FA Cup 2019-20 Top-line Preliminary Round Preview

The FA Cup Preliminary Round will see 320 Steps 3 to 6 clubs battle it out for a place in the 1^st Qualifying Round.

Among their number are eight clubs competing in the FA Cup for the first time who won their debut ties in the last round, including Longridge Town who beat Barnoldswick Town 6-1 and Melton Town who scored two very late goals to win 2-1 at Worksop Town to cause the Cupset of the Round.

There are also eight other clubs who are into the Preliminary Round for the first time after winning their first FA Cup match in two or three attempts. Abbey Rangers and Broadbridge Heath had had the most campaigns but both finally registered their first FA Cup win at the fourth attempt.

One of the sixteen clubs into this Round for the first time is Widnes, who have reached this stage courtesy of their League status rather than their Cup exploits. Widnes are one of only two teams in this round yet to win an FA Cup match, the other being the recently formed Ossett United who went out on penalties last season.

There are also 16 clubs who compete at Step 3 in the pyramid in this round who in recent past competitions would not have started until the 1^st Qualifying Round. They’ll all be mindful that seven Step 4 clubs who had to start earlier than normal in the Extra Preliminary Round have already been knocked out.

All the Step 3 sides have avoided each other. However, Stalybridge Celtic versus West Didsbury & Chorlton, Bromsgrove Sporting against Leicester Road, Peterborough Sports taking on Bugbrooke St Michaels, and Bowers & Pitsea facing Barkingside are all Preliminary Round ties where a Step 3 side hosts a Step 6 club. Could one of these produce the Cupset of this Round?

Only twenty-five of the 160 ties pair up two clubs who will face each other in their league campaign this season, and just 30 pit two sides together who have met before in the FA Cup. The most common tie sees Bedworth United and Halesowen Town meet for the sixth time with the West Midlands side ahead by three wins to two.

Wisbech Town have beaten Ely City in all three of their previous FA Cup encounters. Bridgwater Town have done the same to Brislington, but in their case the result has been 1-0 every time.

In the previous Round, Long Eaton United won 8-2 at Bottesford Town, sweet revenge for a 6-0 defeat by the same team just two seasons earlier. So, in this Round there’s hope therefore for the likes of Staveley Miners Welfare who lost 5-1 to their Preliminary Round opponents Lincoln United last time around.

In the Extra Preliminary Round the top nine winning margins were all produced by the away side. Two of those teams won 7-0, Heanor Town and AFC Mansfield, and they go head to head in this Round. It has nil-nil draw written all over it!

Top scorers, Whickham, netted 10 times in the last Round and their home tie with Thornaby is one of a handful of games that kick off this Round on Friday night.

Follow @PhilAnnets and @FACupFactfile on Twitter

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FA Cup 2019-20 EP Round Review

Top-line review of FA Cup 2019-20 Extra Preliminary Round full of quoatable sound-bites’

Stat of the Round

The nine biggest victories of the Extra Preliminary Round were all recorded by the away side.

 

First time in Preliminary Round ever (16 clubs)

Abbey Rangers and Broadbridge Heath (4^th season)

Hythe and Dibden, Little Common and Stockton Town (3^rd season) – Plus Widnes (3^rd season) – who didn’t enter until the Preliminary Round this year

Bridon Ropes and Exmouth Town (2^nd season)

AFC Varndeanians, Longridge Town, Melton Town, Sherwood Colliery, Sutton Athletic, Thame Rangers and White Ensign (debut) – plus Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (if a new team)

 

Equalling best run to PR (24 clubs)

Andover New Street, Baffins Milton Rovers, Balham, Biggleswade, Canterbury City, Charnock Richard, Cribbs, Framlingham Town, Hamble Club, Heather St Johns, Hemsworth Miners Welfare, Lichfield City, Litherland REMYCA, Longlevens, Lutterworth Town, Rothwell Corinthians, Sheppey United, Shepton Mallet, Sutton Common Rovers, West Didsbury & Chorlton and Whitchurch Alport

Plus Bedfont Sports, Bromsgrove Sporting and Ossett United who didn’t enter until the Preliminary Round this year

 

First time in Preliminary Round in a while

Roman Glass St George (66yrs, 2 campaigns)

Harwich & Parkeston (12yrs, 3 campaigns)

Heather St Johns (9yrs, 3 campaigns)

Fairford Town (8yrs, 7 campaigns)

March Town United (8yrs, 2 campaigns)

Ely City (7yrs)

Billingham Town (7yrs, 4 campaigns)

Hebburn Town (6yrs, 4 campaigns)

Cribbs and Peterborough Northern Star (5yrs)

Shrivenham (5yrs, 2 campaigns)

Barton Town, Chichester City, Christchurch and Leicester Nirvana (4yrs)

 

Into Prelim Rd and long time since last KO in EP Rd

Skelmersdale United 1925/26

Dunston UTS 2009/10

Dunstable Town and Wantage Town 2010/11

Shoreham 2012/13

 

Never KO in EP Rd (Min 3 campaigns)

Burscough (73 campaigns)

Fleet Town (40 campaigns)

Steyning Town Community (21 campaigns)

Bishops Cleeve (16 campaigns)

Sporting Khalsa (7)

Handsworth (6)

CB Hounslow United and Leicester Road (4)

City of Liverpool (3)

 

 

First time knocked out in EP Rd ever (Min 3 campaigns)

Kendal Town (89^th campaign)

Rugby Town (44^th campaign)

Vauxhall Motors (17^th campaign)

Knaresborough Town (6^th)

Cheltenham Saracens (4^th)

Chipping Sodbury Town (3^rd)

 

First time Knocked Out in EP Rd for a while

Congleton Town 1930/31

Clitheroe 2001/02

Carlton Town 2006/07

Grimsby Borough and Shaftesbury 2009/10

Greenwich Borough and Woodford Town 2010/11

Croydon and Molesey 2012/13

Consett 2013/14

Ashton Athletic 2015/16

 

 

Consecutive EP Rd KOs

9 Keynsham Town (9 campaigns over 15 years)

8 Enfield 1893, Nostell Miners Welfare (over 10 years) and Walsham-le-Willows (8)

6 Lingfield (6 over 7 years)

5 Wellingborough Whitworth (over 8 years) and Sunderland Ryhope Colliery Welfare (5 – always)

5 Athersley Recreation, Lordswood and Tadley Calleva (5)

4 Wolverhampton Sporting Community (4 – always)

4 Abingdon United (over 5 years), Radford, Romsey Town (over 7 years) and Thackley (4)

 

 

Debut FACup match wins

Longridge Town 6-1 Barnoldswick Town

London Tigers 0-2 Thame Rangers

Crowborough Athletic 1-2 AFC Varndeanians

Worksop Town 1-2 Melton Town

Quorn 1-2 Sherwood Colliery

Sutton Athletic 3-2 Deal Town

 

Replays

Aylesbury Vale Dynamos 1-0 Royal Wootton Bassett Town

White Ensign 3-1 Woodford Town

 

Avenged Previous FA Cup Defeat

Arundel 2-0 Banstead Athletic (8 years ago lost 3-1)

Horsham YMCA 2-1 Croydon (14 years ago lost 2-1)

Bottesford Town 2-8 Long Eaton United (2 years ago lost 6-0)

Cowes Sports 0-4 Lymington Town (11 years ago lost 4-0)

Bishop Auckland 0-2 Thornaby (3 years ago lost 4-0)

West Didsbury & Chorlton 2-1 Squires Gate (lost 3-2 twice, last time last year)

 

Replays

Garforth Town 3-2 Shildon (lost 3x last time 6 years ago 4-1)

 

 

Biggest Wins of the EP Rd

Harrogate Railway Athletic 1-10 Whickham (record win and defeat)

Bottesford Town 2-8 Long Eaton United (record win and defeat)

Radford 0-7 Heanor Town (record defeat)

Sleaford Town 0-7 AFC Mansfield (record win and defeat)

