FA Cup 2015/16

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The 135th edition of the FA Cup, the world's oldest football tournament, starts tonight when tiny Salford City take on Notts Country in a live televised match.

VS

Salford City, who play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English footballing pyramid, are owned by former Manchester United stars Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt (Salford is right next to Manchester) and are playing in the FA Cup proper for the first time in their 75 year history. They take on Notts Country, the world's oldest professional football team, at Moor Lane tonight in a game being shown live on BBC Two tonight.

Hundreds of teams all around England, Wales and Guernsey took part in qualifying for this season's FA Cup to get to the First Round proper, which involves 80 teams. The 20 Premier League sides and the 24 Championship sides enter the competition in the Third Round.

The format is a straight knockout. Any matches ending in a draw go to a replay, with the team who played away in the original match playing at home in the replay. If the replay ends as a draw, the match will go to extra time. If still a draw, there will be a penalty shootout.

2015-16 FA Cup

First Round

Friday 6th November

Salford City vs Notts County (19.55 GMT)


Saturday 7th November (all matches at 15.00 GMT)

Accrington Stanley vs York City
Wimbledon vs Forest Green Rovers
Altrincham vs Barnsley
Barnet vs Blackpool
Barwell vs Welling United
Burton Albion vs Peterborough United
Bury vs Wigan Athletic
Cambridge United vs Basingstoke Town
Coventry City vs Northampton Town
Crawley Town vs Luton Town
Crewe Alexandra vs Eastleigh
Dagenham and Redbridge vs Morecambe
Doncaster Rovers vs Stalybridge Celtic
Dover vs Stourbridge
Grimsby Town vs St Albans City
Hartlepool United vs Cheltenham Town
Leyton Orient vs Staines Town
Mansfield Town vs Oldham Athletic
Millwall vs AFC Fylde
Northwich Victoria vs Boreham Wood
Plymouth Argyle vs Carlisle United
Portsmouth vs Macclesfield Town
Rochdale vs Swindon Town
Scun thorpe United vs Southend United
Sheffield United vs Worcester City
Stevenage vs Gillingham
Walsall vs Fleetwood Town
Wealdstone vs Colchester United

Sunday 8th November (all matches at 14;00 unless otherwise stated)

Didcot Town vs Exeter City (12:00)
Aldershot Town vs Bradford City
Brackley Town vs Newport County
Braintree Town vs Oxford United
Bristol Rovers vs Chesham United
Halifax Town vs Wycombe Wanderers
Gainsborough Trinity vs Shrewsbury Town
Maidstone United vs Yeovil Town
Whitehawk vs Lincoln City
Port Vale vs Maidenhead United (15:00)

Monday 9th November

FC United of Manchester vs Chesterfield (19:45)

 

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The magic of the FA Cup is already upon us after one its famous giankillings took place in the very first match of this season's tournament as Salford City beat Notts County.

League Two club Notts County, the world's oldest professional football club, travelled the 60 miles from Nottingham to Salford thinking it would be a walk in the park against their part-time opponents who languish 59 places and three divisions below them in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football.

Yet it was Salford City, who have never before played in the FA Cup proper and are owned by English football's famous Class of '92, who dominated the match and thoroughly deserved it when they took a 1-0 lead just 17 seconds into the second half thanks to a tap in from Webber.

Victory was sealed for Salford City in the 73rd minute when Richie Allen produced a stylish turn in the Notts County box to leave three defenders in his wake before playing a one-two with Hulme and sliding the ball into the bottom corner. It was a goal of sublime beauty this great tournament deserves.

Cue pandemonium amongst the Salford City fans and three of the club's owners, former Manchester United and England stars Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, who were watching in the stands of tiny Moor Lane.

Salford City totally outplayed their professional opponents and they deserve to be in the Second Round.

Only one match played so far in this season's competition but this grand old lady of football tournaments, the oldest and greatest domestic football competition on Earth, is already not disappointing.

Part-timers Salford City knock out Notts County

FA Cup

First Round

Salford City 2-0 Notts County
Webber 46
Allen 73

Salford City's Richie Allen celebrates after scoring his side's second goal, which was a thing of sublime beauty

Salford City bridged a 59-place gap in the football pyramid to knock League Two Notts County out of the FA Cup with an historic win at Moor Lane.

The Northern Premier League Premier Division part-timers, co-owned by five ex-Manchester United players, were making their first-round debut.

Danny Webber bundled home James Poole's cross 17 seconds into the second half.

Salford's record £5,000 signing Jordan Hulme hit the bar before Richie Allen's sensational strike sealed the victory.

Allen's 73rd-minute goal was a memorable FA Cup moment that reflected Salford's superiority on the night.

The former AFC Fylde man, with seemingly nowhere to go on the Notts goal-line, produced a stylish turn to take the ball past three defenders, before playing a one-two with Hulme and sliding the ball into the bottom corner.

Danny Webber (centre) put Salford City ahead against their League Two opponents with a close range finish 17 seconds after half-time

Former Premier League star Alan Smith (left) was unable to prevent the professional side from suffering a humiliating Cup exit against a side 59 places below them in the English football pyramid

Salford City are fourth in the Northern Premier League Premier Division table, the seventh tier of English football

Former Manchester United and England star Gary Neville, a co-owner of Salford City, was all-smiles last night

Watch Richie Allen's superb goal which put Salford City 2-0 up:

It was a thoroughly deserved win in front of the live BBC television cameras for the club bought in 2014 by Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and brothers Phil and Gary Neville.

