FA Cup Reaches 125 Landmark
The FA Cup has reached yet another historic milestone this season as it celebrates its 125th year of competition.
The FA has recognised this unique achievement by unveiling a new logo incorporating the 125 figure, which will be used throughout this season.
Domestically, The FA Cup is prospering. Last year’s television figures were some of the best ever and 674 teams this year entered the competition, a new record.
The Cup is huge on an international stage, too. May's Final between Arsenal and Manchester United was watched by over 300 million people worldwide and this year the global interest will be even higher with 169 countries receiving the match.
Already records have been broken. As well as the record 674 entries there was an extraordinary 40-penalty kick shoot-out in the Preliminary Round, the first all-Asian teams (Sporting Bengal United and London APSA) played in the competition and a father and son officiated in the same match.
Minnows Aim To Take League Scalps
The two lowest-ranked clubs to have made it to the First Round are Midland Alliance pair Chasetown and Leamington – both five promotions away from the Football League.
Chasetown, near Walsall, have never been close to the First Round before. Last season, for example, they went out in the Preliminary Round at Belper Town, watched by a crowd of 167.
The club is now preparing to welcome Oldham Athletic, twice FA Cup semi-finalists in the 1990s, to "The Scholars" for the biggest match in their 51-year history. The game will be live on BBC on Sunday.
A club called "AP Leamington" reached the First Round six times up to 1983. It became "Leamington" in 1985 after losing Automotive Products' backing and then folded three years later. The club re-formed in the 2000-01 season and the new entity now lines up for the first time in the competition proper.
Leamington, from Warwickshire, travel to Colchester United on Saturday. The U's lost at home to non-League opposition two years ago (to Chester City, then in the Conference).
But Colchester will also be remembered for causing one of The Cup's greatest upsets in 1971. Dick Graham's Fourth Division outfit knocked out a Leeds United side packed with internationals in the Fifth Round.
Both Chasetown v Oldham and Colchester v Leamington are ties involving clubs who are six levels apart.
Seven Clubs Prepare For First Round Debuts
Chasetown and Leamington are among seven clubs making their first appearances in the First Round of The FA Cup.
Conference South Eastbourne Borough have a classic "rags to riches" story. Just over 20 years ago they joined the Sussex County League's Third Division after many years playing on Council pitches in the Eastbourne & Hastings League.
After working their way through the divisions they won promotion to the Southern League's Eastern Division in 2000 and changed the club's name from "Langney Sports" to "Eastbourne Borough" a year later.
Borough's plum home tie is against Oxford United, who famously reached The Cup's quarter-finals as a Fourth Division club in the '60s.
Other clubs making their debut in the First Round are Burnham (home to Aldershot Town), Folkestone Invicta (away to Chester City), Ramsgate (away to Nuneaton Borough) and Braintree Town (away to Shrewsbury Town).
First Round Veterans Weymouth Target Upset
Conference South club Weymouth have a proud Cup history, with more than 30 appearances in the First Round since the 1920s.
This season they face Nottingham Forest who will be playing their first match in the First Round for 55 years.
Weymouth lost at Preston North End in the Fourth Round in 1962, 2-0 after the first game at Deepdale had been fogged off after 14 minutes. But their mouth-watering tie at Nottingham Forest will be their first at this stage for 20 years.
Weymouth ("The Terras") have a manager who knows all about The Cup. When Gary Hill was boss of Dagenham & Redbridge, they got to the Third Round or better in three consecutive seasons. Ultimately they went out to Premiership Charlton in 2001, Premiership Ipswich in 2002 and First Division Norwich in 2003.
On Forest’s last appearance at this stage of the competition, the two-time European Cup winners beat Torquay United 6-1 at home before losing at Rotherham in the next round.
Walsall Hope To Avoid Second Giantkilling
Only five of this season's 40 First Round ties feature a match in which a non-League club plays at home to a League club.
One of those, Merthyr Tydfil v Walsall, is live on Sky Sports on Friday. Walsall will be hoping for no repeat of last season's First Round when they down to a shock 2-1 defeat at Ryman League Slough Town.
The FA Cup - Fixtures
First Round Proper
Winning clubs receive £16,000
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Friday 4 November 2005, 7.45pm |
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7 |
Merthyr Tydfil |
v |
Walsall |
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(Live on Sky) |
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22 |
Cambridge City |
v |
Hereford United |
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23 |
Port Vale |
v |
Wrexham |
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Saturday 5 November 2005, 3.00pm |
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1 |
Nottingham Forest |
v |
Weymouth |
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2 |
Southport |
v |
Woking |
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3 |
Bristol City |
v |
Notts County |
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4 |
Burnham |
v |
Aldershot Town (1.00) |
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All ticket |
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5 |
Rochdale |
v |
Brentford |
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6 |
Eastbourne Borough |
v |
Oxford United (12.00) |
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8 |
Hartlepool United |
v |
Dagenham & Redbridge |
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10 |
Barnet |
v |
Southend United |
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11 |
Peterborough United |
v |
Burton Albion |
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12 |
Cheltenham Town |
v |
Carlisle United |
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13 |
Histon |
v |
Hednesford Town |
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14 |
York City |
v |
Grays Athletic |
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15 |
Swindon Town |
v |
Boston United |
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17 |
AFC Bournemouth |
v |
Tamworth |
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18 |
Chester City |
v |
Folkestone Invicta |
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19 |
Kettering Town |
v |
Stevenage Borough |
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20 |
Nuneaton Borough |
v |
Ramsgate |
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25 |
Barnsley |
v |
Darlington |
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26 |
Torquay United |
v |
Harrogate Town |
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28 |
Shrewsbury Town |
v |
Braintree Town |
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29 |
Bury |
v |
Scunthorpe United |
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30 |
Morecambe |
v |
Northwich Victoria |
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31 |
Burscough |
v |
Gillingham |
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32 |
Stockport County |
v |
Swansea City |
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33 |
Macclesfield Town |
v |
Yeovil Town |
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34 |
Chippenham Town |
v |
Worcester City |
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35 |
Wycombe Wanderers |
v |
Northampton Town |
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36 |
Grimsby Town |
v |
Bristol Rovers |
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37 |
Rotherham United |
v |
Mansfield Town |
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38 |
Colchester United |
v |
Leamington |
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39 |
Lincoln City |
v |
Milton Keynes Dons |
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40 |
Leyton Orient |
v |
Chesterfield |
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Sunday 6 November 2005, 3.00pm |
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9 |
Bradford City |
v |
Tranmere Rovers |
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16 |
Chasetown |
v |
Oldham Athletic (1.10) |
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(Live on BBC) |
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21 |
Huddersfield Town |
v |
Welling United (1.00) |
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24 |
Halifax Town |
v |
Rushden & Diamonds |
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27 |
Doncaster Rovers |
v |
Blackpool |
Second Round Draw
The draw will be LIVE on TheFA.com, BBC1 and Sky Sports News at approximately 3.00pm on Sunday 6 November