The FA Cup gets underway soon with the first round proper – but before we get excited about the potential match-ups and which clubs might take another step towards playing the giants of the English game from the third round onwards, the draw itself must be made.
A total of 32 non-league teams have progressed through their preliminary rounds and they are now joined by 48 EFL sides from League One and League Two.
The FA Cup was won last season by Man City, beating Man United in the final, while earlier in the competition a succession of lower-league teams fared well including Grimbsy reaching the quarter-finals, the first fourth-tier team to do so in 33 years.
Follow live updates from the FA Cup first round draw below and get the latest football odds and tips here.
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
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Draw will start from 2:30pm BST
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80 ties to be drawn, 32 non-league teams still involved
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League One leaders Portsmouth head to National League leaders Chesterfield
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Eighth-tier Cray Valley face Charlton Athletic
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Northern Premier League side Marine host League Two Harrowgate Town
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Lowest-ranked side Sheppey United could face Walsall
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:52 , Karl Matchett
That’s the full draw! All 80 ties are out, a handful of replays still to go but the clubs involved all know what they must do now to move to the second round – and within one possible win of facing Premier League or Championship clubs.
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:50 , Karl Matchett
Bromley vs Blackpool
AFC Wimbledon vs Cheltenham Town
Cambridge United vs Bracknell
Northampton Town vs Barrow
Ramsgate vs Hemel Hempstead or Woking
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:48 , Karl Matchett
Notts County vs Crawley Town
Stockport County vs Worksop Town
Yeovil Town vs Gateshead
Stevenage vs Tranmere Rovers
Braintree Town or Chesham United vs Maidstone
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:47 , Karl Matchett
Sutton United vs AFC Fylde
Reading vs MK Dons
Doncaster Rovers vs Accrington Stanley
Chester vs York City or Needham Market
Scarborough Athletic or Oxford City vs Forest Green Rovers
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:45 , Karl Matchett
Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers
Billericay Town or Sheppey United vs Walsall
Shrewsbury Town vs Colchester United
Bristol Rovers vs Chelmsford City or Whitby Town
Lincoln City vs Morecambe
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:44 , Karl Matchett
Marine vs Harrowgate Town
Barnsley vs Horsham
Port Vale vs Burton Albion
Peterborough United vs Salford City
Eastleigh vs Boreham Wood
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:42 , Karl Matchett
Oxford vs Maidenhead United
Newport County vs Oldham Athletic
Swindon Town vs Aldershot Town
Crewe Alexandra vs Derby County
Mansfield Town vs Wrexham
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:41 , Karl Matchett
Leyton Orient vs Carlisle United
Kidderminster vs Fleetwood Town
Hereford vs Gillingham
Ebsfleet United or Slough Town vs Grimsby Town
Charlton Athletic vs Cray Valley (PM)
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:39 , Karl Matchett
Curzon Ashton vs Avely or Barnet
Alfreton Town vs Worthing
Chesterfield vs Portsmouth
Bolton Wanderers vs Solihull Moors
Exeter City vs Wigan Athletic
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:38 , Karl Matchett
OK it’s time for the draw!
Eight draws in the last preliminary round so still some teams to be decided there. Here we go!
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:24 , Karl Matchett
And as well as looking at the non-league teams who might do well, we should consider those impressing in the EFL this term who might bear watching in the draw.
At the top of League One, Portsmouth remain unbeaten and have won eight of their 12 matches – they’ll be favourites whoever they are drawn with.
Oxford, Peterborough and Bolton have all been tough to beat, while free-scoring Barnsley are third in the table after some big wins this term.
In League Two, Mansfield are also unbeaten but the draw specialists only sit third; Stockport County and Notts County – promoted last season along with Wrexham, who sit fifth in the table – are the top two after 13 league games.
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:17 , Karl Matchett
Who got furthest in last season’s FA Cup from those clubs outside the Premier League?
Championship: Sheffield United, semi-finals
League One: Fleetwood Town, fifth round
League Two: Grimsby Town, quarter-finals
Non-league:
Fifth tier: Wrexham, fourth round
Sixth tier: King’s Lynn Town, Ebbsfleet United, Buxton, Chippenham Town – all second round
Seventh tier: Alvechurch, second round
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:10 , Karl Matchett
The last few winners of the FA Cup are not hugely surprising names, by and large:
Man City, Liverpool, Leicester, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United.
But what about in the first round last season, who managed to make the surprises and cause the shocks?
Farnborough (6th tier) beat Sutton United (4th), Salford City (4) beat Peterborough (3), Ebbsfleet (6) saw off Halifax (5), Chippenham Town (6) knocked out League One Lincoln (3), King’s Lynn (6) beat Doncaster (4), Curzon Ashton (6) beat Cambridge United (3) and, memorably, Alvechurch (7) got the better of Cheltenham Town (3).
