LILYWHITES v THE SILKMEN

The Emirates FA Cup    Season 2022-23    Round Dates

Extra Preliminary Round Saturday 6 August 2022

Preliminary Round Saturday 20 August 2022 TODAY

First Round Qualifying Saturday 3 September 2022

Second Round Qualifying Saturday 17 September 2022

Third Round Qualifying Saturday 1 October 2022

Fourth Round Qualifying Saturday 15 October 2022

First Round Proper Saturday 5 November 2022
Second Round Proper Saturday 26 November 2022
Third Round Proper Saturday 7 January 2023
Fourth Round Proper Saturday 28 January 2023
Fifth Round Proper Wednesday 1 March 2023
Quarter-Final Saturday 18 March 2023
Semi-Final Saturday 22 April 2023
Final Saturday 3 June 2023

A total of 732 clubs will enter the Emirates FA Cup for the 2022-23 season, which will kick-off on Saturday 6 August with the extra preliminary round.
Key dates include The Cup Final at Wembley Stadium connected by EE being held on Saturday 3 June 2023, 

while the third round proper when the big boys join in, will take place across the weekend of Saturday 7 January 2023.

The total prize fund for next season will total over £19m in payments to clubs and made to the winners and losers at all stages of the qualifying rounds, but payments will only be made to the winners from the first round proper through to the quarter-final. The winners and losers will each receive a payment in the semi-final and Final.
Replays will be mandatory in all rounds of the qualifying competition and the competition proper from the first round proper up to and including the fourth round proper.

There were a number of FA Cup Preliminary Round ties that I might have watched today, some local, many, of course, beyond reach; 

in the south-west, Torpoint Athletic v Mousehole; 

the south-east, Cowes Sports v Larkhall Athletic; 

north-west Bury AFC v Widnes and north-east Stockton Town v Pontefract Collieries and 

for me, I crossed the Pennines to Mossley (The Lilywhites-named after their shirt colours! Founded 1903) to see them dismantled  2-4 by Macclesfield Town (The Silkmen Founded 1874-know your North-west Industrial geography) 

The game went 1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4. Nice occasion, a ground I have been to once before. Attendance 834 inside Seel Park. Well looked after.

I watched a young lad rescue a match ball (worth £30?? or more??) that had been slogged over the fence; he retrieved it, took back to his dad, who shoved the ball into a ruck sack and covered it over with a waterproof jacket. There were club members knocking around but not action from them. I kept my mouth shut-the lad's dad was younger and bigger than me. Shame on him!

Meanwhile, Penistone Church reached the First Qualifying Round for the first time, beating Brighouse at theirs 1-2. Monday's draw will reveal who they (and of course all winners from this round) face next.