Whitley Bay 1-7 Hebburn Town (joint record defeat)

Amesbury Town 2-7 Christchurch (joint record win and defeat)

Clapton 0-6 Stowmarket Town

Bexhill United 1-6 Eastbourne Town (joint record defeat)

Haverhill Rovers 1-6 Colney Heath (record win)

Longridge Town 6-1 Barnoldswick Town (record* win and joint record defeat)

Saltdean United 6-1 Eastbourne United Association (record win)

South Normanton Athletic 5-0 Selston (record* defeat)

Walthamstow 5-0 Sporting Bengal United (record win and joint record defeat)

*First FA Cup match

 

Replays

 

 

Cupsets

Worksop Town (4) 1-2 Melton Town (6)

Kendal Town (4) 0-4 Hemsworth Miners Welfare (5)

Anstey Nomads (5) 0-3 Kirby Muxloe (6)

Sawbridgeworth Town (5) 1-3 Halstead Town (6)

Clitheroe (4) 1-2 1874 Northwich (5)

Hullbridge Sports (4) 1-2 Stanway Rovers (5)

Colliers Wood United (5) 2-3 Shoreham (6)

Hanley Town (5) 2-3 Leicester Road (6)

Crowborough Athletic (5) 1-2 AFC Varndeanians (6)

Ilford (5) 1-2 Harwich & Parkeston (6)

Quorn (5) 1-2 Sherwood Colliery (6)

Squires Gate (5) 1-2 West Didsbury & Chorlton (6)

Barkingside (6) 4-1 Stansted (5)

Boldmere St Michaels (5) 3-1 Daventry Town (4)

Loughborough University (5) 3-1 Ilkeston Town (4)

Bridon Ropes (6) 3-1 Broadfields United (5)

Stotfold (6) 3-1 Harpenden Town (5)

Arundel (6) 2-0 Banstead Athletic (5)

Barton Town (5) 3-2 Carlton Town (4)

Lichfield City (6) 3-2 Highgate United (5)

Sutton Athletic (6) 3-2 Deal Town (5)

March Town United (6) 2-1 Norwich United (5)

Winterton Rangers (6) 2-1 Grimsby Borough (5)

 

Replays

White Ensign (6) 3-1 Woodford Town (5)

Hythe and Dibden (6) 3-2 AFC Portchester (5)

 

Hat-tricks and more

5 – Ross Duggan (AFC Mansfield)

4 – Carl Finnigan (Whickham)

4 – Niall Towle (Long Eaton United)

3 – Graeme Armstrong (Hebburn Town)

3 – Dan Bradshaw (Sheppey United)

3 – Kyle Graham (Christchurch)

3 – Leon Howarth (Handsworth)

3 – Leon Lobjoit (Newport Pagnell Town)

3 – Nathan Lynch (Hamble Club)

3 – Josh Mayhew (Stowmarket Town)

3 – Matty Pattison (Whickham)

3 – Neikell Plummer (Bradford Town)

3 – Jamie Symes (Portland United)

3 – Paul Turner (Longridge Town)

3 – Tyler Scrafton (Eastbourne Town)

 

Replays

4 – Aidan Thomas (Westfields)

3 – Mark Fitzpatrick (Dunston)

3 – Jamie Owens (Stockton Town)

 

Miscellaneous

Jack Shonk scored the first goal of the 2019-20 FA Cup when he opened the scoring for Bexhill United against Eastbourne Town.

Tyler Scrafton scored the first hat-trick of this year’s competition in the same game for Eastbourne Town.

Chris Stapleton of Dunstable Town scored the fastest goal of the Extra Preliminary Round in just 14 seconds in their 3-2 win over Chipping Sodbury Town.

Graeme Armstrong scored a hat-trick of penalties for Hebburn Town in their 7-1 win at Whitley Bay. It’s the second time a hat-trick of penalties has occurred in the last two seasons.

Three players were sent off as Walthamstow (1 red card) won 5-0 at home to Sporting Bengal United (2 red cards).

2019-20 FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

A Numbers Game

Half of the 736 clubs who will participate in the 2019-20 FA Cup will begin their campaigns on the second weekend of August in the Extra Preliminary Round.

This means twice as many clubs than the total number of Football League and Premier League sides will see their FA Cup dreams dashed before most people have returned from their summer holidays.

The Extra Preliminary Round is made up of 19 clubs from Step Four in the non-league pyramid, 277 Step Five club, and 72 teams who currently compete at Step Six, also known as Level Ten (Premier League is Level One) in the overall pyramid.

Success and Failure

Amongst their number are two clubs, Northwich Victoria and Chatham Town, who both reached the last eight of the competition way back in the nineteenth century. They are two of fifty-seven clubs in this year’s Extra Preliminary Round who have tasted ‘proper’ round FA Cup football in the past. The most recent example being current Hellenic Premier League side Westfields who made the First Round just three years ago after starting at this same Extra Preliminary Round stage.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are those clubs who’ve yet to win an FA Cup match. Twenty-five clubs can justify having that record as they are making their debuts in the competition, but 15 other clubs have actually participated in the FA Cup before yet have failed to win a Cup game so far.

Sunderland Ryhope Colliery Welfare have had four FA Cup campaigns without a win since Ryhope Colliery Welfare and Sporting Club Vaux came together in 1988, but club members will point to the First Round ‘proper’ appearance of the club formed in 1892 as evidence that Cup victories have been achieved in the past.

United Counties League Division One side Wellingborough Whitworth, however, have no such contested history to fall back on, and will be participating in the FA Cup for the fifth time this season looking to secure their first victory.

As a quirky aside Sunderland Ryhope Colliery Welfare is the only club competing in this year’s FA Cup whose name contains all the letters of the words ‘FA Cup’. They have also been drawn against fellow Northern League Division One local rivals Sunderland Ryhope Community Association for the second successive season, a tie where there are a record 67 letters in the two collective names.

The shortest combined names of clubs facing each other in the Extra Preliminary this season is thirteen, the clash between Western League Premier Division sides, Street and Odd Down.

Starting Out

All 25 FA Cup debutantes have been kept apart in the Extra Preliminary Round draws and some have tougher ties on paper than others.

Bradford based side Campion have been drawn away from home against City of Liverpool, a recently promoted Step Four club who have never failed to win their Extra Preliminary Round ties in the past, albeit they are only competing in the FA Cup for the third time.

Staffordshire side Stone Old Alleynians have been drawn to travel to Worcester City, a club with 102 FA Cup campaigns under their belt, including within their history a trip to the Fourth Round ‘Proper’ after a famous victory over Liverpool in 1959.

The debut club with arguably the most difficult Extra Preliminary Round tie is Leicestershire based side Melton Town. They’ve been drawn to travel to Worksop Town, a club competing in the FA Cup for the 112^th time and one which has faced and beaten five other clubs playing in their first FA Cup match. The glimmer of hope for Melton is that their more seasoned opponents have exited the FA Cup in the Extra Preliminary Round three times in the last five seasons.

One of the twenty-five debut clubs is Coggeshall United. For 137 seasons the small Essex town of Coggeshall had never had a club compete in the FA Cup, but the Weavers now make it two clubs from the town in the last two seasons following the debut of Coggeshall Town last year. The Seed Growers were the last debut club standing last season. Can the Weavers emulate that feat?

Like Coggeshall United, Ilkeston Town were formed in 2017, but unlike the Essex based side’s home town, the town of Ilkeston has been represented many times in the past in the FA Cup. In fact the Robins will be the third ‘Ilkeston Town’ to play in the competition. Both previous ‘Ilkeston Town’ clubs won their debut FA Cup matches, as did two clubs who competed under the name ‘Ilkeston’. So can the current Derbyshire club make it five debut wins out of five for the town of Ilkeston at Loughborough University?

Two clubs making their FA Cup debuts this season were actually formed in the nineteenth century, although neither has had to wait the 140 years after formation that the aforementioned Coggeshall Town had to do so before making their FA Cup bow.

