FA Cup 150 Book Launch

Pre-Order ‘FA CUP 150‘ NOW! £10* +p&p

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All pre-orders in JUNE will also get FREE electronic 75pp book of 1,000+ club formations/histories!

BOOK DUE OUT EARLY AUGUST

*Special pre-order price – book will be £15 from August 2021 onward

Because a printed book is limited in what it can contain, further FACupFactfile FA Cup facts and stats can be purchased that will be delivered via email.

Visit https://facupfactfile.co.uk/shop to see what else is currently available.

As well as a physical book, when ordering FA Cup 150 it is also possible to order other great FA Cup content to be sent via email.

The above book is FREE for all pre-orders of FA Cup 150 placed in June 2021.

A 75 page book containing formations and histories of over 1,000 current clubs.

The full ranking of all 3,241 clubs covering the whole 150 year history of the FA Cup.

The full rankings of clubs for all six time periods: ‘Before the Football League’, ‘From Football League to WWI’, ‘Between the Wars’, ‘From WWII to End of 20th Century’, ‘The 21st Century’, and ‘The Full 150 Years’.

Thinking of ordering my ‘FA Cup 150’ book but prefer to wait to see inside a physical copy rather than pre-order blind? Aside from benefit of 33% pre-order discount here’s the contents page & below that is more details about the sections included.

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‘FA Cup 150’ starts with endorsement quotes from key figures in world of football commentary like John Murray & Steve Wilson. There’s a summary of 150 years of the Cup, segmented into seven eras based on the ‘7 best ever FA Cup’ clubs.

No FA Cup history book worth its salt could ignore the FA Cup Finals, and ‘FA Cup 150’ dedicates many pages to stats and facts pertinent to each of the 140 Finals, many stats as they would have been relevant at the time they occurred.

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The main theme of ‘FA Cup 150’ is to provide disparate and interesting lists containing the Top 150 clubs with a major focus on performance rankings over time, over six different time periods, and across different levels in the pyramid.

There are sections of random stats in ‘FA Cup 150’ based upon mini-themes such as counting up to 150, the ‘only’ clubs to achieve something, the first time particular facts happened, and the ‘most’ times anything has been achieved.

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‘FA Cup 150’ provides insight into clubs who first entered FA Cup, or who first disappeared from FA Cup, clubs with unique suffixes, clubs with peculiar abbreviations or acronyms, re-used club names, disqualified clubs.

Also to be found inside ‘FACup 150’ are lists showing Top 150 goalscoring clubs, Top 150 gaps between FA Cup games, Top 150 margins of victory, Top 150 giant-killings, last 150 runs to the 1st Round, 150 longest and shortest names.

Non-Uk & Non-Paypal: email phil@facupfactfile.co.uk

And ‘FA Cup 150’ features every single club that has ever participated in the FA Cup with stats and facts individually pertinent to hundreds of them scattered about the book.

All this and more for just £10 if ordered before physical release in August 2021 when it will be 50% higher at £15.

Pre-order here NOW! UK Paypal users click: facupfactfile.co.uk/shop

Facts and Stats from the Historic 140th FA Cup

The FA Cup 2020/21 by numbers, some of which have been included in the Chelsea vs Leicester City 2021 FA Cup programme.

30 – FA Cup history was made right at the outset of this year’s competition when Essex Senior League side Woodford Town won 3-1 against London Colney of the Spartan South Midlands League on 31^st August 2020, just 30 days after a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang double delivered a record 14^th FA Cup title for Arsenal at Wembley. It was the first time in the FA Cup’s history that games from two successive seasons were played in the same calendar month.

16 – In the Extra Preliminary Round Southern Combination League Premier side Alfold FC beat the same league’s Division One club Shoreham 9-1 to record the joint 16^th highest debut FA Cup game margin of victory in the competition’s history.

12 – Instead of making their FA Cup debut this season, United Counties League Division One side Burton Park Wanderers was one of a dozen clubs which withdrew from this year’s FA Cup due to issues relating to positive Covid_19 tests. It is the highest level of withdrawals in one FA Cup campaign since the 1914/15 season when dozens of clubs withdrew due to players signing up to Pals Regiments to fight in the Great War.

73 – Newton Abbot Spurs of the South West Peninsula League Eastern Division won its first FA Cup match for 73 years. A 1-0 victory over Wells City in 1947/48 was the club’s last win in the competition before beating AFC St Austell 3-0 this season. Admittedly, the Abbots had not participated in the FA Cup for 56 years, that in itself being the 25^th longest such gap between FA Cup games.

13 – Essex Senior League side Hashtag United eventually won its penalty shoot-out against Felixstowe and Walton United 13-12 in the Preliminary Round, to record the second highest number of penalties scored to win an FA Cup tie.

