The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON 
First Round Proper
Saturday 10 November 2007
Winning clubs receive £16,000
Click here for fixtures

The draw for this season's FA Cup First Round Proper threw up ten ties between non-League clubs: Team Bath v Chasetown, Exeter v Stevenage, Halifax v Burton, York v Havant, Harrogate Railway v Droylsden, Ware v Kidderminster, Horsham v Maidenhead, Cambridge United v Aldershot, Oxford v Northwich and Eastbourne Borough v Weymouth.

Horsham and Maidenhead United, who meet at Queen Street on Saturday, must have been particularly looking forward to facing League opposition. Horsham haven't been in the First Round since they entertained Third Division Swindon Town in the year that England won the World Cup. Maidenhead were in the First Round as recently as last season but haven't faced a League club at that stage since they were drawn away to Third Division Colchester United in 1960!

The intriguing possibility this season is that more non-League teams will reach the Second Round Proper than ever before. Ten will certainly get there, of course, but it will take five giant-killings to establish a new record.

The record is believed to have been set in 1975 when these 14 clubs who were non-League at the time featured in the Second Round: Bishop's Stortford, Coventry Sporting, Dover, Gateshead, Hendon, Leatherhead, Marine, Spennymoor, Tooting, Scarborough, Stafford, Wigan, Wimbledon and Wycombe.

Twelve of those clubs crashed out of the competition at that stage. Scarborough lost 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace in the Third Round. Tooting & Mitcham United, who went on to knock out Swindon in a Third Round replay, were finally eliminated at Bradford City in Round Four.

How likely are five giant-killings at the weekend?  Well, in last season's First Round, there were only two.