Kent based Sutton Athletic were formed in 1898 so have waited just a mere 121 years to participate in this famous old competition! However, formed 10 years prior to that is Norwich CBS, formed originally as the works team of Norwich Union Insurance. They’ve had a couple of name and location changes in the intervening 131 years (CBS = County Building Services) and now compete in the Eastern Counties League Division One North.

Same Old, Same Old

Obviously those sides drawn against debut clubs will be facing new opponents in the FA Cup. However, many clubs (fans) at this stage of the competition often bemoan the fact that they face familiar foe every season, either because they are members of the same league, or because they get drawn against each other time and time again.

There is some sympathy for the former reason, but there are two things to consider. Firstly, just about a quarter of clubs in the Extra Preliminary Round will face opponents who they will meet twice in their League campaigns, which isn’t that many. Secondly, when the third round draw is made, Premier League and Championship sides are far, far more likely to be drawn against opponents from the same division.

There is a myth surrounding being drawn against the same opponents every season in the FA Cup. At the extremities of the country this is more likely to happen, to North-east and South-west clubs, but even so, out of 184 Extra Preliminary Round ties this season, just 19 pit together two teams who have met in the competition before. And the most frequently meeting two sides have done so just three times in the past.

Plymouth Parkway have a two-to-one head-to-head victory ratio over their opponents Buckland Athletic in their past FA Cup encounters, but for two other three-time past meetings, the history is decidedly in favour of one side over the other.

Northern Counties East League Premier Division side Garforth Town will be hoping to win their first FA Cup encounter against Northern League Division One side Shildon at the fourth attempt, but history shows that Northern League clubs tend to win more often than not against NECL clubs in the competition.

Similarly, Pagham of the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division will try at the fourth attempt to beat fellow Step Five side Tunbridge Wells who compete in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division.

Records to Protect

Several clubs appearing in this year’s Extra Preliminary Round have never actually been eliminated from the competition as early as this round. Most of them have only had two or three campaigns, but a few have competed in the FA Cup many times before.

Bishop’s Cleeve are competing in the FA Cup for the 16^th time, and Steyning Town Community for the 21^st time. It’ll be the 40^th campaign for Fleet Town. Burscough have had 72 previous FA Cup campaigns, whilst Kendal Town are participating in the FA Cup for the 89^th time. And not one Extra Preliminary Round exit amongst them.

Rugby Town will be taking part for the 44^th time and will travel to Sporting Khalsa making their seventh venture into the competition. Neither of these two sides, either, has tasted defeat at this stage of the competition before, so one of them will suffer an unpalatable new sensation this season.

What about the Minnows?

Seven Extra Preliminary Round ties involve two clubs who both are members of Step Six Leagues. The winners of the Hackney Wick versus Framlingham Town all-Step Six tie will at least equal their best FA Cup run to the Preliminary Round.

Other Step Six sides have not been so fortunate in the draw and will pit themselves against clubs from two levels above them in the non-league pyramid, and away from home. But which of City of Liverpool (4) vs Campion (6), Worksop Town (4) vs Melton Town (6) or Willand Rovers (4) vs AFC St Austell (6) is likely to result in an FA Cup ‘Cupset’?

It All Kicks-off

The 184 Extra Preliminary Round ties take place over the second weekend of August with the majority of games occurring on the Saturday. However, there are matches scheduled on the Friday and the Sunday, too, with Skelmersdale United vs Penistone Church (at Prescot Cables) and Bexhill United vs Eastbourne Town (at the Saffrons) two of the Friday night games.

Will any of these 368 clubs still be going by the time EFL clubs join the competition in November?

 

Author: Phil Annets writing as FACupFactfile. Do follow @philannets & @FACupFactfile on Twitter

Norton Your Nellie

Or “why you should never include the word ‘Norton’ in your club name if playing in the FA Cup”.

There have been seven clubs in FA Cup history which have included the word ‘Norton’ in their name, six of which have subsequently folded in the last 20 years and the other’s very existence remains in a perilous state.

Sheffield based club Norton Woodseats were founded in 1912 and first entered the FA Cup in the 1926-27 season whilst members of the Sheffield Association League.

Norton Woodseats had 37 FA Cup campaigns in all, including falling just one step short of a First Round ‘Proper’ appearance in the 1948-49 season, losing 4-2 at home to Gainsborough Trinity after extra time.

In their FA Cup adventures they won 9-0 against Steel, Peach and Tozer, and 8-0 against the world’s oldest club, Sheffield FC.

But, despite being a regular member of the highly regarded Yorkshire League, Norton Woodseats FA Cup involvement ended in the 1^st Qualifying Round stage of the 1973-74 season, with a 4-0 home defeat to Denaby United.

The club became founder members of the Northern Counties East League in 1983 before changing their name to Dronfield United for seven seasons.

However, they returned to the Norton Woodseats name as they dropped out of the Northern Counties East League into the Central Midlands League. But their fortunes were in a downward spiral and before long they disbanded in 1994.

Three seasons later they reappeared in the Sheffield and Hallamshire League, but this second life lasted only three seasons and the folded for good at the end of the 1999 season.

 

Worcestershire based club Kings Norton Town were formed in 1993 as Richmond Swifts as a result of a merger between Swift Personalised Products and Richmond Amateurs. And if they’d stayed with that name then maybe they’d still be around to this day.

However, the Nomads took on the Kings Norton Town name in 1997 and soon after joined the Midland Alliance. In their third season as members of that league they had their one and only foray into the FA Cup.

They would experience just one FA Cup match, a 1-0 defeat at Redditch United in the Preliminary Round of the 1999-2000 season, and by the end of that season the club was no more.

 

The club that would for three years be known as Norton Sports were actually formed in 1961 as Teynham and Lynsted. The Kent based club played under that name for 27 years before taking over an existing club called Norton Sports, taking on their ground, their players and their name.

The original Norton Sports had been formed in 1927 and had been competing for most of their existence in the Canterbury and District League. The newly created Norton Sports would take their place in the higher Kent County League 1^st Division East.

The club became an established Kent County League Premier division side in time for a re-organisation of the football pyramid in 2008 when they were allocated a position at Step Five in the Premier division of the Kent League.

Membership of that league opened the door for Norton Sports to enter the FA Cup. A brace of 2-0 victories against Redhill and Banstead Athletic in the 2010-11 season set up a 1^st Qualifying Round tie at Beckenham Town, which they lost by the odd goal in five.

Maybe due to some form of extra sensory perception, the club changed its name from Norton Sports to Woodstock Sports at the end of that season (actually it co-incided with their move to Woodstock Park, a ground which was fit for the Kent League Premier division).

It was only a stay of execution really. Two more FA Cup campaigns followed, being knocked out in the Extra Preliminary Round, and soon after the Kent League we re-named as the Southern Counties East League the club ceased to exist.

A 2-0 defeat at Pagham was their last FA Cup game before their demise at the end of the 2014-15 season. A change of name had not helped at all.

 

Another ‘Norton’ club came to an untimely end at the end of the 2014-15 season, too, but their story is a little more unsavoury.

Formed in 1989 Norton United joined the Staffordshire Senior League and five years later they got their first taste of promotion to the Midland League Division One.

Seven years further on and the club were promoted to the North West Counties League Division Two, from where they would be able to make their FA Cup bow in the 2003-04 season. A goal-less draw at Long Eaton United in the Preliminary Round was followed up by a 2-0 defeat at home in the replay. But better days in the FA Cup would be ahead, much better days.

The club would continue at that level in the pyramid for several years progressing no further than the 1^st Qualifying Round in the FA Cup, even after they were promoted to the North West Counties League Premier division at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Two years after that promotion they went up again to the Northern Premier League Division One South for the 2014-15 season, and at that new level they took the FA Cup qualifying Rounds by storm.

Victories over Stafford Town, Corby Town, Spalding United, Runcorn Town and Shildon took the club four rounds further than they’d ever been before and into the magical First Round ‘Proper’.