41 – Forty-one year-old former Stoke City player, Ricardo Fuller, scored the late dramatic winner to take Hanley Town of the North West Counties League Premier Division into the FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying Round for the first time.

3 – It is only the second time since the Football League was formed that as many as three clubs have withdrawn from the competition as late as the 3^rd Qualifying Round in the same season. The only other time it happened was in the Football League’s debut season, 1888/89.

111 – By withdrawing due to Covid_19 test results Notts Countybecame the first former winners of the FA Cup to exit the competition before the ‘Proper’ Rounds since Clapham Rovers did so in 1909/10 season, 111 years ago.

89 – Due to Macclesfield town folding, there became an odd number of clubs in the 4^th Qualifying Round. As a consequence, National League North side Chorley FC became the first club in 89 years to receive a bye into the 1^st Round ‘Proper’, the last club to do so was Bath City in the 1931/32 season.

4 – Northern Premier League Division One North West club Marine FC equalled the biggest giant-killing gap by an away side when defeating EFL 2 side Colchester United 4-3 on penalties, a team from four levels above them.

52 – Rochdale FC exited the FA Cup in the 1^st Round for a record 52^nd time.

11 – Crawley Town’s 6-5 extra time win at Torquay United in the 1^st Round was the highest aggregate one-goal victory in FA Cup ‘Proper’ Rounds history, with the 11 goals scored in total surpassed only four times in qualifying rounds, too.

65 – Ipswich Town exited the FA Cup as early as the 1^st Round for the first time in 65 years.

14 – Fourteen non-league clubs were represented in the FA Cup 2^nd Round, the joint highest tally since the current structure was put in place.

7 – Marine FC became only the second club from level eight in the football pyramid to reach the 3^rd round of the FA Cup, and then by drawing Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur became involved in the first ever FA Cup tie involving two sides separated by seven levels in the pyramid.

113 – National League North side Chorley FC set new FA Cup records by taking until the club’s 113^th FA Cup campaign before appearing in both the 3^rd Round and the 4^th Round of the competition for the first time. Chorley also became the first non-league side from Step Six in the pyramid to defeat three clubs from at least three divisions above them in the same campaign.

50 – Queens Park Rangers exited the FA Cup in the 3^rd round for a record equalling 50^th time, the same number as Plymouth Argyle.

23 – Chelsea FC appeared in the FA Cup 4^th Round for a record 23^rd consecutive season.

16 – For only the third time in FA Cup history all 16 ties in the 4^th Round were resolved in 90 minutes.

900 – Despite losing 5-4 at Everton in the 5^th Round, Tottenham Hotspur set a new FA Cup record by becoming the first club to score as many as 900 goals in the competition.

6 – For the sixth successive season the FA Cup semi-finals contained a quartet of top-flight clubs, the longest ever such sequence.

9 – Chelsea have become the first club to appear in as many as nine FA Cup Finals in the 21^st Century. The Blues are also only the third team after Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal to contest four FA Cup Finals in five successive seasons.

4 – Leicester City are famous for holding the record for most FA Cup Finals appearances without lifting the Trophy. Will it be 5^th time lucky this year? The Foxes are also the only club to have been crowned English League Champions never to have yet won the FA Cup.

7 – Leicester City has been drawn to face Chelsea in the FA Cup on seven previous occasions, and every single time the London Blues have won through. Only 10 other pairings in the FA Cup have produced more one-sided head-to-head results.

117 – Chelsea versus Leicester City is the 117^th different pairing of clubs in what is the 140^th FA Cup Final.

46 – Both Everton and Manchester United reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals for a record breaking 46^th time each this season.

20 – Twenty clubs participated in the FA Cup for the first time the oldest two being Southern Counties East League side Kennington FC and Long Crendon FC from the Hellenic League (both formed during the 1885/86 season), and the youngest being Essex Senior League club Hashtag United (formed in 2016).

7 – Tammy Abraham of Chelsea and Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City are among the top scorer in the ‘proper’ rounds of this year’s FA Cup with 4 goals, but either will have to score a Cup Final hat-trick to match Will Davies of Eastern Counties League Premier Division side Leiston FC who netted seven times during the Qualifying Rounds to be the current overall top scorer.

55 – Both Semi-Final winning goals were scored in the 55^th minute, and both by African players, first Hakim Ziyech for Chelsea and then Kelechi Iheanacho for Leicester City a day later.

0 – Owing to the Covid_19 pandemic and the desire to minimise transmission it was decided by the FA that all games in this season’s FA Cup should be concluded in the first match, thereby creating the first ever FA Cup campaign not to have any replays.

