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The Independent UK
Sport
Will Castle

FA Cup draw live: League One and Two clubs enter the fray in first round

The FA Cup first-round has taken place as League One and League Two sides enter the fray in the world’s oldest cup competition.

The 48 teams from the third and fourth tier of English football join the 32 non-league sides who have successfully negotiated the fourth qualifying round, with eighth-tier Maldon & Tiptree – current leaders of the Isthmian League North Division – the lowest-ranked team left in the competition after they beat Flackwell Heath 1-0 over the weekend thanks to a goal from ex-West Ham striker Freddie Sears.

They’ll face an almighty trip to League One outfit Port Vale in the headline-grabbing tie of the draw, while EFL heavyweights Bolton Wanderers, Bradford City and Cardiff City also learned their opponents.

Luton Town – who confirmed Jack Wilshere as their new manager today following the departure of Matt Bloomfield – will meanwhile play host to either Forest Green Rovers or Worthing as the former Arsenal midfielder looks to sprinkle some of the cup magic he experienced during his playing career on the Hatters.

Relive the first-round draw with our live blog below:

FA Cup first round draw - live updates

  • The FA Cup first-round draw sees 48 League One and Two teams join the 32 non-league qualifiers
  • EFL heavyweights such as Bolton, Bradford, Cardiff and Luton have learned their fate
  • Eight-tier Maldon & Tiptree face an almighty trip to League One side Port Vale
  • Draw in full

FA Cup first-round draw in full

Monday 13 October 2025 19:00 , Will Castle

Weston Super Mare vs Aldershot Town

Salford City vs Lincoln City

Luton Town vs Worthing/Forest Green Rovers

Gainsborough Trinity/Hartlepool United vs Accrington Stanley

Colchester United vs MK Dons

Tranmere Rovers vs Stockport County

Wigan Athletic vs Hemel Hempstead Town

Newport County vs Gillingham

Cheltenham Town vs Bradford City

Barnsley vs York City

Reading vs Carlisle United

Bromley vs Bristol Rovers

Peterborough United vs Cardiff City

Oldham Athletic vs Northampton Town

Crewe Alexandra vs Doncaster Rovers

Tamworth vs Leyton Orient

Stevenage vs Chesterfield

Boreham Wood vs Crawley Town

Farnham Town/Sutton United vs AFC Telford United

Bolton Wanderers vs Huddersfield Town

Chelmsford City vs Braintree Town

Spennymoor Town vs Barrow

Wycombe Wanderers vs Plymouth Argyle

FC Halifax Town vs Exeter City

Slough Town vs Altrincham/Harborough Town

Wealdstone vs Southend United

Rotherham United vs Swindon Town

Grimsby Town vs Ebbsfleet United

Buxton vs Chatham Town

Burton Albion vs Banbury United/St Albans City

Woking/Brackley Town vs Notts County

Blackpool vs Scunthorpe United

Cambridge United vs Morecambe/Chester

AFC Wimbledon vs Gateshead

Mansfield Town vs Harrogate Town

Macclesfield vs AFC Totton/Truro City

South Shields vs Shrewsbury Town

Fleetwood Town vs Barnet

Port Vale vs Maldon & Tiptree

Eastleigh vs Walsall

Stunning FA Cup strikes

Monday 13 October 2025 21:00 , Luke Baker

Something to whet the appetite ahead of the first round!

Jack Wilshere on becoming a manager, Mikel Arteta’s influence and the key to making it at Arsenal

Monday 13 October 2025 20:40 , Luke Baker

Some more reading on new Luton boss Jack Wilshere for you, who will take on his first FA Cup assignment next month. He sat down with our Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney back in March to discuss Mikel Arteta’s influence on his career and his coaching journey.

Just two years ago, Wilshere wasn’t even sure he wanted to go into coaching but seeing Arteta work means the former Arsenal and England man is now adamant.

Jack Wilshere on becoming a manager and the key to making it at Arsenal

Maldon & Tiptree, the remaining FA Cup minnows

Monday 13 October 2025 20:20 , Luke Baker

There is only one eighth-tier side left in this season’s FA Cup and that’s Essex-based outfit Maldon & Tiptree.

The superbly-nicknamed Jammers are the current leaders of the Isthmian League North Division and they beat Flackwell Heath 1-0 over the weekend to reach this stage.

The scorer of that goal was ex-West Ham striker Freddie Sears, who is now 35, as he turned in Courtney Senior’s cross at the near post with his head just after the half-hour mark.

They're the only team in the first round proper to have played in every round since the extra-preliminary round and have won six games to reach this stage.

