FA Cup set to start again

By Nathan Jackson
October 17 2005

The draw for the first round of the FA Cup is made on Saturday afternoon and we now look at who we can draw. City will be looking to improve on last season's first round exit at Hartlepool and will be hoping to draw the first non-league side in 5 years.

City limped out of last year's competition after a 3-0 thumping up at Hartlepool who themselves made it to the 4th round. City haven't made the 3rd round since 1998/9 when Premiership Sunderland claimed a 1-0 win at Sincil Bank.

The last time City drew a non-league side in the first round was in the 2000/1 season when the Imps pulled out Bracknell Town at home. It was the non-league side's first ever appearance in the 1st round of the FA Cup and got a 4-0 hammering for their troubles. City drew Dagenham in the next round and it looked to be heading for a replay until the essex side claimed a 1-0 win in the last minute thanks to a Matt Ghent mistake.

In the first round stage, every League 1 and 2 side is automatically involved and then all the qualifiers from non-league enter the fray. City of course will be hoping for a home game and if at all possible, a non-league side but most are expecting a draw away to a team flying at the top of League 1.

POSSIBLE OPPONENTS (Lincolnshire teams in bold)

LEAGUE

Barnsley
Blackpool
Bournemouth
Bradford City
Brentford
Bristol City
Chesterfield
Colchester United
Doncaster Rovers
Gillingham
Hartlepool United
Huddersfield Town
Milton Keynes Dons
Nottingham Forest
Oldham Athletic
Port Vale
Rotherham United
Scunthorpe United
Southend United
Swansea City
Swindon Town
Tranmere Rovers
Walsall
Yeovil Town

Barnet
Boston United
Bristol Rovers
Bury
Carlisle United
Cheltenham Town
Chester City
Darlington
Grimsby Town
Leyton Orient
Macclesfield Town
Mansfield Town
Northampton Town
Notts County
Oxford United
Peterborough United
Rochdale
Rushden & Diamonds
Shrewsbury Town
Stockport County
Torquay United
Wrexham
Wycombe Wanderers

 
 

NON LEAGUE

Harrogate Town or Scarborough
Tamworth or Altrincham
Southport or Kidderminster Harriers
Hucknall Town or Burscough
Blyth Spartans or Chasetown
Northwich Victoria or Barrow
Gainsborough Trinity or York City
Ossett Town or Leamington
Accrington Stanley or Worcester City
Hednesford Town or Vauxhall Motors
Halifax Town or Farsley Celtic
Burton Albion or Leek Town
Hereford Utd or Alfreton Town
Bromsgrove Rovers or Morecambe
Crawley Town or Braintree Town
Canvey Island or Burnham
Kettering Town or Gravesend & Northfleet
Dorchester Town or Welling United
Bromley Utd or Aldershot Town
Histon or Hayes
Grays Ath or Cray Wanderers
Nuneaton Borough or Chelmsford City or Tiverton Town
Exeter City or Stevenage Borough
Woking or Thurrock
Basingstoke Town or Chippenham Town
Cambridge City or Lewes
Merthyr Tydfil or Farnborough Town
Aylesbury Utd or Folkestone Invicta
Forest Green Rovers or Dagenham & Redbridge
Ramsgate or Cirencester Town
Weymouth or Cambridge United
Bishop's Cleeve or Eastbourne Borough