FA Cup Factfile: Host of clubs hoping to create own history

By Phil Annets @FACUPFACTFILE

FA CUP FACTFILE

PER-FECT: Pershore Town celebrate reaching the preliminary round

SIXTY-ONE of the 272 clubs in this season’s FA Cup Preliminary Round will either equal or set their best Cup run with a victory including five debut clubs. Horden Community Welfare, Womb-well Town and Clay Cross Town as well Abbey Hulton United and Coton Green who are both involved in two of the four ties, against Eastwood Community and Coventry United respectively, where the winner guarantees to have a record Cup run.

The other two ties where Cup history is guaranteed sees Aylesbury Vale Dynamos host Oldland Abbotonians and AFC Whyteleafe travel to Seaford Town who won their first ever FA Cup game in the last round 116 years after first entering the competition, although it is 114 years since they last participated in the competition.

Pershore Town also has the opportunity to go beyond the Preliminary Round for the first time this century if they can overcome higher level visitors Coleshill United. That is one of 71 ties where a potential Cup upset could occur.

There are 31 ties which have happened in the FA Cup before. Haverhill Rovers has had the longest wait to avenge past defeats having twice lost 5-1 to Ely City in the mid/ late 1960s.

Most clubs have met once or twice before, but Falmouth Town and Bideford FC have been drawn together this season for the thirteenth time although this will be their first meeting in the competition this century.

Bideford are ahead by seven wins to five in past meetings and there have been five draws between the two sides.

The most one-sided match-up of this season’s Preliminary Round ties involves Barnstaple Town and Tavistock FC. Barnstaple has won all five previous Cup meetings, including the two club’s respective record win and record defeat in the competition, 12-1 in the 1954-55 season. The overall goal difference in their five previous games is 27 to six.

Thirty ties involve clubs who will meet each other in the league this season. Pontefract Collieries versus Blyth Spartans is one of a dozen ties where a club that qualified for this round faces a fellow league side that was exempted until this round.

Ipswich Wanderers travel to March Town United to become the first ‘I’ opponent to be faced by March Town in the competition in what is that club’s 66th FA Cup campaign and 157th FA Cup match.