Two former FA Cup winners face potentially tricky trips to non-league opposition after the first round draw was made on Monday. Ipswich Town, currently second in League One, will travel to face Bracknell Town of the Southern League Premier South. Portsmouth, the winners in 2008, go to National League North side Hereford FC.
The lowest-ranked side in the first round, seventh-tier Alvechurch, will travel to League One side Cheltenham Town. “We’re excited. It’s not a million miles away from here so hopefully the fans will follow us down,” the Southern League Premier Central side’s manager, Ian Long, told BBC One after the draw. Coalville Town and Needham Market, who play in the same division, will visit Charlton and Burton respectively.
South Shields v Forest Green; Bolton v Barnsley; Boreham Wood v Eastleigh; Curzon Ashton v Cambridge United; Maidenhead United v Dagenham & Redbridge; Crawley v Accrington Stanley; Solihull Moors v Hartlepool; Kidderminster or AFC Fylde v Gillingham; Peterborough v Salford City; Sutton United v Farnborough; Grimsby v Plymouth Argyle; MK Dons v Yeovil or Taunton; Ebbsfleet United v FC Halifax Town; Carlisle v Tranmere; Bracknell Town v Ipswich Town; Hendon or Chippenham v Lincoln City; Sheffield Wednesday v Morecambe; Hereford v Portsmouth; Shrewsbury v York City; Buxton v Merthyr Town; Charlton v Coalville Town; Weymouth v AFC Wimbledon; Newport v Colchester; Stockport County v Swindon; Doncaster v King’s Lynn; Altrincham or Gateshead v Stevenage; Fleetwood Town v Oxford City; Burton Albion v Needham Market; Bradford City v Harrogate; Port Vale v Exeter City; Torquay or Hampton & Richmond v Derby County; Bristol Rovers v Rochdale; Wycombe v Walsall; Blyth Spartans or Wrexham v Oldham or Chester; Crewe v Leyton Orient; Barnet v Chelmsford; Woking v Oxford United; Chesterfield v Northampton; Cheltenham v Alvechurch; Barrow v Mansfield.
Ties to be played between 4-7 November.
South Shields, who are currently managed by the former England striker Kevin Phillips, will welcome Forest Green Rovers to their First Cloud Arena home. “It’s a day the club deserves,” Phillips told Sky Sports News. “They got into the first round a couple of years ago, but it was during Covid where there were no fans allowed.”
Hendon, who are currently bottom of the Southern League Premier South, could face Lincoln City at home if they can win their replay against Chippenham. Derby County, who enter at the first-round stage for the first time since 1985-86, will face non-league opposition at either Torquay or Hampton & Richmond.
Curzon Ashton of the National League North will host Cambridge United, with Altrincham or Gateshead the destination for League Two leaders Stevenage. Weymouth will entertain AFC Wimbledon, while Oxford United visit historic giant killers Woking. League Two’s bottom side, Hartlepool, travel to Solihull Moors.
National League promotion chasers Wrexham could face local rivals Chester in an all-non-league affair, if the two sides can come through replays. Another intriguing tie pits two sixth-tier sides, Merthyr Town and Buxton, against each other.
The League One leaders, Plymouth, will visit Grimsby, while Bolton host Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday welcome Morecambe and Exeter travel to Port Vale in all-League One clashes. The ties will be played from 4-7 November.
