Brackley Town will host Notts County in the First Round of the FA Cup if they can win tomorrow night’s replay with Woking.

Ahead of a replay due to take place at St James Park tomorrow (14/10), the Saints have found out that they would be taking on League Two opposition as a reward, as per the draw earlier today (13/10).

The eventual tie will be held on the weekend around Saturday 1 November, with specific kick-off date and time, any TV coverage and ticket information to be revealed in due course.

Brackley had played out a 1-1 draw with Woking on Saturday (11/10) in the final qualifying round before the First Round proper of this season’s FA Cup. The stalemate in the all-National League tie means a replay is required to confirm the victor.

By virtue of being in the National League for the first time, the match was Brackley’s only FA Cup qualifier. The FA Cup tie comes after a reasonable start to the first ever National League campaign for the Saints. They sit 16th in the table, winning 4 of their opening 13 matches in the division and are currently 4 points clear of the relegation zone.

The Saints have reached the FA Cup First Round on six previous occasions, including last season when they managed a run through to the Second Round, equalling the club’s best run in the competition.

Prospective opponents Notts County currently sit in 13th position in the League Two table, albeit just three points off the play-offs. The Magpies are one time winners of the FA Cup, lifting the trophy in 1894.

Milton Keynes City Council have reflected on work over the previous year in tackling homelessness, with their work receiving praise by a group of independent experts.

Last year, MK City Council spent more than £18 million on providing emergency accommodation to residents facing homelessness. The City Council also revealed that they are approached for help by around 175 local families every month.

Homelessness is deemed as a significant national challenge, and supporting people who are facing homelessness, as well as doing more to prevent homelessness, are listed by MK City Council as key priorities in their Council Plan.

On World Homeless Day (October 10) in 2024, the city council introduced a top up scheme to help more families move into private rented homes. In certain situations where rent is just out of reach, the city council tops up the difference between what a tenant can afford and what a landlord can reasonably expect. t’s helped more than 115 families this way, and around 150 landlords are signed up to the scheme – which also sees the city council providing financial incentives to landlords who can offer long term, secure tenancies.

Renters who are in dispute with a landlord can also get more help from the city council. Its ‘Call Before You Serve’ initiative prevents homelessness before it happens by offering mediation between landlords and tenants before eviction notices are served. It estimates around 35 evictions have been avoided since July, as well as lessening the financial and emotional cost of legal proceedings.

Residents who still find themselves homeless, perhaps because of a no-fault eviction, are now less likely to be housed in emergency B&B accommodation far outside the city. In the last year more than 400 smaller families have been temporarily housed in Harben House in Newport Pagnell after the city council struck a deal to book the hotel in full – saving over £400,000 on paying for B&Bs and other spaces night by night.  City council teams run cooking clubs and other activities at the hotel to help families get to know each other.

The city council also opened a new, larger facility in Fishermead for people who had been sleeping rough. Since then, it’s helped more than 50 residents move into secure, long-term homes, providing ongoing mental health and other support. Many people are now renting successfully or have reconnected with family or moved into council housing. There is always space at the facility and the city council’s outreach teams are in regular contact with rough sleepers. 

What MK City Council describes as a ‘common-sense approach’ to tackling homelessness was commended by a group of independent experts who spent four days in Milton Keynes earlier this year as part of a Local Government Association corporate peer challenge.

Cllr Ed Hume, Cabinet Member for Housing, said, “While tackling homelessness remains a significant challenge for all councils including in Milton Keynes, this has been a milestone year for us as we’ve introduced some major initiatives that are already showing an impact. We’re helping local people find safe, stable homes while doing more to prevent homelessness. This is all against a bigger backdrop where we’re building more council homes and encouraging developers to build more affordable homes.”

MK Dons will face a trip to play fellow League Two outfit Colchester United in the First Round of the FA Cup.

The Dons’ first assignment in the FA Cup for the 2025/26 season will take them to Essex, with the match taking place on the weekend around Saturday 1 November.

A specific kick-off date and time and details of any TV coverage will be announced in due course.

The match will see the Dons take on a side currently sat in 16th position in League Two, although they have recorded victories in their last two outings at time of writing. Dan Crowley’s side features multiple former Dons, with all of Jack Payne, Jack Tucker and current captain Tom Flanagan having all previously played for MK, while the Dons’ Alex Gilbey previously represented Colchester.

MK Dons are yet to play Colchester in a league match so far this season, with their first scheduled meeting due to be in Essex on New Year’s Day. The return league fixture in Milton Keynes takes place in March.

Fire crews were tasked to provide assistance after a major fire in a caravan in Olney on the outskirts of Milton Keynes.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue confirmed that firefighters were called to a caravan fire on Dagnall Road near Olney that broke out at around 4:30am this morning (13/10).

The blaze had spread to two outbuildings (measuring approx sixteen by eight meters) containing vehicles and building equipment.

Three crews from the Broughton, Olney and Harrold alongside an officer attended the situation. As part of their work, fire crews removed two propane and two butane gas cylinders, who proceeded to monitor and cool the cylinders.

The caravan was 100% damage by fire and three vehicles sustained heat damage.

Firefighters used four breathing apparatus sets, three hose reel jets, a main jet and thermal imaging cameras as part of their work to contain the blaze.

Crews remained on scene for an extended period of time for damping down and checking for hotspots.