“[This win is] massive,” said Maldon & Tiptree boss Kevin Horlock. “It was something we set out to do. The owners came in and have spent a lot of time and money on this football club and rightly want to be talked about. So, the target was to get to the first round. We've achieved that. And now we want to go further.

“We’d look for a winnable game at home. Or one of the big boys, the highest-ranked team we can get away, where the club gets a nice payday.”

Latest FA Cup winner odds ahead of first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 20:00 , Will Castle

Liverpool 9/2

Man City 5/1

Arsenal 6/1

Newcastle 9/1

Man United, Aston Villa, Tottenham 14/1

Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Bournemouth 25/1

Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham 33/1

Fulham 40/1

Leeds, Brentford, Wolves 66/1

Burnley, Sunderland 100/1

Odds via BetVictor. The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.

FA Cup schedule in full

Monday 13 October 2025 19:45 , Will Castle

First Round Proper: Saturday 1 November 2025

Second Round Proper: Saturday 6 December 2025

Third Round Proper: Saturday 10 January 2026

Fourth Round Proper: Saturday 14 February 2026

Fifth Round Proper: Saturday 7 March 2026

Quarter Final: Saturday 4 April 2026

Semi-Final: Saturday 25 April 2026

The Final: Saturday 16 May 2026

When will the FA Cup first-round ties take place?

Monday 13 October 2025 19:30 , Will Castle

First round ties in the FA Cup will take place on Saturday 1 November.

Who have the EFL heavyweights drawn?

Monday 13 October 2025 19:20 , Will Castle

The FA Cup first-round draw is particularly notable as it sees some of League One and League Two’s biggest hitters - many with Premier League experience - enter the competition alongside those lower down the pyramid.

Cardiff City are up there with the biggest names and in slightly underwhelming news for the smaller outfits, they will face Peterborough United in an all-League One clash.

Luton, now under the management of Jack Wilshere, will play host to either Worthing or Forest Green Rovers - both of whom play in the National League.

Wigan Athletic will play Hemel Hempstead Town, while Grimsby - who shocked Man United in the Carabao Cup - will hope not to have the same done to them as they clash with National League South side Ebbsfleet United.

Blackpool face the test of Scunthorpe United, who are finding their feet again after back-to-back relegations. Meanwhile, Notts County will face either Woking or Brackley Town, and Bradford City will travel to Cheltenham.

Highlights from the draw

Monday 13 October 2025 19:07 , Will Castle

Maldon & Tiptree were always going to be the focus of this draw - they’re the lowest-ranked team still in the competition, playing their football in the English EIGHTH tier. They will go to League One side Port Vale in a mammoth FA Cup test.

Elswehere, Macclesfield will play host to AFC Totton or Truro City - notable for the fact the club’s part-owner Robbie Savage was in the studio as it was drawn out. Sounded like he would prefer to avoid the test of the Cornish side, who play their football in the National League.

Aside from the actual matches, Michail Antonio got a reaction from the youngens in attendance at Worthing FC -where the draw was held - for doing the ‘67’ meme when pulling out Slough Town, aka ball 67. I still don’t get it.

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:57 , Will Castle

And that’s the FA Cup first-round draw for you!

We’ll bring you a full list of fixtures imminently.

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:56 , Will Castle

And that leaves...

Eastleigh vs Walsall

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:56 , Will Castle

Port Vale vs Maldon & Tiptree

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:56 , Will Castle

Fleetwood vs Barnet

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:55 , Will Castle

South Shields vs Shrewsbury Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:55 , Will Castle

Macclesfield vs AFC Totton/Truro City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:55 , Will Castle

Mansfield Town vs Harrogate Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:54 , Will Castle

AFC Wimbledon vs Gateshead

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:54 , Will Castle

Cambridge United vs Morecambe/Chester

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:54 , Will Castle

Blackpool vs Scunthorpe United

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:54 , Will Castle

Woking/Brackley Town vs Notts County

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:53 , Will Castle

Burton Albion vs Banbury United/St Albans City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:53 , Will Castle

Buxton vs Chatham Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:53 , Will Castle

Grimsby Town vs Ebbsfleet United

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:52 , Will Castle

Rotherham United vs Swindon

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:52 , Will Castle

Wealdstone vs Southend United

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:52 , Will Castle

Slough Town vs Altrincham/Harborough Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:51 , Will Castle

Halifax Town vs Exeter City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:51 , Will Castle

Wycombe Wanderers vs Plymouth Argyle

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:51 , Will Castle

Spennymoor Town vs Barrow

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:51 , Will Castle

Chelmsford City vs Braintree Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:50 , Will Castle

