At 6.35 pm this evening, the sides entering the first round proper of the FA Cup will discover who awaits them on their road to Wembley. Among the teams in the hat are some entering this stage of the competition for the first time in their history.
AFC Rushden & Diamonds secured a shock victory over Morecambe at Hayden Road on Saturday to claim their first-ever place in the first round. Elliot Sandy’s men play in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division One, at Step 4 of the non-league pyramid. The Northamptonshire outfit will be hoping for a tie against fellow Midlands side Leicester City, with social media clips showing Sandy and his side eyeing a meeting with the Foxes.
The competition’s lowest-ranked side could come from Hampshire, as Tadley Calleva booked their place in the draw after coming from behind twice to force a 2-2 draw and a replay with Aldershot Town. A meeting at home with the Shots on Tuesday will determine whether the ninth-tier side can progress to the next round, with the added incentive of already knowing who they would face.
Hertfordshire side Berkhamsted produced an unthinkable result against Southend United, winning 2-1 at Roots Hall. The Southern Premier League side operate at Step 3 of the non-league pyramid and will be eagerly anticipating their next opponents, with the likes of Leyton Orient and Luton Town entering the draw.
First-round shocks have been a prominent feature of the FA Cup down the years. In 2008, Histon, then of the Conference (now the National League), upset Swindon Town, who were playing in League One at the time. Histon went one better in the next round, defeating Leeds United by the same scoreline, 1-0.
Salford City’s new owners in 2015 included Manchester United’s Class of ’92, who brought their winning mentality to the FA Cup. Salford knocked League Two side Notts County out with a 2-0 victory at Moor Lane, before the Manchester club began their rise through the divisions and into the Football League.
Clubhouses and local pubs will be filled with players, fans and management hoping to see their side pull a plum tie out of the hat. The winners of each tie are set to pocket £47,750, with the losers taking home £15,800. The draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports from 6.35 pm tonight.
The draw numbers are as follows:
1. Accrington Stanley
2. AFC Wimbledon
3. Barnet
4. Barnsley
5. Blackpool
6. Bradford City
7. Bristol Rovers
8. Bromley
9. Burton Albion
10. Cambridge United
11. Cheltenham Town
12. Chesterfield
13. Colchester United
14. Crawley Town
15. Crewe Alexandra
16. Doncaster Rovers
17. Exeter City
18. Fleetwood Town
19. Gillingham
20. Grimsby Town
21. Huddersfield Town
22. Leicester City
23. Leyton Orient
24. Luton Town
25. Mansfield Town
26. Milton Keynes Dons
27. Newport County
28. Northampton Town
29. Notts County
30. Oldham Athletic
31. Oxford United
32. Peterborough United
33. Plymouth Argyle
34. Port Vale
35. Reading
36. Rochdale
37. Rotherham United
38. Salford City
39. Sheffield Wednesday
40. Shrewsbury Town
41. Stevenage
42. Stockport County
43. Swindon Town
44. Tranmere Rovers
45. Walsall
46. Wigan Athletic
47. Wycombe Wanderers
48. York City
49. Harborough Town
50. Chorley or Worcester City
51. Gateshead or Stafford Rangers
52. FC Halifax Town
53. Guiseley
54. Barrow or Gloucester City
55. Marine
56. Scunthorpe United
57. Macclesfield or Anstey Nomads
58. Altrincham or FC United of Manchester
59. Bury or Harrogate Town
60. Spalding United or Alvechurch
61. AFC Rushden & Diamonds
62. Kidderminster Harriers
63. Carlisle United
64. AFC Fylde
65. Salisbury
66. Sutton United
67. Chesham United or Forest Green Rovers
68. Leatherhead or Yeovil Town
69. Bedford Town or Cray Wanderers
70. Hornchurch
71. Aldershot Town or Tadley Calleva
72. Oxford City
73. Wimborne Town
74. Wealdstone
75. Boreham Wood
76. Eastleigh
77. Berkhamsted
78. Sholing
79. Plymouth Parkway
80. Dover Athletic
Image Credit: Carlos Yo