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With just one season to go until The FA Sunday Cup, in partnership with Carlsberg, makes its debut final at the new Wembley Stadium, the number of entries has increased by 21 with 44 new entries.

Clubs will have a greater incentive to progress through the rounds with The FA increasing the total amount of money it will award by £12,000, with £1,000 to be awarded to the overall winner.

A total of 115 clubs from Sandford in the south to Seaton Sluice in the north will be representing 27 County FAs and 51 Sunday Leagues in this season’s competition.

Liverpool FA is the most strongly represented County FA with 20 clubs, followed by Birmingham FA with 15 and Bedfordshire FA with 12.

Four County FAs - Essex, Wiltshire, Hampshire and London - are newly represented in The FA Sunday Cup this season.

Alex Stone, spokesman for The FA, said: ‘The FA Sunday Cup celebrated its 40th anniversary last season and the rise in the number of entries demonstrates that the competition continues to go from strength to strength.

‘The FA’s decision to change the entry criteria and to increase the amount of money it awards to clubs for this coming season has helped to ensure that the competition can look forward to an even brighter future.’

In a move highlighting The FA’s commitment to the grassroots level of the game, a prize fund of £32,200 has been introduced to replace a grant scheme which covered match expenses with increases at every stage of the competition.

Clubs from the higher divisions as opposed to just the top divisions of the Sunday Leagues were able to enter this season, giving more teams the opportunity to compete.

The waiting is now over for the majority of clubs who come in at the First Round to find out who they will be lining up against.

At stake is £125 in prize money to be awarded to each winning club, with £75 to each of the losing clubs, and a place in the Second Round when the hotshots come in to the competition.

The FA Sunday Cup holders Nicosia will begin their defence at the Second Round. Losing finalists UK Flooring are also exempt to that stage, along with 11 other top sides receiving byes.

The draw for the First Round has thrown up some interesting ties from the 51 to be played on Sunday, October 10, kick-off 2pm.

Rawdon are among 20 competition newcomers to be drawn against each other. The Wharfedale Sunday League side, based just outside Leeds, will be at home to BRNESC, from the Liverpool Business Houses Sunday League.

Club secretary David Gilks said: ‘We won three out of four trophies last season – the County, League and District cups – and wanted a fresh challenge.

‘The FA Sunday Cup will give us the chance to play in a national competition against teams that we haven’t faced before and it will be interesting to see how we get on.

‘Everyone is really looking forward to it and can’t wait for the First Round. I think the challenge will be getting everything right on the day and doing our best.’

Another newcomers’ derby will be between CFC Shalford, from the Braintree & North Essex Sunday League, and Maidstone & Mid Kent Sunday League side Freemasons Sunday.

Reaching The FA Sunday Cup is a milestone for CFC Shalford, which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year.

Club secretary and a founder member Keith Rojas said: ‘Getting in to The FA Sunday Cup is something that we never thought we would achieve in our lifetime but we have just gone from strength to strength and won five trophies last season.

‘It’s another challenge for us and, if we can get through this, who knows what will happen.’

Two of the most established sides in The FA Sunday Cup have also been drawn against each other.

The most successful club in the history of the competition – St Josephs (Luton), who have appeared in a record four finals – will launch their campaign with hopes of lifting the silverware a decade on from their first win.

The North Home Counties Sunday League side, who suffered a shock exit to competition newcomers UK Flooring at the Second Round last season, will be away to Pioneer, from the Watford Sunday League.

Liverpool sides Britannia and Canada Edinburgh Park, formerly known as A3 Canada, also have a good track record in the competition but will be tested in local derbies.

Liverpool & District Sunday League side Britannia, winners of The FA Sunday Cup in 2002, will entertain Seaburn, from the Crosby Sunday League.

Liverpool Business Houses Sunday League club Canada Edinburgh Park, who lost in the semi-finals to Nicosia last season, will be away to Sandon Dock, from the Liverpool & District Sunday League.

St Margarets, losing semi-finalists to UK Flooring last season, will be flying the flag again for the Northamptonshire Sunday Combination Sunday League when they take on Bedford & District Sunday League side Queensmen at home.

The 115 clubs all have their sights set on a thrilling cup run and the dream chance to play at a leading ground like Anfield where the final has been successful staged for the last two seasons.

This season’s final will again be staged at one of the top stadiums in the country before history is made in 2006 when the ultimate stage of the competition will be played at the new Wembley.