Bolton vs Huddersfield

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:50 , Will Castle

Farnham Town/Sutton United vs AFC Telford United

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:50 , Will Castle

Boreham Wood vs Crawley

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:49 , Will Castle

Stevenage vs Chesterfield

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:49 , Will Castle

Tamworth vs Leyton Orient

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:49 , Will Castle

Crewe Alexandra vs Doncaster Rovers

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:49 , Will Castle

Oldham Athletic vs Northampton Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:48 , Will Castle

Peterborough vs Cardiff City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:48 , Will Castle

Bromley vs Bristol Rovers

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:48 , Will Castle

Reading vs Carlisle

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:48 , Will Castle

Barnsley vs York City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:47 , Will Castle

Cheltenham Town vs Bradford City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:47 , Will Castle

Newport County vs Gillingham

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:47 , Will Castle

Wigan vs Hemel Hempstead

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:47 , Will Castle

Tranmere vs Stockport

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:46 , Will Castle

Colchester vs MK Dons

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:46 , Will Castle

Gainsborough Trinity/Hartlepool vs Accrington Stanley

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:45 , Will Castle

Luton vs Worthing/Forest Green Rovers

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:45 , Will Castle

Salford City vs Lincoln City

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:45 , Will Castle

Weston Super Mare vs Aldershot Town

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:44 , Will Castle

The balls are out of the bag...

And we're live!

Monday 13 October 2025 18:44 , Will Castle

TNT Sports’ live stream is up and running!

Joel Ward and Michael Antonio are the special guests doing the honours.

First-round draw to come!

Moments away from the first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:39 , Will Castle

And here’s the second half of the list of tonight’s ball numbers. The remaining handful of EFL clubs plus the non-league sides.

41. Shrewsbury Town

42. Stevenage

43. Stockport County

44. Swindon

45. Tranmere Rovers

46. Walsall

47. Wigan Athletic

48. Wycombe Wanderers

49. AFC Telford United

50. Macclesfield

51. Gainsborough Trinity or Hartlepool United

52. Carlisle United

53. York City

54. Buxton

55. Morecambe or Chester

56. South Shields

57. Tamworth

58. Scunthorpe United

59. Gateshead

60. Spennymoor Town

61. FC Halifax Town

62. Altrincham or Harborough Town

63. Worthing or Forest Green Rovers

64. Maldon & Tiptree

65. Woking or Brackley Town

66. Wealdstone

67. Slough Town

68. Boreham Wood

69. Eastleigh

70. Southend United

71. Ebbsfleet United

72. Braintree Town

73. Chatham Town

74. Weston Super Mare

75. Hemel Hempstead Town

76. Banbury United or St Albans City

77. Chelmsford City

78. AFC Totton or Truro City

79. Aldershot Town

80. Farnham Town or Sutton United

Moments away from the first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:38 , Will Castle

Here’s a quick reminder of all the confirmed ball numbers, starting with balls 1-40:

1. Accrington Stanley

2. AFC Wimbledon

3. Barnet

4. Barnsley

5. Barrow

6. Blackpool

7. Bolton Wanderers

8. Bradford City

9. Bristol Rovers

10. Bromley

11. Burton Albion

12. Cambridge United

13. Cardiff City

14. Cheltenham Town

15. Chesterfield

16. Colchester United

17. Crawley Town

18. Crewe Alexandra

19. Doncaster Rovers

20. Exeter City

21. Fleetwood Town

22. Gillingham

23. Grimsby Town

24. Harrogate Town

25. Huddersfield Town

26. Leyton Orient

27. Lincoln City

28. Luton Town

29. Mansfield Town

30. Milton Keynes Dons

31. Newport County

32. Northampton Town

33. Notts County

34. Oldham Athletic

35. Peterborough United

36. Plymouth Argyle

37. Port Vale

38. Reading

39. Rotherham United

40. Salford City

Latest FA Cup winner odds ahead of first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 18:35 , Will Castle

Liverpool 9/2

Man City 5/1

Arsenal 6/1

Newcastle 9/1

Man United, Aston Villa, Tottenham 14/1

Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Bournemouth 25/1

Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham 33/1

Fulham 40/1

Leeds, Brentford, Wolves 66/1

Burnley, Sunderland 100/1

Odds via BetVictor. The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.

Jack Wilshere named Luton boss in first full-time managerial role

Monday 13 October 2025 18:00 , Luke Baker

One of the teams in this evening’s draw will be Luton Town and the League One side appointed a new manager today in the form of Jack Wilshere.

