This season Clarets Mad will be going all the way to Wembley in the FA Cup and will be starting that cup run next month in Staveley, Chesterfield, the birthplace of former goalkeeper Alan Stevenson.
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 | Inkersall Road, Staveley is where our FA Cup run begins |
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No less than 759 teams entered this season and that means the competition gets underway with an extra-preliminary round on Saturday 14th August. After some debate we've chosen a game to start our cup run.
My initial choice was the game between Spennymoor Town and Bedlington Terriers, that idea having a lot to do with the fact that Brian O'Neil, our very own Bedlington Terrier, was one of my favourite players in the 1960s.
Eventually, the decision was made to choose a local club. Nelson and Padiham were the potential options, but with Nelson now having withdrawn from the Vodkat League and the FA Cup it means we will be starting our campaign with Padiham.
They are the most appropriate of the clubs in this early round. They are the closest geographically to Turf Moor, our chairman Barry Kilby played for them, and their home ground at the Arbories was used on a number of occasions for the fundraising Clarets Madiham days.
Their opponents are Staveley Miners Welfare and hopefully they will return from Derbyshire with a win and we'll be able to follow them into the preliminary round itself two weeks later.
With the early draws made we know that whoever wins the game will play at home against either Ashton Athletic or Parkgate in the preliminary round and one of those four will then go on to play Leek COSB or Bootle or Warrington Town at home in the First Round Qualifying.
When and where do these 759 teams join the competition?
No less than 402 of them play in the extra-preliminary round, although with Nelson's demise that total is now 401 with their scheduled opponents Atherton LR being granted a walkover.
A further 131 teams will join the 201 winners in the preliminary round. All of the teams to have played in either or both of these rounds will be below the Premier Division of the Evo-Stik, Zamaretto and Ryman Leagues.
A total of 166 teams will have won through those two rounds and they will be joined in the First Round Qualifying by the 66 teams from the Premier Divisions of the three leagues referenced in the paragraph above.
The 44 teams in the Blue Square Bet North and South will go in at the Second Round Qualifying with no further additions in the round to follow. The Blue Square Bet Premier League teams enter at the Fourth Round Qualifying stage and after that round there will be 32 non-league teams remaining in the competition.
That takes us into the First Round Proper and the entry of teams from Leagues One and Two with the Premier League and Championship the last to enter two rounds later.
The draw for the extra-preliminary round is:
Ryton v Scarborough Athletic Liversedge v Whitley Bay Brandon United v Chester-Le-Street Town Shildon v Sunderland RCA Pickering Town v South Shields Ashington v Billingham Town Tow Law Town v Jarrow Roofing Boldon CA West Auckland Town v Whickham West Allotment Celtic v Tadcaster Albion Norton & Stockton Ancients v Penrith Guisborough Town v Armthorpe Welfare Bishop Auckland v Consett Brighouse Town v Dunston UTS Hebburn Town v Marske United Whitehaven v Team Northumbria Esh Winning v Northallerton Town Pontefract Collieries v Selby Town Silsden v Crook Town Hall Road Rangers v Newcastle Benfield Bridlington Town v Horden CW Stokesley v Thackley Leeds Carnegie v Billingham Synthonia Spennymoor Town v Bedlington Terriers Morpeth Town v AFC Emley Seaham Red Star v North Shields Irlam v Chadderton Rossendale United v Formby Ashton Athletic v Parkgate Hallam v Atherton Collieries Ramsbottom United v Winsford United Leek CSOB v Bootle New Mills v Alsager Town Holker Old Boys v Abbey Hey Daisy Hill v Congleton Town Glossop North End v Wigan Robin Park Runcorn Linnets v Maine Road Nelson v Atherton LR - walkover for Atherton LR Staveley MW v Padiham Flixton v Bacup Borough Nostell MW v St Helens Town Colne v Ashton Town Cheadle Town v Squires Gate Hemsworth MW v AFC Liverpool Willenhall Town v Bartley Green Coalville Town v Stone Dominoes Loughborough University v Stratford Town Boldmere St Michaels v Westfields Coventry Sphinx v Castle Vale Pegasus Juniors v Heather St Johns Causeway United v Ellesmere Rangers Rocester v Pilkington XXX