FA Cup 2026-27 Preliminary Round Review
by Phil Annets – @FACupFactile on X
Stats of the Round
St Blazey had a 2-1 Cupset win over Barnstaple Town, the club’s first win over their opponents at their eighth attempt in 73 years, including having suffered a club record 1-9 defeat against them 51 years ago!
Eddie Simon of Kingstonian FC has scored a hat-trick in both the Extra Preliminary and Preliminary Rounds this season!
First time in 1st Qualifying Round ever
Northampton ON Chenecks – 9th campaign
Lower Breck – 7th campaign
Winslow United – 6th campaign
Frenford FC – 4th campaign
Snodland Town – 4th campaign
Millbrook FC (Hampshire) – 3rd campaign
South Liverpool – 3rd campaign
Horbury Town – 2nd campaign
Nuneaton Town – 2nd campaign
Windsor and Eton – 2nd campaign
Debut Clubs Still in FA Cup
AFC Greenwich Borough, Dunstable FC, Fleetlands FC, Knowle FC, Petts Wood and Holmesdale, Redcar Town, South East Dons
Equalling best run to 1st Qualifying Round
Cobham FC – 6th time in 27 campaigns
Cornard United – 6th time in 13 campaigns
Fakenham Town – 4th time in 31 campaigns
Exmouth Town – 4th time in 9 campaigns
Sherwood Colliery – 4th time in 8 campaigns
Wellingborough Town – 3rd time in 20 campaigns
Barton Town – 3rd time in 19 campaigns
Coventry United – 3rd time in 11 campaigns
Baffins Milton Rovers – 3rd time in 9 campaigns
London Lions – 2nd time in 9 campaigns
Andover New Street – 2nd time in 8 campaigns
Northampton Sileby Rangers – 2nd time in 8 campaigns
North Ferriby – 2nd time in 6 campaigns
Portishead Town – 2nd time in 6 campaigns
Buckhurst Hill – 2nd time in 5 campaigns
Wythenshawe FC – 2nd time in 5 campaigns
Harleston Town – 2nd time in 4 campaigns
Abbey Hulton United – 2nd time in 2 campaigns
First time in 1st Qualifying Round in a while
24 years – Devizes Town (9 campaigns)
20 years – St Blazey (10 campaigns)
16 years – Desborough Town (14 campaigns)
14 years – London Lions (8 campaigns)
13 years – Vauxhall Motors (Ellesmere Port) (7 campaigns), Wells City (6 campaigns)
12 years – Northampton Sileby Rangers (7 campaigns)
11 years – AFC Wolverhampton City
10 years – Camberley Town, Portishead Town (3 campaigns)
9 years – Crowborough Athletic, Yaxley FC
8 years – Knaresborough Town, Pagham FC
7 years – Northwich Victoria, Portland United, Thornaby FC (5 campaigns)
5 years – Bedworth United, Broadfields United, Coventry United
4 years – AFC Rushden and Diamonds, Buckhurst Hill, Cirencester Town, East Grinstead Town, Grays Athletic, Lye Town, Romford FC
Into 1st Qualifying Round and long time since last KO before it
29 years – Weymouth FC
25 years – Dorchester Town
18 years – Hungerford Town
16 years – Witton Albion
13 years – Swindon Supermarine
10 years – Basford United, Royston Town, Tiverton Town
9 years – Laverstock and Ford (5 campaigns)
8 years – Canvey Island, Sheppey United
7 years – Prescot Cables
6 years – Bishop’s Cleeve, Dunston FC
5 years – AFC Stoneham, Hashtag United, Westfield FC, Witham Town
4 years – Croydon Athletic, Faversham Town, Gorleston FC, Sporting Khalsa
Never KO as Early as Preliminary Round (Min 3 campaigns)
20 campaigns – Hayes and Yeading United
First time knocked out as Early as Preliminary Round (Min 3 campaigns)
No one
First time Knocked Out as Early as Preliminary Round for a while
23 years – Matlock Town
17 years – Barwell FC
16 years – AFC Sudbury
12 years – Potters Bar Town, St Ives Town
9 years – Morpeth Town
7 years – Long Eaton United, Marlow FC
5 years – Cray Valley Paper Mills, Didcot Town, Winchester City
4 years – Carlton Town, Coleshill Town
Knocked Out in Preliminary Round and a While Since Going Further
61 years – Nelson FC (14 campaigns)
47 years – Carlisle City (7 campaigns)
28 years – Pershore Town (7 campaigns)
25 years – Easington Colliery (8 campaigns)
18 years – Downton FC (9 campaigns)
13 years – Hallen FC (10 campaigns), Hassocks FC (11 campaigns)
11 years – Bedfont FC (4 campaigns)
10 years – Brislington FC (8 campaigns), Cheadle Town (4 campaigns), Halstead Town (8 campaigns)
9 years – Droylsden FC (4 campaigns)
8 years – Parkgate FC (3 campaigns), Street FC
7 years – Irlam FC, Lutterworth Town, Takeley FC, Thatcham Town
6 years – AFC Mansfield, Runcorn Town (2 campaigns), Litherland REMYCA (5 campaigns), Tunbridge Wells
5 years – Baldock Town, Balham FC, Longlevens FC, Sutton Common Rovers, Wisbech Town
4 years – Eastbourne Town, Kings Langley, Lichfield City, Midhurst and Easebourne, North Greenford United, North Leigh, Peacehaven and Telscombe, Romulus FC, Rusthall FC, Shepton Mallet
Consecutive Preliminary Round KOs
4 – Droylsden FC (Across 8 years), Little Oakley
3 – Harrow Borough, Hartley Wintney, Lutterworth Town, North Greenford United, Takeley FC, Thatcham Town
Avenged Previous FA Cup Defeat
Runcorn Linnets 2-3 Trafford FC
Deal Town 1-2 Southall FC
Blyth Spartans 2-1 Morpeth Town
Ipswich Wanderers 2-1 March Town United (Met just last season)
St Blazey 2-1 Barnstaple Town (After seven previous defeats)
Replays
Westbury United 0-1 AFC Portchester (A.e.t.)
