The FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

, from this season onwards, began to incorporate a series of qualifying rounds in order to determine qualifiers for the actual Cup competition itself. The qualifying rounds were made up of amateur teams, semi-professional teams, and professional sides not yet associated with the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

, such as Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

. The only game to be played on Christmas Day took place, Linfield Athletic

Linfield F.C.

Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....

 beating Cliftonville

Cliftonville F.C.

Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...

 7-0. Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 became the first Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

 team to withdraw from the Cup after drawing Ulster

Ulster F.C.

Ulster Football Club is a former Irish football club based in Ballynafeigh, Belfast. It was initially founded in 1877 as a rugby club, but later switched codes to association football. It was subsequently a founding member of the Irish Football League in 1890...

 in the first qualifying round.

See FA Cup 1888-89

FA Cup 1888-89

The FA Cup 1888–89 was the eighteenth edition of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup....

 for details of the rounds from the First Round onwards.

Second Qualifying Round

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Date
Chester Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...	5-1	Over Wanderers	27 October 1888
Maidenhead Maidenhead United F.C. Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...	1-2	Old Brightonians	27 October 1888
Old Harrovians	0-1	Crusaders	27 October 1888
Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...	4-2	Beeston St John's	27 October 1888
Blackburn Olympic Blackburn Olympic F.C. Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...	1-3	Oswardthistle Rovers	27 October 1888
Staveley	4-0	Matlock Matlock Town F.C. Matlock Town F.C. is an English football club based at Causeway Lane in Matlock, Derbyshire.-History:The club was established in the late 1870s and have competed in the Central Alliance and the Midland Counties League before reaching the Northern Premier League.In the 1974–75 season the club won...	27 October 1888
Sheffield Heeley	2-1	South Bank South Bank F.C. South Bank F.C. is a football club based in Middlesbrough, England. The team was the founding members of the Northern League in 1889, won the FA Amateur Cup in 1913. In the 1925-26 season, they reached the 1st round of the FA Cup, but left from the Wearside League in 1999....	27 October 1888
Chatham	4-0	London Caledonians London Caledonians F.C. London Caledonians F.C. was an amateur football club based in London, primarily for Scottish players.-History:The club won the first of their five Middlesex Senior Cups in 1889–90 and the first of their five London Senior Cups in 1899–1900. They were founder members of the Isthmian League in 1905...	27 October 1888
Clitheroe Clitheroe F.C. Clitheroe F.C. are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central...	0-7	Higher Walton	27 October 1888
South Shore	7-1	Southport Central Southport F.C. Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...	27 October 1888
Rossendale	4-3	Darwen Darwen F.C. A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...	27 October 1888
Derby Midland Derby Midland F.C. Derby Midland F.C. were an English football club, in existence from 1881 until 1891.The club were founder members of the Midland Football League in 1889. They finished second in 1889-90 and fourth in 1890-91. In the FA Cup, they progressed to the third round in 1883-84 and the second round in 1889-90...	2-1	Derby St Luke's	27 October 1888
Leek	4-0	Oldbury Town	27 October 1888
Newark	4-4	Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...	27 October 1888
Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...	5-3	Elswick Rangers	27 October 1888
Casuals Casuals F.C. Casuals F.C. were an amateur football club based in London, formed in 1878.They were founder members of the Isthmian League in 1905 and won the FA Amateur Cup in 1936....	1-3	Clapton Clapton F.C. Clapton F.C. is an English association football club, who play in Forest Gate, in the London Borough of Newham, England.Founded by W.R. Davis at a meeting in his father's house at 11 Queensdown Road, Clapton in August 0f 1877. Downs F.C. started playing on Hackney Downs. They changed their name a...	27 October 1888
Chirk Chirk AAA F.C. Chirk AAA F.C. is a Welsh football team based in Chirk, Wales. They have been competing in the Premier division of the Welsh National League since their relegation after one season in the Cymru Alliance.....	12-0	Nantwich Nantwich Town F.C. Nantwich Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1884 and is nicknamed The Dabbers. The club is currently a member of the Northern Premier League Premier Division, with home matches played at the Weaver Stadium.Nantwich...	27 October 1888