There was to be no fairy tale draw against a league team, nor was there to be a giant-killing as they went down 4-0 against Gateshead, but there was a lot of money to be made. Their cup run alone brought in over £50,000.

But by the end of the season the club folded, citing financial difficulties of competing at Step Four on crowds of 50 or 60 a week with what they considered to be extortionate rent. Fair enough in normal circumstances, but what happened to all that money from the Cup run?

 

Oxfordshire based side Hook Norton were formed two years before the end of the nineteenth century as a works team for Brymbo Ironstone Company.

Playing local league football for many, many years, the Hooky eventually joined the Oxfordshire Senior League, finally making it to Step Six of the football pyramid 103 years after forming when they joined Division One West of the Hellenic League.

After waiting so long to get there the club didn’t hang about and within a season they were promoted to the Premier Division, but it would be another decade before they took their first tentative steps in the FA Cup.

A heavy 6-1 defeat at the hands of Leverstock Green in the Extra Preliminary Round was followed by a five year hiatus from the FA Cup, but then the club from the village better noted for its fine ales, went on a mini Cup run.

Their 2015-16 campaign started with a 5-0 thrashing of Frimley Green, then a 4-2 victory over Burnham, followed by a tight 1-0 win at Eastbourne United Association.

I had the good fortune to be present at their biggest game in their history when they took on Weston-super-Mare, a National League South side, in the 2^nd Qualifying Round. A fabulous day and a record crowd, and despite scoring one of the goals of the competition that year, the Hooky went down to a creditable 2-1 defeat.

The following season saw a 2-0 defeat at Chertsey Town in the Extra Preliminary Round in August and the club folding at the end of the season in May.

The club have re-formed and joined the much lower Witney and District League for the 2018-19 season, but it remains to be seen whether or not they go the same way as Norton Woodseats who reformed after folding only to disappear very soon after.

 

Norton and Stockton Ancients were formed in 1980 when the long-standing Stockton FC were wound up merged with Norton Cricket Club. Stockton had had quite an illustrious FA Cup adventure in their almost 100 years existence, reaching the Third Round ‘Proper’ in 1951-52 season, losing 4-0 at Notts County then a second tier side.

Starting off in the Teesside League the Ancients very quickly got promoted to Northern League Division Two from where they made their FA Cup debut in 1985-86 season. They drew one apiece with Shotton Comrades before going down 5-2 in the Preliminary Round replay.

Over the next 37 years the club would compete in the FA Cup 21 times, with a best win of 6-1 over West Allotment Celtic in 2006-07 season, and a best run to the 3^rd Qualifying Round four seasons later. That run culminated in a 5-2 home defeat to FC United of Manchester and a record crowd of over 1,500 spectators.

But the good times were not to last and within seven years of that big FA Cup game the club ceased to exist, folding during the 2016-17 season. The club has been reformed in 2019 under the same name, but will the curse of ‘Norton’ remain with them?

 

The final club with ‘Norton’ in their name to play in the FA Cup in the oldest of the lot, and remarkably are still going despite the challenges of running a non-league club in these financially straitened times.

Oxfordshire side Chipping Norton Town were formed way back in 1893 as Chipping Norton Swifts, and played junior football for the first sixty years or so of their existence before eventually winning the Oxfordshire Senior League.

The Magpies then became founder members of the Hellenic League for the 1953-54 season and remained members of that League for the next 25 years before joining the Midland Combination Division One at the start of the 1980s.

Soon after not only were they being promoted to the Premier Division, but they were also competing in the FA Cup, albeit for just two seasons before returning to the Oxfordshire Senior League due to financial unsustainability.

Their FA Cup adventure was less than illustrious. Two matches and two defeats, first 3-0 at Highgate United and second 4-2 at Bourne Town.

A brief return to the Hellenic League ended in 1993 and a return to lower level football which sees the Magpies now competing in the Witney and District League.

It may well be lower level football, but at least they are still in existence, despite the fact that their ground is under threat of closure and having to play their home games at Enstone Sports and Social club. How much longer can they stave off the curse of having ‘Norton’ in their name?

 

So my simple advice to Yorkshire sides Norton United and Malton & Norton, West Midlands based Norton Canes, Suffolk side Norton Athletic, Staffordshire club Norton Wanderers, Somerset outfit Norton Fitzwarren, Oxfordshire club Brize Norton is this.

If you have aspirations of one day competing in the FA Cup then my recommendation to you is to change your name before doing so. If not, you will be putting your club’s very existence in peril.

The FA Cup 2010s Club Rankings

The FACupFactfile 2010s Rankings of the 1,024 clubs who competed in the FA Cup during the last decade.

Rankings are based on the number of times each club has reached a particular round during the decade from 2009-10 to 2018-19. The further the club went the higher up the rankings it is. Winners are ahead of Finalists. Finalist are ahead of Semi-Finalists. Semi-Finalists are ahead of Quarter Finalists etc etc etc.

So for example a club that has one FA Cup Final appearance and one other Semi-Final appearance would be ahead of another club that had not reached the Final in the last 10 years but had made the Semi-Finals three times in that time.

If two or more clubs have the same number of best FA Cup runs then the number of times they achieved their second best runs will separate them. And if that doesn’t do it, then their third best runs are used. If they have identical records then they will share the same position.

Here’s the list. Do Tweet the position where your club ranks.

