
The Emirates FA Cup First Round Preview
Reading time: 4 minutes

Throughout its history, football has evolved and grown into what we now know as the world’s most popular sport. At the heart of this growth has been the constant search for a faster and better game, whilst still holding fast to the tradition and history that ‘the beautiful game’ is so well-known for.
Nothing epitomises this tradition and history quite like the Emirates FA Cup. Standing firm since the very first game 151 years ago, the competition is the world’s oldest national football tournament.
It all started on the 11th of November 1871, when the first round of the first-ever Emirates FA Cup was played, as 15 teams entered the tournament, which finished with Wanderers FC as champions.
This week sees the return of the first round of the Emirates FA Cup, as 80 teams battle it out for a place in the second-round, with games kicking-off on the 4th of November.
Everybody Loves an Underdog
The Emirates FA Cup is known for producing ‘David vs Goliath’ moments, where teams from across the English football pyramid fight to do what shouldn’t be possible and dream of cup glory.

Every year, the first round of the Emirates FA Cup is the first time where teams from the English Football League (EFL) enter the competition and face off against teams that have progressed from the previous qualifying rounds.
This year’s first round fixtures have the potential to replicate some of the infamous Emirates FA Cup upsets from previous years as seventh-tier sides South Shields FC and Alvechurch FC face third-tier outfits Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham respectively.
Elsewhere Coalville Town and Needham Market, who also play in the seventh-tier of English Football, also travel to League One opposition as they take on Charlton and Burton respectively.
Some of the Classic FA Cup Upsets




The Emirates FA Cup and SPORTFIVE
As the oldest national football tournament in the world, The Emirates FA Cup is a truly iconic competition that has stood the test of time, carrying a heritage and a tradition that has captured the hearts and minds of football fans up and down the country for generations.

For more than 30 years, SPORTFIVE has worked with the FA and clubs throughout the English football pyramid by delivering branding and signage solutions across the competition.
SPORTFIVE is incredibly proud of the small part we play in helping to deliver the ‘magic of the cup’ and wish all competing teams the very best of luck for the 22/23 Season!
The FA Cup First Round Draw
1 South Shields v Forest Green Rovers
2 Bolton Wanderers v Barnsley
3 Boreham Wood v Eastleigh
4 Curzon Ashton v Cambridge United
5 Maidenhead United v Dagenham & Redbridge
6 Crawley Town v Accrington Stanley
7 Solihull Moors v Hartlepool United
8 AFC Fylde v Gillingham
9 Peterborough United v Salford City
10 Sutton United v Farnborough
11 Grimsby Town v Plymouth Argyle
12 MK Dons v Taunton
13 Ebbsfleet United v FC Halifax Town
14 Carlisle United v Tranmere Rovers
15 Bracknell Town v Ipswich Town
16 Chippenham Town v Lincoln City
17 Sheffield Wednesday v Morecambe
18 Hereford v Portsmouth
19 Shrewsbury Town v York City
20 Buxton v Merthyr Town
21 Charlton Athletic v Coalville Town
22 Weymouth v AFC Wimbledon
23 Newport County v Colchester United
24 Stockport County v Swindon Town
25 Doncaster Rovers v King's Lynn Town
26 Gateshead v Stevenage
27 Fleetwood Town v Oxford City
28 Burton Albion v Needham Market
29 Bradford City v Harrogate Town
30 Port Vale v Exeter City
31 Torquay United v Derby County
32 Bristol Rovers v Rochdale
33 Wycombe Wanderers v Walsall
34 Wrexham v Oldham Athletic
35 Crewe Alexandra v Leyton Orient
36 Barnet v Chelmsford City
37 Woking v Oxford United
38 Chesterfield v Northampton Town
39 Cheltenham Town v Alvechurch
40 Barrow v Mansfield Town
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