The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is the annual knockout competition in men's domestic football, including clubs from English and Welsh association. First played during the 1871-2 season, the Cup is the oldest national competition in the world. It is organised by and named after The Football Association (The FA). Since 2015, it has been known as The Emirates FA Cup after its headline sponsor. A concurrent women's tournament is also held, known as the Womens FA Cup.
The competition is open to any eligible club down to Level 10 of the EFL – 20 professional clubs in the Premier League (level 1), 72 professional clubs in the EFL (levels 2 to 4), and several hundred Non-League teams in steps 1 to 6 of the National League System (levels 5 to 10). A record 763 clubs competed in 2011-12 The tournament consists of 12 randomly drawn rounds followed by the semi-finals and final. Entrants are not seeded, although a system of byes based on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds – the minimum number of games needed to win, depending on which round a team enters the competition, ranges from six to fourteen.
The first six rounds are the Qualifying Competition, from which 32 teams progress to the first round of the Competition Proper, meeting the first of the 48 professional teams from League One and Two. The last entrants are the Premier League and Championships clubs, into the draw for the Third Round Proper. In the modern era, only one non-League team has ever reached the quarter-finals, and teams below Level 2 have never reached the final. As a result, significant focus is given to the smaller teams who progress furthest, especially if they achieve an unlikely "giant-killing" victory.
Winners receive the FA Cup trophy, of which there have been two designs and five actual cups; the latest is a 2014 replica of the second design, introduced in 1911. Winners also qualify for the UEFA League and a place in the FA Community Shield. Arsenal are the most successful club with fourteen titles and Wenger is the most successful manager in the history of the competition, having won seven finals as Arsenal's manager.
Leicester City are the current holders, having beaten Chelsea 1–0 in 2021.
The FA Cup Qualifying Competition:
Extra Preliminary Round Saturday 7 August 2021 184 clubs @ Level 9-10
Preliminary Round Saturday 21 August 2021 160 Level 8
First Round Qualifying Saturday 4 September 2021 116 Level 7
Second Round Qualifying Saturday 18 September 2021 80 clubs Level 6
Third Round Qualifying Saturday 2 October 2021 40 clubs
Fourth Round Qualifying Saturday 16 October 2021
First Round Proper Saturday 6 November 2021
Second Round Proper Saturday 4 December 2021
Third Round Proper Saturday 8 January 2022 40 clubs: Today Swindon host Manchester City.
Fourth Round Proper Saturday 5 February 2022 32 clubs
Fifth Round Proper Wednesday 2 March 2022 16 clubs
Quarter-Final Saturday 19 March 2022 8 clubs
Semi-Final Saturday 16 April 2022 4 clubs
Final Saturday 14 May 2022 2 clubs!!
I saw Swindon play at Horsham on November 26th 1966 in the First Round proper with Don Rogers in the visitors' side. Do have a look at this link, especially where my old Geography teacher is part of the Horsham squad. He did not get on the pitch. Below, Don Rogers scores a controversial goal.
https://www.horshamfc.co.uk/2016/11/26/remembering-swindon-fifty-years-on-2/
http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19670601 below the crowd at Queen's Street, Horsham.
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