FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round 09/10 – The Rundown

Note: For the full list of FA Cup 4th qualifying round results please scroll down to the comments section below.

Though the FA Cup does not generally tend to enter wider national consciousness until the big guns of the Premier League & Championship enter at the 3rd round stage in January, the world’s oldest club competition actually begins as early in the season as August. Consequently it is often only those with an interest in lower and non-league football that are aware the FA Cup has been ticking along quietly all season, through five rounds already (Extra Preliminary, Preliminary, 1st, 2nd and 3rd round qualifying).

This weekend sees the last qualifying round take place before the First Round Proper, the stage at which football league clubs enter and the competition really begins to take shape. With the likes of Charlton Athletic, Leeds United, Norwich City and Southampton all in the hat for the First Round draw this season, the 64 teams playing in the final qualifying round all have a pretty tasty looking carrot dangling in front of them as they look to secure their place in the First Round.

Of course once making it this far, the lower down the football pyramid a club is the more exciting the prospect of a once in a lifetime game at Elland Road or The Valley. So a huge weekend awaits Aylesbury FC of the Spartan South Midlands Football League – the lowest ranked team in the competition. Aylesbury currently play in tier 9 of the English football pyramid, some 188 places below Manchester United in the food chain. Nicknamed The Moles, Aylesbury edged a 7-goal thriller against Chesham in the last round and now face Wealdstone at home for a place in the First Round Proper.

Aiming to make history by progressing past the 4th qualifying round for the first time are Mangotsfield United of the Zamaretto League South & West Division (Tier 8). Since setting up in 1951, The Mangos (a quality nickname, I’m supporting them for that alone) have never made it to the First Round Proper, and play Forest Green Rovers at home for the privilege. Mangotsfield’s club secretary Stephen Porter is cautiously optimistic.

“We won’t go out all guns blazing. [..] After all, Forest Green are in the Conference and have been for as long as I can remember. But we have done well to get this far and if we are in the draw on Sunday, it will be a massive achievement.

“The magic of The Cup has captured everybody’s imagination. If we were to make it into the next round, Leeds or Southampton would be nice. It is every non-League club’s dream to draw a Football League side.”

At the other end of the non-league scale excitement is also building for the higher profile clubs like FC United of Manchester and AFC Wimbledon. Having needed a replay to overcome Stalybridge Celtic in the last round FC United now stand one win away from entry into the First Round Proper for their first time, just three years after appearing in the FA Cup for the first time. They play Northwich Victoria away, a club still bearing scars from the financial instability that left them with a ten point deduction in the Conference North for going into administration earlier this year. The club’s directors will certainly have their eye on the £12,500 prize money for making it through to the First Round.

Meanwhile AFC Wimbledon make the short trip to face Crawley Town, a team six places below them in the Blue Square Premier with whom they drew 1-1 just one month ago.

“It is not just the financial gains that motivate people to a good cup run,” Dons manager Terry Brown stated on the eve of the game, “and as I have been telling my players all week they will only get a certain number of opportunities in their life time for glory in the FA Cup.”

Leading a club with such a particularly storied FA Cup history can only have helped harden Brown’s determination before the Crawley tie. And what chance a draw against MK Dons if they do make it?

For now here is the full list of 4th Qualifying Round fixtures. The First Round Proper draw takes place this Sunday.

FA Cup fourth qualifying round fixtures:

Hinckley United v Histon
Nuneaton Town v Kendal Town
FC Halifax Town v Wrexham
Gateshead v Southport
Workington v Rushden & Diamonds
Mansfield Town v Altrincham
Buxton v Stourbridge
Blyth Spartans v AFC Telford United
Ilkeston Town v Tamworth
Lincol
n United v Cambridge United
Kettering Town v Redditch United
Northwich Victoria v FC United of Manchester
Barrow v Chester City
Kidderminster Harriers v Fleetwood Town
York City v Bedworth United
Hendon v Woking
Gloucester City v Lowestoft Town
Farnborough v Salisbury City
Mangotsfield United v Forest Green Rovers
Crawley Town v AFC Wimbledon
Oxford City v Bury Town
Bromley v Ebbsfleet United
Chelmsford City v Stevenage Borough
Aylesbury v Wealdstone
Dover Athletic v Eastleigh
Hayes & Yeading United v Staines Town
Luton Town v Grays Athletic
Oxford United v Thurrock
Bath City v AFC Totton
Paulton Rovers v Chippenham Town
Tooting & Mitcham United v Eastbourne Borough
Hampton & Richmond Borough v Sutton United

Anyone going to be watching some FA Cup football this weekend? Let us know if you do, comments welcome.

AFC Wimbledon, Aylesbury FC, Crawley Town, FA Cup, FC United of Manchester, Forest Green Rovers, Mangotsfield United, Non-League Football, Northwich Victoria