18 – When Keynsham Town lost 3-1 at home to fellow Western League Premier Division side Exmouth Town it became the club’s 18^th FA Cup campaign without a victory, an experience the club last achieved in the 1934/35 season.

FA Cup Final 2021 Preview

This season’s FA Cup Final will be contested by Chelsea FC and Leicester City.

The 140^th FA Cup Final will involve the 117^th different pair of clubs to contest this famous old Trophy, but their respective FA Cup records could not be more different, especially in Cup Finals.

Chelsea will be contesting their 15^th FA Cup Final and are the 3^rd most successful club in the competition’s history having won eight on their previous Finals. On the other hand Leicester City are appearing in only their 5^th FA Cup Final and have yet to lift the Trophy.

In fact Chelsea have lost two more Finals than Leicester City have even appeared in!

This season Chelsea become only the 4th club in FA Cup history to appear in four FA Cup Finals across five consecutive seasons. It will also be a record 9^th FA Cup Final of the 21^st Century for the club.

Chelsea are the second most successful FA Cup club of the last 25 years with seven of their eight titles coming during that period, most recently in 2018.

Conversely, Leicester City are appearing in the Final for the first time in more than twice that length of time, last doing so in 1969 losing 1-0 to Manchester City 52 years ago.

Not only are Leicester City famous for being the club with the most FA Cup Finals yet to lift the Trophy, the Foxes are also the only club to have been crowned League Champions of England never to have won the FA Cup.

A victory for Leicester City would wipe those two unwanted records away at a stroke, and their name would become the 44^th different one to be etched onto the trophy’s plinth, the potential first new name since Wigan Athletic in 2013.

A Foxes win would also mark a 72 year gap between the club’s first FA Cup Final in 1949 and finally lifting the Trophy, a gap that would be second only to Southampton’s 76 year wait in 1976.

A win for Leicester City would also condemn Chelsea to be runners-up for the second successive season, an unwanted feat last achieved by Newcastle United in 1999.

A defeat for Leicester City would mean the club would become the first one to fail to lift the Trophy in their first five Cup Finals.

In past head-to-head meetings between the two clubs in the FA Cup, Chelsea have won through on all seven occasions. Only 10 other pairings in FA Cup history have produced more one-sided head-to-head results.

The omens are not great for a Leicester City victory, especially when noting that the last FA Cup Final to take place on 15th May saw Chelsea lift the Trophy after victory over Portsmouth.

But as the the club who were the 43rd to add their name to the list of FA Cup winners showed when doing so against the odds, anything is possible on the day.

FA Vase 2019/20 Final

The 2019/20 FA Vase Final takes place at last on Monday 3^rd May 2021 at 1.0pm almost a year after it was originally scheduled to occur.

Unfortunately it is being played behind closed doors so will have an official attendance of zero. However, the Final is being aired free of charge by BT Sport, so could end up being the most watched ‘live’ FA Vase Final of all time.

The Final features Northern League Division One allies and rivals Consett FC and Hebburn Town, both appearing in an FA Vase Final for the first time, keeping up a competition tradition whereby at least one Vase Finalist is a debutant club.

It will be the 46^th FA Vase Final, the second all Northern League affair, the third to involve two clubs from the same division, and the 27^th Final whereby both clubs are appearing in it for the first time.

And the winner will be the 11^th club from the Northern League to lift the Vase, a record number almost three times ahead of any other League’s successes, nine of which will have come in the last 12 years.

And with the runners-up from the same League it means the Northern League will have had 17 FA Vase Finalists in total, almost double the number of the next best league, the North West Counties League.

Neither Consett nor Hebburn Town had been beyond the 5^th Round before the 2019/20 season, Consett having only done so in 2007/08 and Hebburn Town making it that far just one season prior to this one in 2018/19.

Consett have scored more goals en route to the Final; 21 to Hebburn’s 14, but the Steelmen did start their campaign one round earlier than the Hornets.

Whichever of these two Northern League clubs is victorious on the day theirs will be the 38^th different name etched onto the FA Vase trophy.

Thirty-eight different winners in just 46 seasons!

The FA Vase really is the only national knock-out competition in the world where every single club that enters it has as much chance of winning it as any other team involved.

FA Vase 2020/21 Quarter Finals Preview

As with the 5^th Round, not one of the matches in this season’s FA Vase Quarter Finals involves teams that have met in the competition before.

This situation has come about probably due to the fact that so many of the last eight clubs have never been beyond the 5^th Round of the FA Vase before or are appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time.

Only Hebburn Town has actually ever won an FA Vase Quarter Final tie in the past, whilst Leighton Town and Walsall Wood are the only other clubs to have even played at this stage before.

