Moulton are on their travels on Saturday when they journey the 19 miles over to play Newport Pagnell Town, KO 3:00 pm. The Buckinghamshire based club, nicknamed ‘The Swans’ play in an all Green home kit at their ground at Willen Road. The Swans were founded in 1963 as Newport Pagnell Wanderers, playing on Bury Field Common. In 1964 they entered the North Bucks League and won Division 3 in their first season. Soon after that they won Division 2 and Division 1 in consecutive years. In the 1971-72 season they joined the South Midlands League, initially playing at the Youth Club before moving in November 1971 to new facilities at the Willen Road Sports Ground and changing their name to Newport Pagnell Town. In the 1973-74 season Newport Pagnell Town joined Division 2 of the United Counties League. Two years later they were promoted to Division 1. They won the Division 1 Championship in 1981-82 and were promoted to the Premier Division. They were relegated in 1985-86, promoted back to the Premier Division in 1991-92 and then relegated again in 1996-97. The club won the Division 1 Championship in 2001-02 and remained in the Premier Division after that. They also won the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Trophy in 2001-02.

The best FA Cup achievement was reaching the Second Qualifying Round in 2008-09. In 2009-10 and in 2010-11 the club won the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy. In 2016-17 the club reached the last 8 of the FA Vase before losing to a strong South Shields team (the eventual winners of the competition) on Tyneside. In recognition of this the club was presented with a Town Award by Newport Pagnell Town Council and received the Team of the Year award in the Milton Keynes Sports Achiever of the Year awards. For 2019-20 the FA moved the club into the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League, but it was moved back into the United Counties League for 2021-22, finishing fifth in Premier Division South.

The highlight of 2021-22 was the major achievement of winning the Buildbase FA Vase. After a club record crowd of almost 1900 had watched the exciting semi-final victory over Hamworthy United at Willen Road, there were 7000 Newport Pagnell Town supporters at Wembley to see their impressive 3-0 win over Littlehampton Town in the final.

Last season they ended up 6th in the Premier Division South (just outside the play-off zone) with 63 points from their 26 games (20 wins; 3 draws; 13 defeats. This season they currently occupy 10th place in the league with 35 points from their 24 games (11 wins; 2 draw 11 defeats). Their last 5 games has seen them win 2 v Bugbrooke (H) 4-1 and Easington Sport (H) 1-0 but lose 3 v Eynesbury Rovers (A) 0-1 last weekend, Nuneaton (A) 0-4 and Atherstone Town (A) 1-3. This will be our 3rd match against Newport Pagnell this season having already played them twice back in September at Brunting Road in the UCL KO Cup (won 3-2 goals from Amaning, Ansu & Osoimoejiokhian) and league (won 2-1 both goals from Reza).

Saturday’s referee is scheduled as Chaolun Tan, another new name to officiate a Moulton fixture.