Rank	Team
1	Chelsea
2	Arsenal
3	Manchester City
4	Manchester United
5	Wigan Athletic
6	Liverpool
7	Aston Villa
8	Watford
9	Stoke City
10	Crystal Palace
11	Hull City
12	Portsmouth
13	Tottenham Hotspur
14	Everton
15	Reading
16	Millwall
17	Brighton and Hove Albion
18	Bolton Wanderers
19	Southampton
20	Sheffield United
21	Wolverhampton Wanderers
22	Leicester City
23	Blackburn Rovers
24	Birmingham City
24	Swansea City
26	West Ham United
27	Sunderland
28	West Bromwich Albion
29	Fulham
30	Middlesbrough
31	Barnsley
32	Charlton Athletic
33	Bradford City
34	Lincoln City
35	Derby County
36	Sheffield Wednesday
37	Huddersfield Town
38	Burnley
39	Cardiff City
39	Leeds United
41	Crawley Town
42	Nottingham Forest
43	Preston North End
44	Notts County
44	Rochdale
46	Bristol City
46	Queens Park Rangers
48	AFC Bournemouth
48	Brentford
50	Milton Keynes Dons
51	Coventry City
52	Stevenage
53	Norwich City
54	Doncaster Rovers
55	Blackpool
56	Oxford United
57	Oldham Athletic
58	Shrewsbury Town
59	Newport County
60	Luton Town
61	AFC Wimbledon
62	Leyton Orient
63	Sutton United
64	Newcastle United
65	Accrington Stanley
66	Peterborough United
67	Yeovil Town
68	Ipswich Town
69	Carlisle United
70	Burton Albion
71	Scunthorpe United
71	Wycombe Wanderers
73	Colchester United
74	Port Vale
75	Gillingham
76	Macclesfield Town
77	Walsall
78	Cambridge United
79	Swindon Town
80	Southend United
81	Torquay United
82	Chesterfield
83	Bury
84	Aldershot Town
85	Barnet
86	Hereford United
87	Kidderminster Harriers
88	Rotherham United
89	Fleetwood Town
90	Tranmere Rovers
91	Plymouth Argyle
92	Cheltenham Town
93	Hartlepool United
94	Wrexham
95	Mansfield Town
96	Grimsby Town
97	Bristol Rovers
97	Exeter City
99	Dover Athletic
100	Barrow
101	Eastleigh
102	Dagenham and Redbridge
103	York City
104	Northampton Town
105	Stourbridge
106	Forest Green Rovers
106	Gateshead
108	Woking
109	Tamworth
110	Southport
111	Salisbury City
112	Blyth Spartans
113	Hastings United
114	Maidstone United
115	Chelmsford City
116	Crewe Alexandra
116	Morecambe
118	FC Halifax Town
119	Stockport County
120	Guiseley
121	Solihull Moors
122	Brackley Town
123	Slough Town
124	Welling United
125	Northwich Victoria
126	Boreham Wood
127	Alfreton Town
127	Braintree Town
127	Dartford
130	Altrincham
131	AFC Telford United
132	Oxford City
133	AFC Fylde
134	Staines Town
135	Bath City
136	Kettering Town
137	FC United of Manchester
138	Worcester City
139	Darlington (1)
140	Whitehawk
141	Salford City
142	Chesham United
143	Rushden and Diamonds
144	Chester
145	Harrogate Town
146	Leatherhead
147	AFC Totton
148	Dorchester Town
149	Warrington Town
150	Droylsden
151	Curzon Ashton
152	Swindon Supermarine
153	Hereford
154	Redbridge
155	Bromley
156	Ebbsfleet United
157	Maidenhead United
158	Nuneaton Borough
158	St Albans City
160	Basingstoke Town
161	Corby Town
162	Gloucester City
163	Havant and Waterlooville
164	Hendon
165	Weston-super-Mare
166	Wealdstone
167	Gainsborough Trinity
168	Chorley
169	East Thurrock United
170	Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC
171	Billericay Town
172	Bishop’s Stortford
173	Metropolitan Police
174	Nantwich Town
175	Harrow Borough
176	Hinckley United
177	Arlesey Town
178	Eastbourne Borough
179	Hampton and Richmond Borough
180	Hemel Hempstead Town
181	Concord Rangers
181	Hayes and Yeading United
183	Stalybridge Celtic
184	Hyde United
185	Barwell
186	Lowestoft Town
187	Didcot Town
188	Spennymoor Town
189	Gosport Borough
190	Heybridge Swifts
191	Vauxhall Motors (Ellesmere Port)
192	Stamford
193	Paulton Rovers
194	Taunton Town
195	Haringey Borough
196	Hednesford Town
197	Truro City
198	Cambridge City
198	Hitchin Town
200	Biggleswade Town
201	Tooting and Mitcham United
202	Eastwood Town
203	Yate Town
204	Daventry Town
205	Shortwood United
206	Hythe Town
207	Merstham
208	Westfields
209	Tipton Town
210	Ilkeston Town (1)
211	Norton United
212	Shaw Lane Association
213	Buxton
213	Workington
215	Chippenham Town
216	Poole Town
217	North Ferriby United
218	Margate
219	Weymouth
220	Burgess Hill Town
221	Boston United
222	King’s Lynn Town
223	Histon
223	Leiston
225	AFC Hornchurch
226	Grays Athletic
227	Marine
228	Bognor Regis Town
229	Enfield Town
229	Rushall Olympic
231	Canvey Island
232	Bury Town
233	Shildon
234	Farnborough
235	Witton Albion
236	Kidsgrove Athletic
237	Lincoln United
238	Redditch United
239	Ashton United
240	Needham Market
241	Worthing
242	Lewes
243	Thurrock
244	Tonbridge Angels
245	Colwyn Bay
246	Brentwood Town
246	Kendal Town
246	Leek Town
249	Winchester City
250	AFC Rushden and Diamonds
251	Hartley Wintney
252	North Leigh
253	Ilkeston
254	Bamber Bridge
255	Bedworth United
256	Matlock Town
257	Harlow Town
258	Folkestone Invicta
259	Ossett Town
260	Beaconsfield Town
261	Potters Bar Town
262	Evesham United
263	Blackfield and Langley
264	Ashington
265	Carshalton Athletic
266	St Neots Town
267	Dunston UTS
268	Witham Town
269	Mangotsfield United
270	South Park
271	Scarborough Athletic
272	Ossett Albion
273	Sheffield
274	Chatham Town
275	Bishop Auckland
276	Mossley
277	Willand Rovers
278	Egham Town
279	South Shields
280	Brislington
281	Godalming Town
282	Aylesbury
282	Newcastle Town
284	Greenwich Borough
285	Marske United
286	Southend Manor
287	Hanworth Villa
288	Sporting Khalsa
289	Hebburn Town
290	Chester City
291	Hungerford Town
292	Frickley Athletic
293	AFC Sudbury
293	Lancaster City
295	Mickleover Sports
296	Cirencester Town
297	Aveley
298	Halesowen Town
299	North Greenford United
300	Dulwich Hamlet
301	Kingstonian
301	Leamington
303	Wingate and Finchley
304	Rugby Town
305	Frome Town
306	Grantham Town
306	Horsham
308	Merthyr Town
309	Carlton Town
310	Clevedon Town
311	Whitby Town
312	Banbury United
312	Burscough
314	Cinderford Town
314	Trafford
316	Dunstable Town
317	Hanwell Town
318	Cray Wanderers
319	Radcliffe
320	Ashford Town (Mdx)
321	Chalfont St Peter
322	Bridgwater Town
322	Stratford Town
324	Whitley Bay
325	Walton Casuals
326	Dorking Wanderers
327	AFC Mansfield
328	Coleshill Town
329	Stafford Rangers
330	Coalville Town
331	Sholing
332	Bideford
333	Burnham
334	Chasetown
335	Thamesmead Town
336	Faversham Town
337	Sutton Coldfield Town
338	Bedford Town
338	Chipstead
340	Uxbridge
341	St Ives Town
342	Dereham Town
343	Barton Rovers
343	Maldon and Tiptree
345	Bishop’s Cleeve
345	Bodmin Town
345	Sittingbourne
348	Eastbourne Town
349	Herne Bay
349	Newcastle Benfield
349	Spalding United
352	Farsley Celtic
353	Stocksbridge Park Steels
354	Gresley
355	Bashley
356	Tadcaster Albion
357	Bristol Manor Farm
358	Kempston Rovers
359	Cadbury Heath
360	Coventry Sphinx
360	West Auckland Town
362	Ashton Athletic
363	Northwood
363	Waltham Abbey
365	Aylesbury United
366	Wroxham
367	Ramsgate
368	Basford United
369	Runcorn Linnets
370	Felixstowe and Walton United
371	Alvechurch
372	Flackwell Heath
373	Cleethorpes Town
374	Phoenix Sports
375	Badshot Lea
376	Atherstone Town
377	Handsworth Parramore
378	Folland Sports
379	Worksop Town
380	Tiverton Town
381	Moneyfields
382	Walton and Hersham
383	Guisborough Town
384	Bridport
384	Brockenhurst
386	Runcorn Town
387	Redhill
388	Morpeth Town
389	Brightlingsea Regent
390	Long Buckby
391	Peterborough Sports
392	Leighton Town
393	Boston Town
394	Hadley
395	Hucknall Town
396	Penrith
397	Norton and Stockton Ancients
398	Hoddesdon Town
399	Petersfield Town
400	1874 Northwich
400	Brimscombe and Thrupp
402	Barrow Town
403	Lincoln Moorlands Railway
404	Radcliffe Olympic
405	Coggeshall Town
406	Skelmersdale United
407	AFC Portchester
408	Belper Town
408	VCD Athletic
410	Erith Town
411	Walthamstow
412	Consett
413	Darlington
414	Chertsey Town
415	Kings Langley
416	Deeping Rangers
417	FC Romania
418	Salisbury
419	Romford
420	Romulus
421	Fleet Town
421	Market Drayton Town
423	Tividale
424	Larkhall Athletic
424	Loughborough Dynamo
424	Marlow
427	Royston Town
427	Whitstable Town
429	Thame United
430	AFC Wulfrunians
431	Mildenhall Town
432	Whyteleafe
433	Thatcham Town
434	Newport (IOW)
435	New Mills
436	Cammell Laird 1907
437	Beckenham Town
437	East Preston
439	Congleton Town
440	Staveley Miners Welfare
441	Kidlington
442	AFC Dunstable
442	Harefield United
444	Binfield
444	Oadby Town
446	Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA
447	Horsham YMCA
448	Abingdon United
449	Gillingham Town
450	Blaby and Whetstone Athletic
451	Abbey Hey
452	Kirkley and Pakefield
453	Slimbridge
454	Leverstock Green
455	Bridgnorth Town
456	Tilbury
457	Clitheroe
458	Ramsbottom United
459	Hamworthy United
460	Corinthian-Casuals
460	Wimborne Town
462	Glossop North End
462	Wantage Town
464	Guildford City
464	Hertford Town
466	Dunkirk
467	Berkhamsted
468	Plymouth Parkway
469	Cheshunt
469	Ware
471	Harrogate Railway Athletic
472	Quorn
473	Highworth Town
473	Holbeach United
475	Brighouse Town
476	Brigg Town
476	East Grinstead Town
478	Colne
478	Stanway Rovers
480	Atherton Collieries
481	Bridlington Town
481	Hallen
481	Shepshed Dynamo
484	Brantham Athletic
485	Fareham Town
486	Sherborne Town
487	Colney Heath
488	Sevenoaks Town
488	Tunbridge Wells
490	Great Wakering Rovers
491	Croydon
491	Deal Town
491	Erith and Belvedere
491	Norwich United
491	Rainworth Miners Welfare
496	Ardley United
496	Bitton
496	Bowers and Pitsea
496	Haverhill Rovers
500	Royal Wootton Bassett Town
501	Alton Town
501	Cray Valley Paper Mills
503	Buckland Athletic
503	Oxhey Jets
505	Armthorpe Welfare
506	Ipswich Wanderers
507	Albion Sports
507	Wells City
509	Thackley
510	Bradford Town
511	Highgate United
511	Tavistock
513	Bedlington Terriers
513	London Tigers
513	Washington
516	Gornal Athletic
516	Knaphill
518	Hinckley AFC
519	Haughmond
520	Almondsbury Town
520	City Of Liverpool
520	Windsor and Eton