As luck of the draw would have it, Leighton town and Walsall Wood face each other for a place in the Semi-Finals. Leighton Town is appearing at this stage of the Vase for the third time in four seasons, whilst the Wood have reached the last eight for just the second time.

This is one of three Quarter Final ties that will result in at least three of this season’s Semi Finalists being clubs that will be appearing in the last four for the first time.

It also means the FA Vase will continue with its wonderful tradition of there being at least one Finalist appearing in the Final for the first time ever! A win by Warrington Rylands over Hebburn Town would result in both clubs in the Final being debutants.

Long Eaton United versus Binfield involves two clubs representing two leagues that are the only leagues to have two clubs still standing in this year’s FA Vase. Long Eaton United are members of the Midland Football League Premier Division alongside Walsall Wood, whilst Binfield competes in the Hellenic League Premier Division with Flackwell Heath.

Flackwell Heath has had the most campaigns of those clubs debuting in the Quarter Finals, doing so in the clubs 43^rd FA Vase campaign, and the Heathens travel to the last remaining Step 6 side in this season’s competition, United Services Portsmouth of Wessex League Division One. The Hampshire side has waited the longest to first appear in the Quarter Finals having played in the first ever FA Vase competition in 1974/75.

The lower level side has also already defeated five Step 5 clubs to reach this stage of the competition, so will fancy their chances, but will be mindful that Flackwell Heath is the highest scoring club of all the last eight teams.

Tie No. 1	Warrington Rylands	Hebburn Town
League Status	North West Counties League Premier	Northern League 1
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	FINAL
FA Vase Form	First time in Quarter Finals in just the club’s 3rd FA Vase campaign	Second successive season in QF. Only one of last 8 to have reached a Vase Final
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Game to be played on Saturday 8th May

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Tie No. 2	Leighton Town	Walsall Wood
League Status	Spartan South Midlands League Premier	Midland Football League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	QUARTER FINALS
FA Vase Form	Third time reaching Quarter Finals in last 4 seasons	Second time reaching Quarter Finals in 32nd campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings. Game to be played on Saturday 1st May	Winner will make SF for first time ever

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Tie No. 3	Long Eaton United	Binfield
League Status	Midland Football League Premier	Hellenic League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	QUARTER FINALS
FA Vase Form	First time appearing in Quarter Finals in 35th campaign	First time appearing in Quarter Finals in 13th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings. Game to be played on Saturday 1st May	Winner will make SF for first time ever

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Tie No. 4	United Services Portsmouth	Flackwell Heath
League Status	Wessex League 1	Hellenic League Premier
Step	6	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	QUARTER FINALS
FA Vase Form	First time appearing in Quarter Finals in 30th campaign	First time appearing in Quarter Finals in 43rd campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings. Game to be played on Saturday 1st May	Winner will make SF for first time

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FA Vase 2020/21 Last 16 Preview

Not one of the matches in this season’s FA Vase last sixteen involves teams that have met in the competition before. The closest there is to being a re-match is Walsall Wood versus Anstey Nomads as way back in the 1976/77 competition Anstey Nomads were knocked out by the original Walsall Wood, 2-0 in a replay in the Preliminary Round.

This rare situation has come about probably due to the fact that so many of the last sixteen clubs have never been beyond the 5^th Round of the FA Vase before or are appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time.

Only West Auckland Town, Hebburn Town, Walsall Wood, Leighton Town and Plymouth Parkway have ever won an FA Vase 5^th Round tie before, whilst Congleton Town, Anstey Nomads and Flackwell heath are the only other clubs to have played at this stage before.

Of those eight clubs only West Auckland Town and Hebburn Town have appeared in an FA Vase Final (or more correctly for Hebburn Town, yet to appear in last season’s Final) and so the competition’s tradition of always having at least one club in its Final appearing in it for the first time could continue this season. These two teams are also the last remaining Northern League clubs in the FA Vase, a league that has dominated the competition over recent years.

As a consequence of this FA Vase collective inexperience at least three of this season’s Quarter Finalists will be clubs that would be appearing in the last eight for the first time. Included in those possible clubs is the only Step Six club remaining in the competition, United Services Portsmouth of Wessex League Division One.

Another factor of this season’s last 16 in the FA Vase is that all ties involve two clubs from different leagues. Two clubs apiece are representing the Northern League, North West Counties League, the Hellenic League, the Combined Counties League, the Midland Football League and the Western League, with six other clubs each from six other leagues.

This last 16 round ticks all the boxes for those who love their clubs to face unfamiliar opponents in the FA Vase.

Tie No. 1	Hebburn Town	Congleton Town
League Status	Northern League 1	North West Counties League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	FINALS	Round 5
FA Vase Form	Third successive season in 5th Rd. Only one of last 16 to have reached a Vase Final	Equalling best run to Rd 5 achieved once before in 2003/04
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.