Salford, who created numerous other chances and hit the target five times to County's once, will find out their opponents for the second round on Monday when the draw takes place at 19:00 GMT live on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website.

Proud night for Class of 92

The final whistle sparked a good-natured pitch invasion by many of the 1,400 jubilant home fans - around seven times the number who watched their first qualifying round tie against Whitby Town in September.

This was the seventh-tier club's seventh match in this year's competition, and their remarkable performance was witnessed by co-owners Gary Neville, Scholes and Butt.

Giggs, who is also Manchester United's assistant manager, watched the tie from a nearby hotel before the Red Devils' Premier League home game with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Phil Neville followed the match on Twitter from Spain, where he is assistant manager of Valencia.

Notts County, 15th in the League Two table, found themselves outclassed and outwitted by a team whose joint manager Anthony Johnson had to book two days off work as a lorry driver so he could study videos and reports of their opponents.

"We're in the Second Round!"


'Once in a lifetime stuff'

Salford City joint manager Anthony Johnson: "It's once-in-a-lifetime stuff, that's what we told them. I didn't think we could win! They are a full-time side with top players but the boys have proved me wrong. I've never felt so emotional after a game."

Salford City co-owner Gary Neville: "That was unbelievable. It puts faith back into you, it's what football is about. The FA Cup takes a battering but tonight epitomises what it is all about. I've not had a moment like that for a few years."

Salford City midfielder James Poole: "If that had been 4-0 or 5-0 I don't think Notts County could have complained. It means a lot to the owners. It's something different to what they've been involved in before in the FA Cup."

Salford City co-owner Phil Neville's celebrations were fairly low-key

'A disgrace'

Notts County boss Ricardo Moniz: "I will never forget it - a disaster for Notts County. They deserved to win, they were better. They wanted it more, circumstances were in their advantage but we never came into the game.

"You warn your players, everyone knows the scenario. But then the defending was a disgrace at this level, to give players that much room."

Salford City striker striker Jordan Hulme carries the ball forward as he looks to threaten the Notts County defence

Salford City midfielder James Poole climbs to challenge for a header during Friday's FA Cup first round clash against Notts County

Webber, who has played for the likes of Watford, Sheffield United and Leeds, taps home from a yard out to give the hosts the lead just 17 seconds into the second half

Two of the club's co-owners, Gary Neville (left) and Paul Scholes (second left), celebrate Allen's strike as the home side took a two-goal lead at Moor Lane

The Salford City players continue the celebrations in the dressing room after dumping League Two opposition out of the FA Cup. Karen Baird, the club chairman, is on the right

Co-owner Neville (centre) celebrates on the pitch after Salford City booked their place in the second round of the FA Cup on Friday night

Gary Neville (left) poses alongside goalscorer Richie Allen (centre) and former Manchester United team-mate Nicky Butt



BBC Sport - Salford City 2-0 Notts County

 

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Altrincham and Chesham have provided two of this weekend's giantkillings in the First Round of the 2015/16 FA Cup.

Altrincham, who are currently 19th in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, knocked Barnsley, 22nd in League One, the third tier of English football, out of the competition by beating them 1-0 at Moss Lane yesterday thanks to a 46th minute goal from club legend Damian Reeve.

Meanwhile today, tiny Chesham, of the seventh tier Southern League Premier Division, knocked Bristol Rovers, 12th in the fourth tier League Two, out of the tournament by winning 1-0. The victory sees the Generals, as they are nicknamed, progress to the second round for only the second time in their history, the first coming in 1980 when they were eventually knocked out in the third round by Cambridge United.

All the rest of this weekend's results.

FA Cup

First Round

Saturday 7th November

Altrincham's Ryan Crowther shoots at goal as they knock Barnsley, two divisions above them, out of the FA Cup in one of the shocks of the First Round

Accrington Stanley 3-2 York City
AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Forest Green Rovers
Altrincham 1-0 Barnsley
Barnet 2-0 Blackpool
Barwell 0-2 Welling United
Burton Albion 0-3 Peterborough United
Bury 4-0 Wigan Athletic
Cambridge United 1-0 Basingstoke Town
Coventry City 1-2 Northampton Town
Crawley Town 1-2 Luton Town
Crewe Alexandra 0-1 Eastleigh
Dagenham and Redbridge 0-0 Morecambe
Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Stalybridge Celtic
Dover Athletic 1-2 Stourbridge
Grimsby Town 5-1 St Albans City
Hartlepool United 1-0 Cheltenham Town
Leyton Orient 6-1 Staines Town
Mansfield Town 0-0 Oldham Athletic
Millwall 3-1 AFC Fylde
Northwich Victoria 1-1 Boreham Wood
Plymouth Argyle 0-2 Carlisle United
Portsmouth 2-1 Macclesfield Town
Rochdale 3-1 Swindon Town
Scun thorpe United 2-1 Southend United
Sheffield United 3-0 Worcester City
Stevenage 3-0 Gillingham
Walsall 2-0 Fleetwood Town
Wealdstone 2-6 Colchester United

Sunday 8th November

Seventh tier side Chesham knocked League Two side Bristol Rovers out of the tournament today

Didcot Town 0-3 Exeter City
Aldershot Town 0-0 Bradford City
Brackley Town 2-2 Newport County
Braintree Town 1-1 Oxford United
Bristol Rovers 0-1 Chesham United
Halifax Town 0-4 Wycombe Wanderers
Gainsborough Trinity 0-1 Shrewsbury Town
Maidstone United 0-1 Yeovil Town
Whitehawk 5-3 Lincoln City
Port Vale 1-1 Maidenhead United

 

[DaSleeper]