Eccleshall v Southam United Cradley Town v Malvern Town Shifnal Town v Dudley Town Kirby Muxloe v Walsall Wood Alvechurch v Tipton Town Bardon Hill Sports v Bewdley Town Tividale v Oadby Town Pelsall Villa v Dosthill Colts Bridgnorth Town v Highgate United Ledbury Town v Castle Vale JKS AFC Wulfrunians v Heath Hayes Brocton v Coleshill Town Nuneaton Griff v Studley Norton United v Hinckley Biddulph Victoria v Wellington Wednesfield v Bolehall Swifts Gedling Town v Boston Town Blackstones v Maltby Main Heanor Town v Borrowash Victoria Long Eaton United v Barton Town Old Boys Holbeach United v Radcliffe Olympic Wisbech Town v St Andrews Rossington Main v Shirebrook Town Greenwood Meadows v Winterton Rangers Teversal v Bottesford Town Barrow Town v Arnold Town Dunkirk v Dinnington Town Gedling MW v Holwell Sports Holbrook Sports v Sleaford Town Lincoln Moorlands Railway v Friar Lane & Epworth Deeping Rangers v Gresley Haverhill Rovers v Hadleigh United Diss Town v Daventry United Brantham Athletic v Woodbridge Town St Neots Town v Dereham Town Potton United v Stewarts & Lloyds Corby Newmarket Town v Yaxley Whitton United v Thetford Town Northampton Spencer v Leiston Wellingborough Town v Kirkley & Pakefield Walsham Le Willows v Long Buckby Team Bury v Ampthill Town Ely City v Raunds Town Wroxham v Rothwell Corinthians Felixstowe & Walton United v Mildenhall Town Great Yarmouth Town v Norwich United March Town United v Gorleston St Ives Town v Cogenhoe United Rothwell Town v Desborough Town Godmanchester Rovers v AFC Kempston Rovers St Margaretsbury v Welwyn Garden City Biggleswade United v Newport Pagnell Town Saffron Walden Town v Mauritius Sports Association Hadley v Barking Kentish Town v Stansted Chalfont St Peter v Stotfold Clapton v Stanway Rovers Burnham Ramblers v Hoddesdon Town Oxhey Jets v Hatfield Town Bethnal Green United v Basildon United Bowers & Pitsea v Dunstable Town Takeley v Hertford Town Cockfosters v Hullbridge Sports Kingsbury London Tigers v FC Clacton Witham Town v Wembley Colney Heath v Broxbourne Borough V&E Langford v Aylesbury United Tring Athletic v Enfield 1893 Leverstock Green v Harefield United Haringey Borough v Hillingdon Borough London APSA v Halstead Town Hanwell Town v London Colney Royston Town v Crawley Green Eton Manor v Bedford Barkingside v Southend Manor Cobham v Wick Hassocks v Eastbourne United Farnham Town v Badshot Lea Molesey v Hartley Wintney Croydon v Crowborough Athletic Chessington & Hook United v Raynes Park Vale Alresford Town v Herne Bay St Francis Rangers v Banstead Athletic Sidley United v Lancing Binfield v Crawley Down Horley Town v Ash United East Grinstead Town v Holyport Camberley Town v Petersfield Town Cove v Three Bridges Alton Town v Chichester City Erith Town v Colliers Wood United Arundel v Hailsham Town Greenwich Borough v South Park Epsom & Ewell v Shoreham Holmesdale v Erith & Belvedere Mile Oak v Tunbridge Wells Egham Town v Guildford City Littlehampton Town v Beckenham Town Hythe Town v Bookham Selsey v Worthing United Lordswood v Pagham Norton Sports v Redhill Flackwell Heath v Oakwood Deal Town v Sandhurst Town Frimley Green v Peacehaven & Telscombe Lingfield v Sevenoaks Town Dorking v Bracknell Town Mole Valley SCR v Chertsey Town VCD Athletic v AFC Ucklfield East Preston v Ringmer Brading Town v Romsey Town Bradford Town v Wootton Bassett Town Fairford Town v Lydney Town Christchurch v Hamble ASSC Ringwood Town v Cowes Sports Thame United v Shrivenham Hayling United v Blackfield & Langley Lymington Town v Moneyfield Highworth Town v Melksham Town Bournemouth v Abingdon Town Totton & Eling v Bemerton Heath Harlequins Wantage Town v Shortwood United Downton v Bitton Hallen v Winchester City Milton United v Witney United Bristol Manor Farm v Ardley United Calne Town v Corsham Town Amesbury Town v Almondsbury UWE Newport (IW) v Kidlington New Milton Town v Longwell Green Sports Bicester Town v Westbury United Warminster Town v Reading Town Fareham Town v Clanfield 85 Hook Norton v Laverstock & Ford Brockenhurst v Old Woodstock Town Larkhall Athletic v Gillingham Town Bridport v Welton Rovers Launceston v Bodmin Town Willand Rovers v Merthyr Town Sherborne Town v Portishead Town Elmore v Hamworthy United St Blazey v Torpoint Athletic Odd Down v Verwood Town Street v Barnstaple Town Buckland Athletic v Radstock Town Brislington v Wellington Keynsham Town v Tavistock Saltash United v Bishop Sutton Poole Town v Dawlish Town Ilfracombe Town v Falmouth Town |