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Tie No. 2	Warrington Rylands	West Auckland Town
League Status	North West Counties League Premier	Northern t League 1
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	RUNNERS-UP
FA Vase Form	In 5th Rd for first time in 3rd campaign	Third successive season in the 5th Rd
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.

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Tie No. 3	Walsall Wood	Anstey Nomads
League Status	Midland Football League Premier	United Counties League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	Round 5
FA Vase Form	First time in 5th Rd since 2012/13	Equalling best run to Rd 5 achieved once before 25 years ago
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Anstey Nomads lost 2-0 to original Walsall Wood in 1976/77 Preliminary Rd replay

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Tie No. 4	Hanworth Villa	Long Eaton United
League Status	Combined Counties League Premier	Midland Football League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 5
FA Vase Form	In 5th Rd for first time in 11th campaign	In 5th Rd for first time in 35th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Winner will make QF for first time

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Tie No. 5	Cobham	Leighton Town
League Status	Combined Counties League Premier	Spartan South Midlands League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	QUARTER FINALS
FA Vase Form	In 5th Rd for first time in 44th campaign	Third time in 4 seasons appearing in 5th Rd
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.

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Tie No. 6	Hadley	Binfield
League Status	Essex Senior League	Hellenic League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 5
FA Vase Form	In 5th Rd for first time in 12th campaign	In 5th Rd for first time in 13th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Winner will make QF for first time ever

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Tie No. 7	Tavistock	United Services Portsmouth
League Status	Western League Premier	Wessex League 1
Step	5	6
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 5
FA Vase Form	In 5th Rd for first time in 16th campaign	In 5th Rd for first time in 30th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Winner will make QF for first time ever

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Tie No. 8	Plymouth Parkway	Flackwell Heath
League Status	Western League Premier	Hellenic League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	Round 5
FA Vase Form	Second successive season in 5th Rd	Equalling best run to Rd 5 achieved once before in 2014/15
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.

FA Cup 2020/21 Semi-Finals preview

For the sixth successive season the FA Cup Semi-Finals consists of a quartet of top-flight clubs, the longest such sequence in the competition’s history!

Both matches in this year’s Semi-Finals involve clubs who are paired together in the competition for the seventh time.

Leicester City and Southampton have both won three of their six previous head-to-head encounters, whilst Manchester City has a four-to-two win ratio against Chelsea in the competition, including a 2-1 victory the only other time the two clubs faced each other with a place in the Final at stake, back in 2013.

Chelsea can look to the fact that they won the last FA Cup encounter between the two clubs convincingly, 5-1 three years later, and that they jointly hold the record for most Semi-Final victories in the 21st Century, eight, compared to the three won by Manchester City.

Between them, the two clubs have 25 FA Cup Final appearances in total with Chelsea involved 14 times, three more than Manchester City. Chelsea are also looking to become only the third club ever to appear in four FA Cup Finals across five successive seasons.

The other Semi-Final pits two clubs together with less illustrious FA Cup records, with the Trophy being lifted just once in their combined eight Final appearances, which was Southampton back in 1976. Leicester City are famous for playing in the most FA Cup Finals without yet winning the Cup, and are also the only club that has been crowned English League Champions never to have lifted the Trophy.

If Leicester City did go on to lift the Trophy this season it would be the second longest gap between first FA Cup Final appearance and finally lifting the Trophy (72 years). The club that holds the current record? Southampton, of course, with a 76 year gap.

The two clubs’ past FA Cup head-to-head encounters have all happened no later in the competition than the 4th Round, but they do span across three centuries with the first game happening in 1897/98 season ending in a 2-1 victory for Southampton over Leicester Fosse!

Only one combination of results would lead to a repeat FA Cup Final – Leicester City versus Manchester City – 52 years after they last vied to lift the Trophy. It would be the third longest gap between consecutive repeat Finals if it were to happen.

FA Vase 2020/21 4th Rd Preview

My favourite stat about the FA Vase is that in every single Final since the first one in 1975 at least one of the two Vase Finalists were competing in it for the first time ever.

And this season is looking as if it will keep up that tradition, with only two of the remaining 32 clubs ever having played in a Final in the past. In Hebburn Town’s case, that past is actually in the future as they are involved in the oft-postponed 2019/20 Final not being contested until 3rd May 2021.

In fact. more than half of the clubs still in this season’s competition have never even been beyond the 4th Round of the FA VAse before.

The FA Vase really is the only national competition in the world where any club that enters it has as much chance as anyone else of actually winning it. It truly is the most egalitarian of football competitions.

Hebburn Town host one of the 11 clubs appearing in the FA Vase 4th Round for the first time, Liversedge, and the only other club to appear in a past FA Vase Final, West Auckland Town, also face opponents appearing in the 4th Round for the first time.

