Which Non-League Sides Are Still in the FA Cup?

Over the last decade, it’s tempting to feel as if the magic of the cup has been lost. As Russian oligarchs and Middle Eastern royalty empty their deep pockets, the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Co appear to have bottomless resources to rely on when they need to rest their first elevens.

As a result, the FA Cup has been shared between these teams exclusively. The only “blips” on the record sheet are Wigan Athletic, who won it 2012-13, and Portsmouth, who claimed silverware in 2007-08. These are the only clubs to have won the FA Cup outside of the big six since Everton back in 94-95. Okay, the winners might not be non-league minnows or even teams from the lower leagues, yet it’s hard to argue against the magic of English football’s oldest competition when you look at the sides still left in it in 2020.

How Many Non-League Clubs Are in the Draw?

Fourteen non-league clubs have made it to the second-round proper, one of the biggest cohorts in the past couple of years. They include the likes of Barnet, Chorley, Solihull Moors, and King’s Lynn Town. However, the biggest surprise is Marine’s inclusion, a team from the eighth tier of English football.

One of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, the club that usually plays in The Northern Premier League Division One North West league, managed to take on Colchester of League Two and beat them 5-3 on penalties. To find out how the other sides made it through to the second round, you can check out https://www.bbc.co.uk for more match reviews and information.

Who Will They Face?

The draw for the second round of the FA Cup has already been made, which means the non-leaguers know their opponents and who they will face. Many of them will be gutted that they didn’t happen to draw the big guns, such as Man United, Liverpool or Manchester City because it’s the ultimate test for non-league footballers.

However, there are some favourable ties, including Barnet’s game against MK Dons. Not only are the Milton Keynes outfit a decent-sized fish, but the non-league team has the advantage of playing at home, so they could cause an upset. Brackley Town travel to Tranmere Rovers, another fixture where an upset isn’t against the realms of probability, while Chorley face Peterborough and Solihull Moors play Morecambe. The best result has to be that King’s Lynn Town are away at Portsmouth. Head to https://www.thefa.com for a full round-up of the fixtures.

Can They Win?

A Cinderella story isn’t the same without a fairytale ending. According to the bookies, it doesn’t appear as if the ultimate happy ending will happen. Sites like https://www.stsbet.co.uk have Man City as the clear 3-1 favourites, surrounded by a host of familiar names. Of course, most people don’t expect a non-league club to make history, so it’s unrealistic for them to be at the top of the betting.

However, there’s no doubt they can make it into Rounds 3 and 4, and maybe even further. After all, two non-league clubs are guaranteed to be in the hat for the third-round since Marine and Canvey Island play Boreham Wood and Havant & Waterlooville, respectively. After that, it’s down to the teams and the magic the FA Cup is known for if any more shocks are to happen.