Who will step up from non-league to be a surprise second-round option this season?
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
14:03 , Karl Matchett
Here are the dates for matches you might want to mark in your diary, depending on the draw and the team you support. Of course, some matches will be moved a day or two around these dates depending on TV picks and so on.
First round: Saturday 4 November
Second round: Saturday 2 December
Third round: Saturday 6 January
Fourth round: Saturday 27 January
Fifth round: Wednesday 28 February
Quarter-finals: Saturday 16 March
Semi-finals: Saturday 20 April
Final: Saturday 25 May
FA Cup prize money
13:56 , Karl Matchett
Up until this point in preliminary and qualifying round matches, teams have received a payment whether they win or lose in FA Cup prize money.
In the final round of qualifiers – the fourth round – the 32 teams who triumphed and are in the hat today picked up a little over £9,000 apiece, with the sides they beat getting £3,125.
But from the first round proper until the semis, only one team is handed a cheque: the one which wins. Out and it’s the end of the adventure, both sporting and financial, but for non-league sides especially, a cup run means a windfall which can be the difference between surviving and thriving.
Here’s the breakdown for each win in each round:
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First round proper winners (40 teams) £41,000
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Second round proper winners (20) £67,000
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Third round proper winners (32) £105,000
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Fourth round proper winners (16) £120,000
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Fifth round proper winners (8) £225,000
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Quarter-final winners (4) £450,000
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Semi-final winners (2) £1,000,000
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Semi-final losers (2) £500,000
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Final runners-up (1) £1,000,000
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Final winners (1) £2,000,000
What is the FA Cup first round draw and how to watch?
13:49 , Karl Matchett
The FA Cup gets underway in earnest in early November and for many clubs throughout the Football League and beyond, that means today is a vital day in the diary: the draw for the first round.
Into the first round comes the 48 teams in EFL League One and League Two, joined by 32 winners from non-league football who have progressed through the qualifying and preliminary rounds.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What time is the FA Cup first round draw today?
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
13:42 , Karl Matchett
…and the second batch:
FA Cup first round draw ball numbers
41. Stockport County
42. Sutton United
43. Swindon Town
44. Tranmere Rovers
45. Walsall
46. Wigan Athletic
47. Wrexham
48. Wycombe Wanderers
49. Scarborough Athletic or Oxford City
50. Oldham Athletic
51. Marine
52. Worksop Town
53. AFC Fylde
54. Hereford
55. York City or Needham Market
56. Solihull Moors
57. Chesterfield
58. Alfreton Town
59. Chester
60. Chelmsford City or Whitby Town
61. Curzon Ashton
62. Kidderminster Harriers
63. Gateshead
64. Aldershot Town
65. Maidstone United
66. Ramsgate
67. Aveley or Barnet
68. Hemel Hempstead Town or Woking
69. Horsham
70. Eastleigh
71. Yeovil Town
72. Bromley
73. Maidenhead United
74. Braintree Town or Chesham United
75. Bracknell Town
76. Worthing
77. Boreham Wood
78. Cray Valley (PM)
79. Ebbsfleet United or Slough Town
80. Billericay Town or Sheppey United
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
13:35 , Karl Matchett
A total of 80 clubs in the hat as mentioned so here are all the names and the ball number they will have today. As there’s a lot, we’ll split them in two!
FA Cup first round draw ball numbers
1. Accrington Stanley
2. AFC Wimbledon
3. Barnsley
4. Barrow
5. Blackpool
6. Bolton Wanderers
7. Bradford City
8. Bristol Rovers
9. Burton Albion
10. Cambridge United
11. Carlisle United
12. Charlton Athletic
13. Cheltenham Town
14. Colchester United
15. Crawley Town
16. Crewe Alexandra
17. Derby County
18. Doncaster Rovers
19. Exeter City
20. Fleetwood Town
21. Forest Green Rovers
22. Gillingham
23. Grimsby Town
24. Harrogate Town
25. Leyton Orient
26. Lincoln City
27. Mansfield Town
28. Milton Keynes Dons
29. Morecambe
30. Newport County
31. Northampton Town
32. Notts County
33. Oxford United
34. Peterborough United
35. Port Vale
36. Portsmouth
37. Reading
38. Salford City
39. Shrewsbury Town
40. Stevenage
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
11:31 , Karl Matchett
The FA Cup first round draw takes place this afternoon and you can follow it in its entirety here with The Independent.
A total of 80 teams will be drawn out of the hat, including 32 non-league clubs who have progressed through different numbers of qualifying, or preliminary, rounds already.
League One and League two teams enter from this point.
FA Cup first round draw LIVE
11:28 , The Independent
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