Their opponents, North Ferriby, are actually competingin the FA Vase for the first time ever and are the last debut club still standing.

As a consequence of so many clubs still in the competition having record runs, and half a dozen others equalling their best runs, there will be at least three clubs appearing in the 5th Round for the first time ever.

Fakenham Town host Binfield, Mulbarton Wanderers take on Hanworth Villa, and Long Eaton United entertain Westfields hoping to repat the 2-1 victory between the two clubs in 2004/05 season.

That is one of only three ties in this season’s 4th Round that involve clubs which have met each other in the competition before. Christchurch beat United Services Portsmouth 3-0 in the 2017/18 campaign, whilst Stourport Swifts beat Walsall Wood 3-1 in the same season, although Walsall Wood did win 2-1 in their first encounter 30 years ago.

There was actually another tie that pitted two clubs together who’ve met in the competition before, but as Stowmarket Town has sadly withdrawn from the FA Vase, Cobham won’t need to try to repeat their 5-2 win of the 1998/99 season to reach this year’s 5th Round for the first time.

There are still half a dozen Step Six clubs amongst those still involved in this year’s FA Vase, and they all have higher level opposition to face. As the competition’s highest scorers, Mulbarton Wanderers should fancy their chances against Hanworth Villa. However, their visitors are the second highest scorers so that should be an entertaining tie (commentator’s curse notwithstanding).

Malvern Town and Walton & Hersham are the only two Step Six clubs drawn away from home, travelling to Congleton Town and Leighton Town respectively. On paper they have the biggest challenge to progress, but both actually defeated Step Five opponents in the last round.

Four ties involve clubs who would have faced each other in League action had the seasons not been curtailed. Stourport Swifts versus Walsall Wood is one of them, as well as Anstey Nomads against Wellingborough Town, Bridgwater Town versus Tavistock and Plymouth Parkway against Clevedon Town

That final tie that will see at least one club which has progressed beyond the 5th Round in the past exit this year’s competition.

Full tie-by-tie previews of all 16 ties can be found in the following tables:

Tie No. 1	Shildon	Warrington Rylands
League Status	Northern League 1	North West Counties League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	SEMI-FINALS	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Last beyond R4 in 2012/13	First time in R4 in third campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 12.30pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 2	North Ferriby	West Auckland Town
League Status	Northern Counties East League 1	Northern League 1
Step	6	5
Best Vase Run	Round 4	RUNNERS-UP
FA Vase Form	In debut Vase campaign	Went beyond R4 in both last 2 seasons
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 12.30pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 3	Hebburn Town	Liversedge
League Status	Northern League 1	Northern Counties East League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	FINALIST	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Went beyond R4 in both last 2 years	First time in R4 in what is the club’s 40th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 4.30pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 4	Stourport Swifts	Walsall Wood
League Status	Midland Football League Premier	Midland Football League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	QUARTER FINALS
FA Vase Form	Twice gone beyond R4 in 19 campaigns	Once gone beyond R4 in 31 campaigns
Notes	Won 3-1 in 2017/18. Game now scheduled for Friday 16th April at 7.45pm	Won 2-1 in 1990/91.

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Tie No. 5	Congleton Town	Malvern Town
League Status	North West Counties League Premier	Hellenic League 1W
Step	5	6
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Once beyond R4 in 26 campaigns, 17 years ago	Third time in R4 in 40th campaign, but first time in 44 years
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 5.0pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 6	Long Eaton United	Westfields
League Status	Midland Football League Premier	Hellenic League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 4	Round 4
FA Vase Form	First time in R4 in 35th campaign	Fourth time in R4 in 36th campaign
Notes	Won 2-1 in 2004/05. Kick off now 4.30pm on Saturday 17th April	Winner will make history for club by reaching R5 for first time.

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Tie No. 7	Anstey Nomads	Wellingborough Town
League Status	United Counties League Premier	United Counties League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Once beyond R4 in 45 campaigns, 25 years ago	First time in R4 in 15th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 12.45pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 8	Mulbarton Wanderers	Hanworth Villa
League Status	Eastern Counties League 1N	Combined Counties League Premier
Step	6	5
Best Vase Run	Round 4	Round 4
FA Vase Form	First time in R4 in third campaign	Third time in R4 in 11th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings. Kick off now 4.15pm on Saturday 17th April	Winner will make history for club by reaching R5 for first time.

