Generals won the Southern League Premier South, before notching a career-high 27 goals in 2024/25 for Wingate & Finchley, ending the season as the Isthmian Premier Division’s top scorer.
This saw him earn a move back to the Southern League, with newly promoted Farnham Town bringing the forward to Surrey in the summer, where he has already scored three times in the league, as well as notching a brace last time out in the FA Trophy.
Recent Form
Chichester City 2-4 Farnham Town
Farnham Town 3-0 Dorchester Town
Farnham Town 3-3 Gloucester City
Farnham Town 4-0 Taunton Town
Burgess Hill Town 1-3 Farnham Town
Poole Town 2-2 Farnham Town
Last Time Out
Farnham Town made it to the First Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy for the first time, beating Chichester City in an emotional final Qualifying Round.
A minute’s applause was held before kick off in honour of Chichester striker Billy Vigar, who sadly passed away just five days earlier after a collision with a wall, and meant the visit of Farnham was their first game back at Oaklands Park after the horrific and tragic incident.
In a match that swung this way and that, the hosts started brightly, and took the lead when Ethan Prichard bagged the opener at the second time of asking on 14 minutes, beating Zaki Oualah at his near post, and they almost made it two 120 seconds later when Pritchard’s shot flew inches over the crossbar.
However, a misplaced back-header from Rob Hutchings was capitalised on by Ogo Obi, who tucked the ball beyond Kieran Magee for the equaliser just five minutes later, before Brandon Mason gave Farnham the lead on the stroke of half time when he cut inside and found the back of the net with a firm hit from distance.
Despite this, Isaac Bello was brought down on the edge of the box two minutes into the second period, and allowed Prichard to step up and curl an amazing set-piece to the keeper’s left and make it all square, before Town restored their advantage with 17 minutes of normal time remaining when Obi grabbed his second with a neat finish into the right-hand corner.
The Surrey-side then made the win safe when Harry Cooksley wrapped things up from close range to make it 4-2, and send Farnham into the First Round for the first time.
Photo Credit: Farnham Town Football Club
