Third round ties will be played over the weekend of January 10
18:57, 08 Dec 2025
A general view of the FA Cup trophy(Image: Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Cheltenham Town will play 2021 FA Cup Winners Leicester City at home in the third round.
Third round ties will be played over the weekend of Saturday, January 10, 2026.
Robins boss Steve Cotterill has previously worked as first team coach at Leicester, who were relegated from the Premier League last season.
They are now managed by Martí Cifuentes and lie 14th in the Championship.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Aaron Ramsey are ex-Cheltenham loanees in Leicester’s squad.
Cheltenham have played Leicester twice, losing 4-0 home and away during the 2008/09 League One campaign.
The Robins beat Leicester’s Under-21s 6-1 in the EFL Trophy during the 2016/17 season and there was a friendly at Whaddon Road in 2019, which the Foxes won 2-1.
Leicester-born Luke Varney put Cheltenham ahead in the friendly, but goals from Jamie Vardy (68) and Marc Albrighton (75) sealed a Whaddon Road win for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Another pre-season game, in 2007, was also won 2-1 by the Foxes, who won the Premier League title in 2015/16. Martin Allen has managed both clubs, while the list of players to be on the books of Cheltenham and Leicester include Josh Low, Darren Kenton, Barry Hayles, Jonny Hayes, Curtis Davies, Callum Wright, Josh Debayo, Ellis Chapman, Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, James Wesolowski, Elvis Hammond, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Aaron Ramsey and Ben Marshall.
This will be the Robins’ 11th appearance in the third round of the famous competition and their first since 2020/21.
There is £121,500 available in prize money for winners at this stage, while losers receive £26,500.
Cotterill’s side knocked out League One Bradford City in the opening round thanks to Isaac Hutchinson’s header.
They then had to recover from 1-0 and 2-1 down to defeat National League North side Buxton 6-2 in round two on Saturday, with Hutchinson and Jordan Thomas scoring two each, along with Robbie Cundy and Ethon Archer strikes.
* Cheltenham Town play Swindon Town away in League Two on Tuesday evening (7.45pm kick-off).
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