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Tie No. 9	Leighton Town	Walton and Hersham
League Status	Spartan South Midlands League Premier	Combined Counties League 1
Step	5	6
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Twice beyond R4 in last 3 years	First time in R4 in 5th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick-off now 6.0pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 10	Lancing	Flackwell Heath
League Status	Southern Combination League Premier	Hellenic League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 4	Round 5
FA Vase Form	Second time in R4 in 41st campaign	Once beyond R4 in 42 campaigns
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 12.30pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 11	Fakenham Town	Binfield
League Status	Eastern Counties League 1N	Hellenic League Premier
Step	6	5
Best Vase Run	Round 4	Round 4
FA Vase Form	First time in R4 in 30th campaign	Third time in R4 in 13 campaigns
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 12.30pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 12	Stowmarket Town	Cobham
League Status	Eastern Counties League Premier	Combined Counties League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Went beyond R4 last season for 1st time	First time in R4 in 44th campaign
Notes	STOWMARKET TOWN HAVE WITHDRAWN – WALKOVER FOR COBHAM	Won 5-2 in 1998/99.

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Tie No. 13	Sutton Common Rovers	Hadley
League Status	Combined Counties League Premier	Essex Senior League
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Went beyond R4 last season for first time	First time in R4 in 12th campaign
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 4.15pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 14	Plymouth Parkway	Clevedon Town
League Status	Western League Premier	Western League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	QUARTER FINALS	QUARTER FINALS
FA Vase Form	Went beyond R4 last season for first time	Last beyond R4 in 1992/93, seven campaigns ago
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Kick off now 4.30pm on Saturday 17th April

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Tie No. 15	United Services Portsmouth	Christchurch
League Status	Wessex League 1	Western League Premier
Step	6	5
Best Vase Run	Round 4	Round 5
FA Vase Form	First time in R4 in 30th campaign	Once beyond R4 in 30 campaigns, 12 years ago
Notes	Kick off now 12.0 noon on Saturday 17th April	Won 3-0 in 2017/18.

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Tie No. 16	Bridgwater Town	Tavistock
League Status	Western League Premier	Western League Premier
Step	5	5
Best Vase Run	Round 5	Round 4
FA Vase Form	Once beyond R4 in 20 campaigns	Second time in R4 in 16th campaign, last time 15 years ago
Notes	No previous FA Vase meetings.	Game now scheduled for Friday 16th April at 7.45pm

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FA Cup 2020/21 Quarter Finals Preview

With 227 Quarter Final appearances between them, this season’s octet of FA Cup Quarter Finalists is the second most experienced at this stage of the competition in its history. And it includes two clubs who jointly hold the record for most FA Cup Quarter Final appearances.

Everton and Manchester United have both reached the last eight of the competition for the 46^th time each, a staggering third of all the FA Cup campaigns there have ever been. Additionally, more than half of all the 140 FA Cup campaigns since 1872 have witnessed at least one of Everton or Manchester United in the Quarter Finals.

Manchester United are also appearing in their seventh consecutive FA Cup Quarter Final, the third highest such consecutive run in the competition’s history. Along with Chelsea this will be the Red Devils’ 14^th Quarter Final appearance of the 21^st Century. Only 2001 and 2014 have witnessed FA Cup competitions this century where neither Chelsea nor Manchester United were in the last eight.

At the other end of the spectrum is AFC Bournemouth, the only non-Premier League side left in the competition, who are equalling the club’s best ever FA Cup run by reaching the Quarter Finals for only the second time in their history, a whole 64 years since last doing so. It’s the longest gap between first and second appearances in the last eight in FA Cup history.

AFC Bournemouth are one of only two clubs in this season’s FA Cup yet to have their name etched on the famous trophy’s plinth. The other is Leicester City, who famously have appeared in the most Finals without ever lifting the Trophy, and are the only club to be crowned English League Champions never to have won the FA Cup. Will either of the Cherries or the Foxes become the 44^th different FA Cup winning club this season?

All four Quarter Final ties involve clubs who’ve met in the FA Cup before. AFC Bournemouth and Southampton have been drawn together on just one previous occasion, 67 years ago, a 1^st Round tie won 3-1 by the Cherries in a replay. All the other three ties pit clubs together who’ve met in FA Cup Finals in the past.

Manchester United have won both their previous encounters against Leicester City, last doing so in the 1975/76 season on their way to Wembley, but first defeating the Foxes 3-1 in the 1963 FA Cup Final. Quirkily, that was the last Cup Final involving the tradition of playing the National Anthem after the game as well as ahead of it.

Sheffield United and Chelsea are drawn to face each other for the sixth time in the FA Cup. Chelsea have won four of the previous five encounters, most recently in 1991/92 season, but the Blades won the one that counted, 3-0 in the Khaki Cup Final of 1915 played at Old Trafford.

The most common tie of the Quarter Finals is Everton versus Manchester City, facing each other for the eighth time in the competition, but for the first time since another Quarter Final 40 years ago won 2-1 by Manchester City.