Burton Wanderers Burton Wanderers F.C. Burton Wanderers were a football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England that spent three seasons in The Football League. In 1901, the club merged with Burton Swifts and formed a new club, Burton United.-History:...	4-0	Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town F.C. Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...	27 October 1888
Horncastle	0-1	Boston	27 October 1888
Chesham Chesham Town F.C. Chesham Town Football Club were an English football club from Chesham, Buckinghamshire.Originally founded as plain Chesham FC, in 1894 they became founder members of the Southern League in 1894. They were renamed Chesham Town in 1899 and continued to play in the Southern League until 1904, when...	3-3	Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...	27 October 1888
Basford Rovers	0-1	Mellors	27 October 1888
Watford Rovers	6-0	Old Foresters Old Foresters F.C. The Old Foresters Football Club is an Association Football club made up exclusively of former pupils of Forest School, located in Snaresbrook, near Walthamstow, London, England....	27 October 1888
Cleethorpes Town	Walkover	Netherfield
Newcastle West End Newcastle West End F.C. Newcastle West End Football Club were an English football club which briefly played in the Northern League and the FA Cup in the late 19th century...	1-2	Sunderland Albion Sunderland Albion F.C. Sunderland Albion Football Club was an English association football club based in Sunderland, England formed in 1888 as a rival to Sunderland A.F.C.-Summary:...	27 October 1888
Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...	2-5	Marlow Marlow F.C. Marlow F.C. is an English football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground...	27 October 1888
Old St Mark's	3-1	Lancing Old Boys	27 October 1888
Morpeth Harriers	3-1 Match void	Birtley	27 October 1888
Owlerton	3-2	Rotherham Town Rotherham Town F.C. Rotherham Town Football Club was the name of two English football clubs from Rotherham, Yorkshire. The first briefly played in the Football League, while the second became part of another Football League club, Rotherham United, who are still members of the League today...	27 October 1888
Scarborough Scarborough F.C. Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...	2-4	Ecclesfield	27 October 1888
Newcastle East End Newcastle East End F.C. Newcastle East End Football Club were an English football club which briefly played in the Northern League and the FA Cup in the late 19th century. Their entire history was played out during the Victorian era in Newcastle upon Tyne...	2-1	Stockton Stockton F.C. Stockton F.C. was an English football club based in Stockton-on-Tees. The club were known as 'The Ancients' because of their long-standing presence in the town. Their traditional colours were red and black quartered shirts with white shorts.-History:...	27 October 1888
Warwick County	4-2	Aston Shakespeare	27 October 1888
West Manchester	1-0 Match void	Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....	27 October 1888
Jardines	0-4	Gainsborough Trinity Gainsborough Trinity F.C. Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...	27 October 1888
Park Grange	2-1 Match void	Attercliffe	27 October 1888
Llangollen	6-3	Oswestry Oswestry Town F.C. Oswestry Town F.C. was a football club, formerly playing in the League of Wales.The club was founded as Oswestry United in 1860, which meant they were one of the world's oldest football clubs. Matches were latterly played at Park Hall stadium, Oswestry, after a spell at Victoria Road...	27 October 1888
Liverpool Stanley	3-0	Astley Bridge	27 October 1888
Belfast YMCA	0-5	Cliftonville Cliftonville F.C. Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...	27 October 1888
Ulster	1-7	Linfield Athletic Linfield F.C. Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....	27 October 1888
Small Heath Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...	3-2	Burslem Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...	27 October 1888
Wrexham	3-2	Northwich Victoria Northwich Victoria F.C. Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...	27 October 1888

Replays

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Date
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...	9-0	Newark	3 November 1888
Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...	10-2	Chesham Chesham Town F.C. Chesham Town Football Club were an English football club from Chesham, Buckinghamshire.Originally founded as plain Chesham FC, in 1894 they became founder members of the Southern League in 1894. They were renamed Chesham Town in 1899 and continued to play in the Southern League until 1904, when...	3 November 1888
Birtley	1-0	Morpeth Harriers	3 November 1888
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....	9-0	West Manchester	3 November 1888
Park Grange	4-1	Attercliffe	3 November 1888