Longlevens FC 1-1 Winslow United (1-4 pens)
Wisbech Town 2-2 Yaxley FC (3-5 pens)
Fakenham Town 2-0 St Ives Town
Biggest Wins of the Preliminary Round
Nine Goals
Hashtag United 10-1 Enfield FC (BIGGEST FA Cup WIN & BIGGEST margin of DEFEAT)
Eight Goals
Pontefract Collieries 8-0 Parkgate FC (BIGGEST FA Cup WIN & BIGGEST margin of DEFEAT)
Six Goals
Thame United 7-1 Brislington FC
Lye Town 6-0 Lichfield City (Joint BIGGEST FA Cup WIN & Joint BIGGEST margin of DEFEAT)
Weymouth FC 6-0 Shepton Mallet
Five Goals
Gorleston FC 6-1 Mildenhall Town (Joint BIGGEST margin of DEFEAT)
Whitstable Town 5-0 Newhaven FC
Windsor and Eton 5-0 North Leigh (BIGGEST FA Cup WIN)
Four Goals
Raynes Park Vale 1-5 Petts Wood and Holmesdale (BIGGEST FA Cup WIN)
Mossley FC 0-4 Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC
Hendon FC 4-0 Hertford Town
Newmarket Town 4-0 St Neots Town
Replays
Bourne Town 5-1 Bottesford Town
Faversham Town 4-0 Bedfont FC
Cupsets
Away
Raynes Park Vale (4) 1-5 Petts Wood and Holmesdale (5)
Cray Valley Paper Mills (4) 2-4 AFC Greenwich Borough (5)
Harrow Borough (4) 1-3 Snodland Town (5)
Ashington FC (4) 2-3 Thornaby FC (5)
Runcorn Linnets (4) 2-3 Trafford FC (5)
Bognor Regis Town (4) 1-2 East Grinstead Town (5)
Consett FC (4) 1-2 Marske United (5)
Boston Town (4) 0-1 Sherwood Colliery (5)
Coleshill Town (4) 0-1 Knowle FC (5)
Hartley Wintney (4) 0-1 Baffins Milton Rovers (5)
Marlow FC (4) 0-1 Cirencester Town (5)
West Auckland Town (4) 0-1 Shildon FC (5)
Replays
Bootle FC (4) 0-1 Northwich Victoria (5)
Home
Lye Town (5) 6-0 Lichfield City (4)
Brixham FC (5) 2-0 Willand Rovers (4)
Desborough Town (5) 2-0 Carlton Town (4)
Andover New Street (5) 2-1 Shaftesbury FC (4)
Devizes Town (5) 2-1 Melksham Town (4)
Redcar Town (5) 2-1 Bridlington Town (4)
Sporting Khalsa (5) 2-1 Shifnal Town (4)
St Blazey (5) 2-1 Barnstaple Town (4)
Tadcaster Albion (5) 2-1 Stalybridge Celtic (4)
Replays
South East Dons (5) 2-0 Punjab United (Gravesend) (4)
Frenford FC (5) 3-2 Haringey Borough (4) (A.e.t.)
Horbury Town (5) 1-0 1874 Northwich (4)
Portishead Town (5) 1-0 Larkhall Athletic (4)
Hat-tricks and more
3 – Eddie Simon (Kingstonian FC)
3 – Jack Mazzone (Windsor and Eton)
3 – Mitchell May (Canvey Island)
3 – Nick Thumwood (Camberley Town)
3 – Sammy Henia-Kamau (Jersey Bulls)
3 – Steve Milne (Vauxhall Motors (Ellesmere Port))
3 – Toby Holmes (Weymouth FC)
3 – Tommy Wright (Millbrook FC (Hampshire))
Replays
3 – Kane Haysman (Faversham Town)
3 – Sado Djalo (Heaton Stannington)
Miscellaneous
It is now a record 102 FA Cup campaigns for Melksham Town without yet appearing in the ‘Proper’ Rounds of the competition!