The FA Cup begins in earnest on Monday with the draw for the first round proper, which takes place from 7pm BST at Bradford City’s Valley Parade.
32 teams have made it this far through qualifying, and they will be joined in the first round by the 48 teams from League One and League Two as some minnows look to put together an early cup run this season.
40 fixtures will be drawn on Monday and they’ll take place in the first weekend of November as another campaign in the world’s oldest cup competition begins.
The final on 17 May might feel like a long way away, but the cup remains full of early season fairytale potential as it enters its 144th edition.
Follow all the build-up to the draw below, as well as reaction to the big first round ties:
Which ties are still to be played?
32 teams come through the four qualifying rounds to get here, though there are still six ties to be played on 15 October. These are listed below (all kick-off at 7.45pm BST):
Maidenhead United v Taunton Town
Boston United v Gainsborough Trinity
Solihull Moors v Altrincham
Brackley Town v Hartlepool
Peterborough Sports v Rushall Olympic
Gateshead v Hednesford Town
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 18:25
What are the FA Cup fixture dates?
The first-round ties will be played between Friday 1 November 2024 and Monday 4 November 2024.
The main dates for the remaining rounds are as follows:
First Round Proper: Saturday 2 November 2024
Second Round Proper: Saturday 30 November 2024
Third Round Proper: Saturday 11 January 2025
Fourth Round Proper: Saturday 8 February 2025
Fifth Round Proper: Saturday 1 March 2025
Quarter Final: Saturday 29 March 2025
Semi Final – Saturday 26 April 2025
Final: Saturday 17 May 2025
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 18:15
What are the ball numbers for the draw?
- Accrington Stanley
- AFC Wimbledon
- Barnsley
- Barrow
- Birmingham City
- Blackpool
- Bolton Wanderers
- Bradford City
- Bristol Rovers
- Bromley
- Burton Albion
- Cambridge United
- Carlisle United
- Charlton Athletic
- Cheltenham Town
- Chesterfield
- Colchester United
- Crawley Town
- Crewe Alexandra
- Doncaster Rovers
- Exeter City
- Fleetwood Town
- Gillingham
- Grimsby Town
- Harrogate Town
- Huddersfield Town
- Leyton Orient
- Lincoln City
- Mansfield Town
- Milton Keynes Dons
- Morecambe
- Newport County
- Northampton Town
- Notts County
- Peterborough United
- Port Vale
- Reading
- Rotherham United
- Salford City
- Shrewsbury Town
- Stevenage
- Stockport County
- Swindon Town
- Tranmere Rovers
- Walsall
- Wigan Athletic
- Wrexham
- Wycombe Wanderers
- Rushall Olympic or Peterborough Sports
- Tamworth
- Oldham Athletic
- Hartlepool United or Brackley Town
- Kettering Town
- Altrincham or Solihull Moors
- Rochdale
- Scarborough Athletic
- York City
- Harborough Town
- Curzon Ashton
- Gainsborough Trinity or Boston United
- Hednesford Town or Gateshead
- Alfreton Town
- Guiseley
- Taunton Town or Maidenhead United
- Horsham
- Aldershot Town
- Southend United
- Sutton United
- Boreham Wood
- Weston Super Mare
- Wealdstone
- Dagenham & Redbridge
- Barnet
- Chesham United
- Tonbridge Angels
- Woking
- Forest Green Rovers
- Maidstone United
- Worthing
- Braintree Town
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 18:05
How can I watch the draw?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the draw live on BBC Two, with coverage from 7pm BST. A live stream will be available via the BBC iPlayer.
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 17:55
When is the FA Cup first round draw?
The draw for the first round proper of the FA Cup will be held from 7pm BST on Monday 14 October at Bradford City’s Valley Parade.
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 17:47
FA Cup draw LIVE
The FA Cup intensifies with the draw set to be made for the first round proper.
The 48 League One and League Two teams enter at this stage, joining the 32 clubs who have fought through the qualifying rounds.
40 fixtures will be drawn out of the hat as the road to Wembley begins in earnest, with cup final day at the end of the season on Saturday 17 May 2025.
Who will take a first step towards a deep cup run?
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 17:40
FA Cup draw LIVE
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the FA Cup first round draw.
The 32 teams that made their way through the qualifying rounds will learn their opponents at around 7pm BST, as will the 48 teams from League One and League Two.
Will the draw throw up any derbies, or any potential cupsets? We’ll find out soon.
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 17:31