Third Qualifying Round

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Date
Chester Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...	5-1	Llangollen	17 November 1888
Clapton Clapton F.C. Clapton F.C. is an English association football club, who play in Forest Gate, in the London Borough of Newham, England.Founded by W.R. Davis at a meeting in his father's house at 11 Queensdown Road, Clapton in August 0f 1877. Downs F.C. started playing on Hackney Downs. They changed their name a...	0-1	Chatham	17 November 1888
Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...	2-1	Derby Midland Derby Midland F.C. Derby Midland F.C. were an English football club, in existence from 1881 until 1891.The club were founder members of the Midland Football League in 1889. They finished second in 1889-90 and fourth in 1890-91. In the FA Cup, they progressed to the third round in 1883-84 and the second round in 1889-90...	17 November 1888
Staveley	5-0	Mellors	17 November 1888
Sheffield Heeley	3-1	Park Grange	17 November 1888
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...	5-0	Cleethorpes Town	17 November 1888
South Shore	4-0	Oswardtwistle Rovers	17 November 1888
Rossendale	2-3	Higher Walton	17 November 1888
Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...	2-0	Newcastle East End Newcastle East End F.C. Newcastle East End Football Club were an English football club which briefly played in the Northern League and the FA Cup in the late 19th century. Their entire history was played out during the Victorian era in Newcastle upon Tyne...	10 November 1888
Old Brightonians	3-1	Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...	17 November 1888
Burton Wanderers Burton Wanderers F.C. Burton Wanderers were a football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England that spent three seasons in The Football League. In 1901, the club merged with Burton Swifts and formed a new club, Burton United.-History:...	5-1	Warwick County	17 November 1888
Gainsborough Trinity Gainsborough Trinity F.C. Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...	5-3	Boston	17 November 1888
Crusaders	1-0	Old St Mark's	17 November 1888
Watford Rovers	0-2	Marlow Marlow F.C. Marlow F.C. is an English football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground...	17 November 1888
Cliftonville Cliftonville F.C. Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...	Walkover	Liverpool Stanley
Owlerton	3-2	Ecclesfield	17 November 1888
Birtley	2-5	Sunderland Albion Sunderland Albion F.C. Sunderland Albion Football Club was an English association football club based in Sunderland, England formed in 1888 as a rival to Sunderland A.F.C.-Summary:...	17 November 1888
Small Heath Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...	4-0	Leek	17 November 1888
Linfield Athletic Linfield F.C. Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....	4-0	Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....	17 November 1888
Wrexham	2-1	Chirk Chirk AAA F.C. Chirk AAA F.C. is a Welsh football team based in Chirk, Wales. They have been competing in the Premier division of the Welsh National League since their relegation after one season in the Cymru Alliance.....	17 November 1888

Fourth Qualifying Round

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Date
Chester Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...	2-3	Wrexham	8 December 1888
Staveley	1-3	Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...	8 December 1888
Sheffield Heeley	5-1	Owlerton	8 December 1888
Chatham	0-0	Crusaders	8 December 1888
Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...	Walkover	Gainsborough Trinity Gainsborough Trinity F.C. Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...
South Shore	5-0	Higher Walton	8 December 1888
Old Brightonians	5-2	Marlow Marlow F.C. Marlow F.C. is an English football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The club are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground...	8 December 1888
Cliftonville Cliftonville F.C. Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...	3-3	Linfield Athletic Linfield F.C. Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....	8 December 1888
Sunderland Albion Sunderland Albion F.C. Sunderland Albion Football Club was an English association football club based in Sunderland, England formed in 1888 as a rival to Sunderland A.F.C.-Summary:...	Walkover	Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
Small Heath Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...	9-0	Burton Wanderers Burton Wanderers F.C. Burton Wanderers were a football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England that spent three seasons in The Football League. In 1901, the club merged with Burton Swifts and formed a new club, Burton United.-History:...	8 December 1888

Replays

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Date
Crusaders	2-3	Chatham	15 December 1888
Linfield Athletic Linfield F.C. Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....	3-3	Cliftonville Cliftonville F.C. Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...	15 December 1888

Second Replay

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Date
Linfield Athletic Linfield F.C. Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....	7-0	Cliftonville Cliftonville F.C. Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...	25 December 1888