The former Arsenal and England midfielder is taking on his first full-time managerial role, replacing Matt Bloomfield at Kenilworth Road.

The 33-year-old, who retired as a player in 2022, takes over a Luton side who are 11th in League One after back-to-back relegations.

Wilshere earned managerial experience in charge of Arsenal’s Under-18s and was a first-team coach at Norwich last season. He was named interim head coach for the final two games of the Championship campaign, following the departure of Johannes Hoff Thorup.

When will the FA Cup first-round ties take place?

Monday 13 October 2025 17:30 , Luke Baker

First-round ties in the FA Cup will take place on the weekend of Saturday 1 November before the second round at the start of December.

Here’s the full schedule for the FA Cup this season:

First Round Proper: Saturday 1 November 2025

Second Round Proper: Saturday 6 December 2025

Third Round Proper: Saturday 10 January 2026

Fourth Round Proper: Saturday 14 February 2026

Fifth Round Proper: Saturday 7 March 2026

Quarter-Final: Saturday 4 April 2026

Semi-Final: Saturday 25 April 2026

The Final: Saturday 16 May 2026

Fans are always up for the cup in the early rounds (Getty Images)

Confirmed ball numbers 41-80

Monday 13 October 2025 17:20 , Luke Baker

And here’s the second half of the list of tonight’s ball numbers. The remaining handful of EFL clubs plus the non-league sides.

41. Shrewsbury Town

42. Stevenage

43. Stockport County

44. Swindon

45. Tranmere Rovers

46. Walsall

47. Wigan Athletic

48. Wycombe Wanderers

49. AFC Telford United

50. Macclesfield

51. Gainsborough Trinity or Hartlepool United

52. Carlisle United

53. York City

54. Buxton

55. Morecambe or Chester

56. South Shields

57. Tamworth

58. Scunthorpe United

59. Gateshead

60. Spennymoor Town

61. FC Halifax Town

62. Altrincham or Harborough Town

63. Worthing or Forest Green Rovers

64. Maldon & Tiptree

65. Woking or Brackley Town

66. Wealdstone

67. Slough Town

68. Boreham Wood

69. Eastleigh

70. Southend United

71. Ebbsfleet United

72. Braintree Town

73. Chatham Town

74. Weston Super Mare

75. Hemel Hempstead Town

76. Banbury United or St Albans City

77. Chelmsford City

78. AFC Totton or Truro City

79. Aldershot Town

80. Farnham Town or Sutton United

Confirmed ball numbers 1-40

Monday 13 October 2025 17:13 , Luke Baker

We’ve got the confirmed ball numbers for this evening’s draw and here are the first 40, consisting solely of League One and Two clubs

1. Accrington Stanley

2. AFC Wimbledon

3. Barnet

4. Barnsley

5. Barrow

6. Blackpool

7. Bolton Wanderers

8. Bradford City

9. Bristol Rovers

10. Bromley

11. Burton Albion

12. Cambridge United

13. Cardiff City

14. Cheltenham Town

15. Chesterfield

16. Colchester United

17. Crawley Town

18. Crewe Alexandra

19. Doncaster Rovers

20. Exeter City

21. Fleetwood Town

22. Gillingham

23. Grimsby Town

24. Harrogate Town

25. Huddersfield Town

26. Leyton Orient

27. Lincoln City

28. Luton Town

29. Mansfield Town

30. Milton Keynes Dons

31. Newport County

32. Northampton Town

33. Notts County

34. Oldham Athletic

35. Peterborough United

36. Plymouth Argyle

37. Port Vale

38. Reading

39. Rotherham United

40. Salford City

How to watch the draw

Monday 13 October 2025 17:07 , Luke Baker

The FA Cup first-round draw is scheduled to take place on Monday 13 October, in the build-up to the fourth round qualifying tie between Worthing and Forest Green Rovers, which starts at 7.30pm BST.

The draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and its streaming platform discovery+, as well as the TNT Sports YouTube channel, from approximately 6.30pm BST.

(The FA via Getty Images)

Everything you need to know about the first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 17:00 , Luke Baker

The start of the FA Cup proper is nigh, with the first-round draw happening this evening.

Forty-eight sides from League One and Two enter the fray alongside the 32 non-league qualifiers as the dream of drawing a big boy in the third round inches closer.

Here’s everything you need to know about the draw:

When is the FA Cup first-round draw? Start time tonight, TV and ball numbers

FA Cup first-round draw

Monday 13 October 2025 16:55 , Luke Baker

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the FA Cup first-round draw for the 2025-26 season.

We’ve got 40 matches to be drawn this evening, so stick with us for all the info

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