523	Kirby Muxloe
524	Alresford Town
524	Cogenhoe United
524	FC Clacton
524	Raynes Park Vale
528	Barking
529	Bournemouth (Ams)
529	Colliers Wood United
529	Hullbridge Sports
532	Wakefield
533	Lancing
533	Lymington Town
535	Guernsey
536	Sunderland Ryhope Community Association
537	Newton Aycliffe
538	Northampton Spencer
538	Nuneaton Griff
540	Baldock Town
541	Crowborough Athletic
541	Enfield (1893)
543	Pegasus Juniors
543	Selsey
543	Whitchurch United
546	Hatfield Town
546	Irlam
548	Penistone Church
548	Witney Town
550	Wednesfield
551	Knaresborough Town
551	Leigh Genesis
553	Bardon Hill
554	Stewarts and Lloyds (Corby)
555	Anstey Nomads
556	AFC Uckfield Town
556	Glebe
556	Hook Norton
556	Old Woodstock Town
560	Ellistown and Ibstock United
560	Horden Colliery Welfare
562	Bourne Town
562	Farsley Celtic (1)
562	Merthyr Tydfil
565	Pagham
566	Horndean
567	Wisbech Town
568	Prescot Cables
568	Soham Town Rangers
570	Shoreham
570	Stourport Swifts
572	Biggleswade United
573	Garforth Town
573	London Colney
573	Maine Road
576	Littlehampton Town
577	Squires Gate
578	Basildon United
578	Cockfosters
578	St Margaretsbury
581	Peacehaven and Telscombe
582	Barnstaple Town
582	Street
584	Saffron Walden Town
585	Durham City
585	Eastbourne United Association
587	Bemerton Heath Harlequins
587	Gorleston
587	Maltby Main
587	Parkgate
591	Retford United
592	Bottesford Town
593	Boldmere St Michaels
594	Lingfield
595	Stockport Sports
596	Huntingdon Town
597	AFC Hayes
597	Godmanchester Rovers
597	Horley Town
600	Epsom and Ewell
600	Loughborough University
600	Molesey
600	Newport Pagnell Town
604	Bracknell Town
604	Chessington and Hook United
606	Bootle
606	Camberley Town
606	Hadleigh United
606	Newmarket Town
606	Padiham
606	Wembley
612	Ashford United
613	Burnham Ramblers
613	Crawley Down Gatwick
613	Long Eaton United
613	Yaxley
617	Brocton
618	Totton and Eling
619	Heanor Town
619	Sleaford Town
619	Stotfold
622	Walsall Wood
623	Banstead Athletic
623	Leicester Nirvana
625	Halstead Town
625	Welwyn Garden City
627	Clipstone
627	Holbrook Sports
629	Ely City
629	Melksham Town
631	Takeley
632	Saltash United
633	Bewdley Town
634	Winterton Rangers
635	Almondsbury UWE (University of West England)
636	Andover Town
637	Brading Town
637	Croydon Athletic
639	Hassocks
640	Holwell Sports
641	Bedfont and Feltham
641	Haverhill Borough
641	Tuffley Rovers
644	Grimsby Borough
645	Rossendale United
646	Goole
647	Three Bridges
648	Barton Town
648	Ilford
650	Odd Down
651	Crawley Green
651	Desborough Town
651	Farnham Town
651	Tring Athletic
655	Tower Hamlets
656	Arundel
656	Billingham Synthonia
656	Longwell Green Sports
656	Pickering Town
656	Pontefract Collieries
656	Rocester
662	Ascot United
662	Corinthian
664	Long Melford
665	Barkingside
665	Great Yarmouth Town
665	Wellingborough Town
668	Shirebrook Town
669	Cove
669	Northallerton Town
671	Bishop Sutton
671	Windsor
673	Causeway United
673	Holker Old Boys
673	Reading City
676	Dudley Town
676	Northampton Sileby Rangers
676	Woodford United
679	Atherton Laburnum Rovers
680	Clapton
680	Liversedge
680	Stansted
680	Winsford United
684	AFC Liverpool
684	West Allotment Celtic
684	Westfield
687	Crook Town
687	Peterborough Northern Star
687	Shrivenham
687	Wolverhampton Casuals
691	Cheadle Town
691	Chester-le-Street Town
691	Milton United
694	Cobham
694	Eynesbury Rovers
696	Greenhouse London
696	Spelthorne Sports
696	Staines Lammas
699	Andover
699	CB Hounslow United
699	Cheltenham Saracens
699	Leicester Road
699	Thrapston Town
704	Christchurch
705	Alsager Town
706	Bacup Borough
706	Barnoldswick Town
706	Sporting Bengal United
709	Hallam
709	St Helens Town
711	AFC Blackpool
711	Arnold Town
711	Corsham Town
711	Cradley Town
711	Lydney Town
711	Team Northumbria
717	Blackstones
717	Ringwood Town
719	Eccleshall
719	Haywards Heath Town
719	Stone Dominoes
722	Bugbrooke St Michaels
722	Castle Vale
722	Daventry United
722	Dudley Sports
722	London Lions
722	Pilkington XXX
722	Portishead Town
722	Shaftesbury
722	Torpoint Athletic
722	Westbury United
732	Ashford Town (Kent)
732	Bromsgrove Rovers
732	Chipping Sodbury Town
732	Glapwell
732	Witheridge
737	Sawbridgeworth Town
737	Woodbridge Town
739	FC Broxbourne Borough
740	AFC Croydon Athletic
740	Ash United
742	Eccleshill United
742	Potton United
744	Rochester United
745	Bartley Green
745	Coventry United
745	Louth Town
745	Ryton and Crawcrook Albion
745	Sun Sports
745	Woodstock Sports
751	Wokingham and Emmbrook
752	AFC Stoneham
752	Ashby Ivanhoe
752	Bedfont
752	Dosthill Colts
752	King’s Lynn
752	Newcastle Blue Star
752	Racing Club Warwick
752	Worksop Parramore
760	Whitton United
761	AFC Emley
762	Bedfont Sports
763	Borrowash Victoria
763	Harborough Town
765	Bromsgrove Sporting
766	Lordswood
767	Holmesdale
767	North Shields
767	Thetford Town
770	Ringmer
771	Studley
771	West Didsbury and Chorlton
773	Cowes Sports
774	Silsden
775	Eton Manor
775	Heath Hayes
775	Malvern Town
775	Rothwell Corinthians
779	Hemsworth Miners Welfare
779	Lye Town
781	Canterbury City
782	Continental Star
782	Formby
782	Selby Town
785	Loxwood
785	South Normanton Athletic
785	Whitehaven
788	Bedfont Town
788	Longlevens
788	Newhaven
791	Chichester City
792	Sutton Common Rovers
793	Holmer Green
793	Seaham Red Star
793	Shawbury United
793	Verwood Town
793	Worthing United
798	Billingham Town
798	Hengrove Athletic
798	Reading Town
798	Romsey Town
798	Shepton Mallet
803	Amesbury Town
803	Fisher
803	Frimley Green
803	Ilfracombe Town
803	Radstock Town
803	Swaffham Town
803	Wellington (Herefordshire)
810	Abingdon Town
810	AFC St Austell
810	Chadderton
810	Heather St Johns
810	London APSA
815	Hanley Town
815	Heaton Stannington
815	Laverstock and Ford
815	March Town United
815	St Blazey
820	Harpenden Town
820	Hollands and Blair
820	Kentish Town
820	Rothwell Town
820	United Services Portsmouth
825	Kimberley Miners Welfare
825	Lichfield City
825	Portland United
825	Rye United
825	West Essex
830	Walsham-le-Willows
831	Fairford Town
832	Ellesmere Rangers
832	Nostell Miners Welfare
832	St Andrew’s
832	St Francis Rangers
832	Wivenhoe Town
837	Fakenham Town
837	Hillingdon Borough
839	Ampthill Town
839	Downton
839	Glasshoughton Welfare
839	Hall Road Rangers
839	Mile Oak
839	Raunds Town
839	Team Solent
839	Whickham
839	Wick
848	Athersley Recreation
848	Bolehall Swifts
848	Calne Town
848	Cribbs
848	Nelson
848	New Milton Town
848	Pewsey Vale
848	Radford
848	Sidley United
848	Tadley Calleva
848	Wellington (Somerset)
859	AFC Darwen
859	Cadbury Athletic
859	Esh Winning
859	Harrowby United
859	Newbury
859	Rossington Main
859	Stokesley Sports Club
859	Stowmarket Town
859	Willenhall Town
859	Winterbourne United
869	Birtley Town
869	Chard Town
869	Cheddar
869	Codicote
869	Dawlish Town
869	Edgware Town
869	Falmouth Town
869	Friar Lane and Epworth
869	Gedling Miners Welfare
869	Northampton ON Chenecks
869	Sheppey United
869	Team Bury
881	AFC Bridgnorth
881	Aylestone Park
881	Bearsted
881	Biddulph Victoria
881	Biggleswade
881	Black Country Rangers
881	Brackley Town Saints
881	Brandon United
881	Celtic Nation
881	Charnock Richard
881	East Cowes Victoria Athletic
881	Flixton
881	Framlingham Town
881	Hackney Wick
881	Launceston
881	Leyton Athletic
881	Litherland REMYCA
881	Oldland Abbotonians
881	Risborough Rangers
881	Rusthall
881	Saltdean United
881	Southall
881	Southwick (Sussex)
881	Sporting Club Thamesmead
881	Stafford Town
881	Warminster Town
881	Whitchurch Alport
908	AC London
908	Andover New Street
908	Baffins Milton Rovers
908	Balham
908	Bexhill United
908	Birstall United
908	Blyth
908	Brimsdown Rovers
908	Broadfields United
908	Castle Vale JKS
908	Easington Sports
908	Ellistown (1)
908	Hamble
908	Lutterworth Town
908	Ossett United
908	Prestwich Heys
908	Shrewton United
908	Steyning Town
908	Tiptree United
908	Wincanton Town
908	Wootton Blue Cross
929	Hailsham Town
930	Diss Town
931	Holyport
931	Welton Rovers
933	Bedford
933	Fawley
933	Sandhurst Town
933	Southam United
937	Dorking
937	Keynsham Town
937	Langford
937	Teversal
937	Tow Law Town
937	Wigan Robin Park
943	AFC Uckfield
943	Dinnington Town
943	Hayling United
943	Shifnal Town
943	Sunderland Ryhope Colliery Welfare
943	Wellingborough Whitworths
949	Abbey Rangers
949	Barnton
949	Bicester Town
949	Bookham
949	Carterton
949	Debenham Leisure Centre
949	Elmore
949	Greenwood Meadows
949	Irchester United
949	Oakwood
949	Rushden and Higham United
949	Wodson Park
949	Wolverhampton Sporting Community
962	Ashton and Backwell United
962	Ashton Town
962	Bloxwich United
962	Broadbridge Heath
962	Buckingham Town
962	Chinnor
962	Clanfield 85
962	Cranfield United
962	Daisy Hill
962	Darlington Railway Athletic
962	Devizes Town
962	Earlswood Town
962	Epsom Athletic
962	Fleet Spurs
962	Gedling Town
962	Graham Street Prims
962	Hinckley
962	Hythe and Dibden
962	Leeds Carnegie
962	Leek County School Old Boys
962	Little Common
962	London Bari
962	Stockton Town
962	Thornaby
962	Warlingham
962	Widnes
962	Woodley United
962	Yorkshire Amateur
990	Askern Villa
990	Belper United
990	Bridon Ropes
990	Bromyard Town
990	Bustleholme
990	Clevedon United
990	Cornard United
990	Cullompton Rangers
990	Easington Colliery
990	Eversley and California
990	Exmouth Town
990	Feltham
990	Goodrich
990	Gravesham Borough
990	Harrow Hill
990	Harwich and Parkeston
990	Henley Town
990	K Sports
990	Langney Wanderers
990	Ledbury Town
990	Marlow United
990	Meir KA
990	Oldham Boro
990	Pelsall Villa
990	Pershore Town (88)
990	Pinchbeck United
990	Rochdale Town
990	Roman Glass St George
990	Sandbach United
990	Slade Green
990	Stapenhill
990	Tokyngton Manor
990	West Bridgford
990	Wick and Barnham United
990	Winslow United

