Saturday’s FA Cup action was at The Saffrons, home of Eastbourne Town of the Ryman League Division One South. Town have yet to reach the First Round Proper and they’ll have to wait another season after losing last night’s replay at Walton & Hersham.

I haven’t been to Walton’s Stompond Lane ground for more than ten years but have seen two memorable FA Cup ties there.

In 1972 the Swans knocked out Exeter City, then in the old Division Four, in the First Round Proper. They were hanging onto a 2-1 lead when the League side forced a succession of corners in the last few minutes. There was a great feeling of elation at the final whistle, as I’d finally seen a "giantkilling" after 12 years of trying!

The other game I remember was a Second Round Qualifying tie with Margate in 1995. Walton were going out of The Cup, 2-1 down with a minute to go, when they launched another desperate attack.

They threw their big centre-half forward and the ball sat up in front of him a yard or two outside the box. I wasn’t expecting it to go anywhere near the goal but it flew into the top corner.

The whole place went mad. The scorer went on a long weaving run around the pitch, jabbing one finger in the air in triumph. All of his team-mates, and it seemed half the crowd, followed him in a long line. It went on for a couple of minutes and I’ve never seen anything to match it for pure unconfined joy on a football field.

Walton could actually have won the tie in stoppage tie, their left-winger dragging his shot inches wide of the far post.

An Eastbourne striker who used to play for Tottenham and once featured for England’s U20s with the likes of Ashley Cole, Peter Crouch and Andy Johnson, put them ahead on Saturday with a spectacular effort close to half-time. It was a lead they held until the 86th minute.

I watched a few minutes of Town U16s’ game with Hassocks on Sunday morning before going back to the flat to put a tie on and comb my hair in advance of Mum’s birthday lunch at a posh hotel. I had my eye on a possible Cup replay at Barkingside on Monday and sure enough it finished 3-3 at Hertford Town after Side had led 3-1 after 18 minutes.

It was the first seriously chilly evening of the season and I had to get the anorak back from the museum. Hertford scored after four minutes but Side dominated the rest of the half, notching three goals.

Centre-half Matt Frew, known as "Burger", headed the third. They weren’t about to throw away another 3-1 lead and kept it tight after the break. Now they go to Welling United.

I met Hanwell Town’s chairman Bob Fisher at the turnstiles before last night’s London Senior Cup Second Round tie with Waltham Forest. After a "You’re David from The FA, aren’t you?" I was whisked into the boardroom for tea and biscuits. Hanwell’s right-back was Maradona Mason – with a name like that you’ve got to be a decent footballer!