FA Cup Factfile: The first stop on the Road to Wembley

By Phill Annets

@FACUPFACTFILE

MACC ATTACK: Edy Maieci celebrates scoring for Macclesfield

PICTURE: Richard Parkes

THREE hundred and forty-eight of the 729 clubs participating in the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup begin their campaigns on August 6, 7 or 8.

Among them are 16 clubs involved in this famous competition for the first time, including Jersey Bulls, the first club from the Channel Island to do so and the club who will host the most southerly FA Cup match in history when they face Horsham YMCA.

And Cornish side Mousehole will host the most westerly mainland FA Cup game in history (just west of Penzance) and the most southerly mainland FA Cup game in history (just south of Porthleven) when they face Helston Athletic.

And the newly formed Macclesfield FC take their place with a home draw against Burscough FC. It’ll be the fifth debut club Burscough will have faced in the FA Cup having won three of the previous four.

There are also 33 clubs returning to compete in the cup this season, the majority after one or two seasons away. Long Buckby, Ilfracombe Town and Wokingham and Emmbrook have a few more years’ absence from the competition, but Skegness Town are participating for the first time in 36 years. Only 75 clubs have had longer gaps between FA Cup games.

Mousehole

Skegness Town have also not exited the FA Cup as early as the Extra Preliminary Round since the 1950/51 season, as is also the case for Stamford who travel to GNG Oadby Town. For Aylesbury United it is 1937/38 since they last exited in the Extra Preliminary Round, for Tooting and Mitcham it is 1935/36, and for Newhaven FC it is 1924/25. And Corby Town are competing in cup for the 77th time having never gone out of the competition as early as the Extra Preliminary Round.

Skegness travel to Pinchbeck United, one of 18 clubs in the Extra Preliminary Round yet to taste victory in the competition. Unlike most of the 18, Pinchbeck have had multiple campaigns so far with this being their fourth attempt to progress beyond this round. However, Holyport, returning after three years, are looking to reach the Preliminary Round for the first time at the eighth time of asking. Only one other club in FA Cup history, Birmingham based Headingley, have had more campaigns without ever going further than the Extra Preliminary Round.

Holyport visit Ascot United in one of 68 Extra Preliminary Round ties involving clubs who will meet each other in league action throughout the season. This is a big increase in the number of clubs involved in such ties probably due to the restructure of the pyramid system resulting in fewer divisions being covered by the FA Cup. In previous seasons many of the clubs now classed as Step Five would actually have been Step Six and so naturally are in a different division. The number of new Step Five Leagues is far fewer than the number of Step Six leagues not involved this season.

Worcester City’s famous Cup win

There are nine Step Six clubs involved in this year’s cup and all face Step Five opposition. There are also 21 clubs from Step Four in the Extra Preliminary Round with Glossop North End hosting Widnes and Larkhall Athletic taking on Lymington Town meaning at least two of them will exit at this early stage.

In contrast to the increase in clubs meeting fellow League opponents, there has been a decrease in the number of ties involving clubs who’ve met in the FA Cup before. There are just 35 such encounters with Sleaford Town and Basford United looking to avenge defeats from just last season by Anstey Nomads and Stansted respectively. Conversely, Potton United have had to wait 76 years to exact revenge against Eynesbury Rovers.

The most common tie of the Extra Preliminary Round sees Shildon and Garforth Town drawn together for the fifth time with the Railwaymen ahead by three wins to one. Portland United and Bournemouth FC meet for the fourth time in the competition, but for the first time in 72 years, when the Poppies had their only win against Portland in the FA Cup. Bashley and Calne Town are also meeting for the fourth time, Bashley having won all three previous meetings in the competition with a goal aggregate of 14 to two.

Three clubs involved in the Extra Preliminary Round have competed in the last eight of the competition. Admittedly, Northwich Victoria, Glossop North End and Chatham Town all did so more than 100 years ago.

Guisborough Town are entering the FA Cup for the 45th time and have played 113 FA Cup matches to date, but Penrith will be their first opponents beginning with the letter ‘P’. Similarly, Thetford Town are in their 53rd campaign, and Arlesey Town are their first opponents beginning with the letter ‘A’.

The stat of the Extra Preliminary Round concerns Worcester City who will become the first club to have faced both Coventry City and Coventry United in the competition. They famously shocked Coventry City just seven years ago in the First Round so are going for the Coventry double.