The Record Breaking FA Cup Final

History Made

Most of the headlines from Manchester City winning 6-0 against Watford in Saturday’s FA Cup Final at Wembley will focus on the domestic treble being achieved for the first time and the fact that the record highest margin of victory in an FA Cup Final was achieved.

Yes, those two records have been achieved by Manchester City, who won a sixth FA Cup title this season, to go with their sixth ever League Cup title and their sixth ever League Championship they won this season, by scoring six goals without reply.

That record 6-0 victory had been set by Bury in the 1903 FA Cup Final when thrashing Derby County that year. However, the Shakers victory did also complete an FA Cup run of not conceding a goal, so they still have bragging rights about that.

Goal-scoring Feats

But those two records are not the only FA Cup benchmarks that were beaten, equalled or set by Manchester City. By scoring those six goals in the Final it meant they had hit the back of the net 26 times en route to lifting the Trophy. That is the highest number of goals scored by any FA Cup winning team since the current competition structure was put in place in the 1925-26 season.

Now there is always a caveat with that ‘record’ as obviously it’s not the most goals scored by any club winning the Trophy (that’s the 40 goals scored by Aston Villa in 1886-87 season), but it also isn’t actually the highest tally since 1925-26, either.

That’s because Derby County scored 37 goals in total when lifting the FA Cup in the 1945-46 season. So why is the Rams’ tally disregarded as the highest total, then? Well, the reason is that during the first post-war FA Cup season there was no formally organised League football, so the FA decided in order to give clubs more games that all FA Cup rounds from the 1^st Round to the Quarter Finals that year would be played over two legs. As a result Derby County played almost twice as many games as the six that most clubs now need to play to win the Cup.

