FA Cup First-Round Draw Pairs League One and League Two Clubs With Non-League Survivors

The FA Cup first-round proper draw took place on Monday evening, revealing the opening ties for League One and League Two clubs alongside the non-league sides who came through the fourth-round qualifying phase.

EFL clubs from the third and fourth tiers enter the competition at this stage, marking the point at which the country’s oldest cup competition begins to take recognisable shape. Championship and Premier League sides remain on the sidelines until the third round in January, continuing a long-standing tradition that gives lower-league clubs a clear run at the early stages.

Four fourth-round qualifying matches were still to be decided on Tuesday evening, with 20 non-league teams competing for the final places in the first-round proper. Tadley Calleva faced Aldershot Town, Alvechurch met Spalding United, Anstey Nomads hosted Macclesfield, and Forest Green were drawn against Chesham United. Gloucester City welcomed Barrow, while United of Manchester took on Altrincham.

The remaining qualifying ties — Cray vs Bedford Town, Worcester City vs Chorley, Harrogate Town vs Bury, Stafford Rangers vs Gateshead, and Yeovil Town vs Leatherhead — were also scheduled to conclude the qualifying phase, with those clubs learning their first-round opponents ahead of their own results being confirmed.

The qualifying rounds had been running since the start of September, with non-league clubs working through successive rounds for the chance to face professional opposition. The first-round proper draw, conducted at around 6pm on Monday, determined which of those survivors would face League One and League Two sides in the next stage.