However, the Toffees have a four-to-three head-to-head advantage over their opponents in past FA Cup meetings, including a 3-0 win in the 1933 FA Cup Final, the first Final to involve players wearing numbers on the backs of their shirts … but with a twist. Everton players wore numbers one to eleven, whilst Manchester City wore twelve to twenty-two.

It would be sixty years before we saw the Number 22 appear on a shirt in a Cup Final again.

FA Cup 2020-21 Round Five Tie-by-Tie Previews

Stats and facts for all 8 FA Cup 2020-21 Round Five ties – listed in tie number order.

Tie No. 1	Burnley	AFC Bournemouth
League Status	Premier League	EFL Championship
Level	1	2
Best Cup Run	WINNERS	QUARTER FINALS
FA Cup Form	Last beyond Rd 5 in 2002/03	Once beyond Rd 5 in 100 campaigns back in 1956/57
Notes	Won 1-0 in 1960/61, Won 7-0 in 1965/66 Rep, Won 2-0 in 2004/05	Tuesday 9th Feb 5.30pm BT Sport 1

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Tie No. 2	Manchester United	West Ham United
League Status	Premier League	Premier League
Level	1	1
Best Cup Run	WINNERS	WINNERS
FA Cup Form	Made QF in each of last 6 seasons	Once beyond Rd 5 in last 9 years
Notes	Won 2-0 in 1982/83, Won 4-2 in 1984/85, Won 6-0 in 2002/03, Won 1-0 in 2012/13 Rep, Won 2-1 in 2015/16 Rep . Tuesday 9th Feb 7.30pm BBC 1	Won 2-1 in 1910/11, Won 3-1 in 1963/64 SF, Won 2-0 in 1985/86 Rep, Won 1-0 in 2000/01

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Tie No. 3	Sheffield United	Bristol City
League Status	Premier League	EFL Championship
Level	1	2
Best Cup Run	WINNERS	RUNNERS-UP
FA Cup Form	Last year was first beyond Rd 5 in 6 years	Twice beyond Rd 5 in last 4 years / Last beyond Rd 5 in 1973/74
Notes	Won 3-1 in 1903/04, Won 3-0 in 1964/65 Rep, & Won 2-0 in 1974/75	Wednesday 10th Feb 7.30pm BBC iPlayer

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Tie No. 4	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Southampton
League Status	Premier League	Premier League
Level	1	1
Best Cup Run	WINNERS	WINNERS
FA Cup Form	Once beyond Rd 5 in last 17 years	Once beyond Rd 5 in last 15
Notes	Won 2-0 in 1907/08 SF & 3-0 in 1913/14 . Thursday 11th Feb 5.30pm BT Sport 1	Won 3-2 in 1904/05 & 2-0 in 2002/03

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Tie No. 5	Barnsley	Chelsea
League Status	EFL Championship	Premier League
Level	2	1
Best Cup Run	WINNERS	WINNERS
FA Cup Form	Last beyond Rd 5 in 2012/13	Four times beyond Rd 5 in last 5 years
Notes	Won 4-0 in 1988/89 & 1-0 in 2007/08	Thursday 11th Feb 8.0pm BBC 1

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Tie No. 6	Everton	Tottenham Hotspur
League Status	Premier League	Premier League
Level	1	1
Best Cup Run	WINNERS	WINNERS
FA Cup Form	Once beyond Rd 5 in last 6 years	Twice beyond Rd 5 in last 4 years
Notes	Won 1-0 in 1907/08, Won 1-0 in 1949/50, Won 2-0 in 2002/03, Won 2-1 in 1985/86, Won 4-1 in 1994/95 SF . Wednesday 10th Feb 8.15pm BT Sport 1	Won 2-1 in 1903/04, Won 3-0 in 1933/34, Won 4-3 in 1936/37 Rep, Won 2-0 in 1971/72

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Tie No. 7	Swansea City	Manchester City
League Status	EFL Championship	Premier League
Level	2	1
Best Cup Run	SEMI-FINALISTS	WINNERS
FA Cup Form	Twice beyond Rd 5 in last 3 years	Three times beyond Rd 5 in last 4 years
Notes	Wednesday 10th Feb 5.30pm BT Sport 1	Won 3-2 in 2018/19

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Tie No. 8	Leicester City	Brighton and Hove Albion
League Status	Premier League	Premier League
Level	1	1
Best Cup Run	RUNNERS-UP	RUNNERS-UP
FA Cup Form	Twice beyond Rd 5 in last 3 years	Twice beyond Round 5 in last 3 years
Notes	Wednesday 10th Feb 7.30pm BT Sport 2	Won 2-1 in 1930/31

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