However, if goals per game are analysed for the FA Cup winners, Manchester City set another modern day benchmark. When Newcastle United in 1932 and Chelsea in 1970 scored their total of 25 goals they did so having had to play two or three replays on their way to Wembley (and beyond in Chelsea’s case). Manchester City made it to this year’s Final without the need of a replay and so their 4.33 goals scored per game is the highest return since 1925-26, and was only last bettered by Blackburn Rovers 134 years ago.

A Brace of Braces

Manchester City’s second goal against Watford eventually went to the debatable goals committee to determine who had scored it. Originally it was believed that Raheem Sterling got the final touch, and as he then went on to score twice more in the match late on, it was widely believed that he had scored the first FA Cup Final hat-trick since Stan Mortensen in the 1953 ‘Stanley Matthews’ Final.

However, Stan Mortensen can rest easy, as the review panel decided the ball had already crossed the line before Sterling got his foot to it, and so the goal was awarded to Gabriel Jesus instead. This meant that both Jesus and Sterling scored two goals apiece, the first time ever two players from the same side scored a brace in the FA Cup Final.

Win One, Lose One

Manchester City’s victory was a culmination of a peculiar set of results in the competition that started way back in the Extra Preliminary Round in August. The sequence saw the winning team in one round then get knocked out in the very next round and this continued to happen throughout all 14 rounds of the FA Cup this year, a more than 8,000/1 likely occurrence.

Bizarrely, the last time this rare sequence happened was in the 2012-13 season when Manchester City were on the wrong end of the chain of events when losing to Wigan Athletic.

Double Zero

Watford’s defeat means that the Hornets become unwanted members of an exclusive club, that of teams who have appeared in more than one FA Cup Final but have so far failed to lift the Trophy. Only Queen’s Park, Birmingham City, Leicester City and Crystal Palace are fellow members of this club, the only difference being that each of those four sides have at least managed to score an FA Cup Final goal.

Ten Out Of Ten

Watford’s defeat also meant that every single runner-up in the FA Cup in the last decade, the 2010s, has been a different club. Portsmouth, Stoke City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Hull City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and now Watford have all tasted defeat in the Final over the last ten years. It is the first time ever that all 10 losing finalists in a decade have been 10 different clubs.

How Many’s A Crowd?

Finally, an unwanted record for this year’s FA Cup Final is that the attendance of 85,854 is the lowest Cup Final attendance since the showpiece game returned to be played at Wembley.

FA Cup Final 2019 Preview

Seven hundred and thirty-six clubs entered this year’s FA Cup with half of them kicking off on the first weekend of August. And from the pack has emerged Manchester City and Watford to contest the 2019 FA Cup Final.

This is the 138^th FA Cup Final, the 11^th that Manchester City have reached, and just the second appearance for Watford. It is the first time the two clubs have met in an FA Cup Final and becomes the 116th different pairing of teams in FA Cup Final history.

By virtue of reaching the FA Cup Final this year Manchester City become the 10^th best club in the competition’s history, replacing West Bromwich Albion. A victory in the Final would be their 6^th in total and would move the club up to 8^th in the all-time rankings, leapfrogging Blackburn Rovers and Everton.

Watford will be looking to become the 44^th different name to be etched on the famous trophy. Victory for the Hornets would move the club up to 33^rd in the overall rankings, but defeat would mean they join an exclusive group of four other clubs who have appeared in multiple FA Cup Finals but failed to lift the Trophy. Queen’s Park, Birmingham City and Crystal Palace all have two FA Cup Final appearances, but Leicester City have appeared in four Finals and are yet to win the Cup.

It is 35 years since Watford last appeared in an FA Cup Final. Only five clubs have had to wait longer between their first and second appearance in a Cup Final, and some big names are on that list. There was a 36 year gap for Liverpool, 39 years for Manchester United, a gap of 41 years for West Ham United, and 52 years for Chelsea between their respective first and second FA Cup Finals. But the longest wait a club has had between their first two FA Cup Final appearances is the 61 years between 1898 and 1959 that Nottingham Forest had to endure. Forest then had to wait another 32 years for their 3^rd Cup Final appearance.

Manchester City have scored twice as many goals as Watford in reaching the FA Cup Final, 20 versus ten. The last club to score 20 goals and lift the Trophy was Chelsea back in 2012. Chelsea, along with Newcastle United, also hold the record for most goals scored (25) en route to lifting the Trophy since the current FA Cup structure was put in place in 1925-26 season. This excludes the 37 scored by Derby County in 1945-46 when for one season only all ties before the Semi-Finals were played over two legs.

If Manchester City are to match the current record of 25 goals they would need to post the second biggest number of goals scored by one side in an FA Cup Final. Blackburn Rovers and Bury both hit their respective opponents for six, but no club has actually scored a total of exactly five goals in a Cup Final. If Manchester City do achieve it by scoring at least five goals then they would do so by posting the best goals per game of any Cup winning side since the 1925-26 re-structure. They’d need to hit 10 goals, though, to beat the overall highest goals per game set by Blackburn Olympic in 1883, who scored 34 goals in their seven matches.

When Manchester City lost to Wigan Athletic in the 2013 FA Cup Final it was the culmination of a rare sequence of events in that year’s competition which is potentially set to be repeated this season. In the 2012-13 campaign there was just one Extra Preliminary Round tie where the winners of that tie subsequently lost in the Preliminary Round and their victors went on to lose in the 1^st Qualifying Round, and their victors lost in the 2^nd Qualifying Round, and on and on up to the Final itself.

The odds on that happening starting from the Extra Preliminary Round across all 14 rounds of the FA Cup are over 8,000/1. However, the same sequence is amazingly happening again this season, but whereas Manchester City were on the wrong end of the sequence in 2013, they would be the beneficiaries from it should it happen again this year.

Round  2012-13                                                     2018-19

EP Continental Star beat Causeway United  Biggleswade beat Northampton ON Chenecks

PR Stourport Swifts beat Continental Star   Soham Town Rangers beat Biggleswade

Q1 Stafford Rangers beat Stourport Swifts  FC Romania beat Soham Town Rangers

Q2 Gresley beat Stafford Rangers                   Beaconsfield Town beat FC Romania

Q3 Ilkeston beat Gresley                                   Concord Rangers beat Beaconsfield Town

Q4 AFC Fylde beat Ilkeston                              Dover Athletic beat Concord Rangers

R1 Accrington Stanley beat AFC Fylde         Bury beat Dover Athletic

R2 Oxford United beat Accrington Stanley  Luton Town beat Bury

R3 Sheffield United beat Oxford United       Sheffield Wednesday beat Luton Town

R4 Reading beat Sheffield United                   Chelsea beat Sheffield Wednesday

R5 Manchester United beat Reading            Manchester United beat Chelsea

R6 Chelsea beat Manchester United              Wolves beat Manchester United

SF Manchester City beat Chelsea                  Watford beat Wolves

Fin Wigan Athletic beat Manchester City   Manchester City to beat Watford?

 

That win by Wigan Athletic in the 2013 FA Cup Final was also the last time a new club had their name etched on the plinth of the famous trophy. In fact the last two clubs to be added to the roll of honour both begin with the letter ‘W’ (Wimbledon in 1988 was the other one) and so maybe there is something in the stars that says that Watford can lift the trophy for the first time this year?

Watford and Manchester City have faced each other six times in the FA Cup in the past. In the 1985-86 Fourth Round it took three ties to separate them with Watford eventually winning 3-1 in the second replay. Since then Manchester City have won all three meetings at the first time of asking, the most recent in the 4^th Round in 2013-14 by four goals to two.

The overall FA Cup head-to-head record:

Played 6, Watford 1 win, Manchester City 3 wins, and 2 draws. Watford 7 goals, Manchester City 12 goals