FA Cup second round draw and when Premier League teams enter the competition
- The FA Cup first round produced a number of upsets already
- The draw for the second round has taken place with games commencing at the start of December
- Premier League and Championship teams are still yet to enter the competition
Almost three months after the initial preliminary matches involving clubs as low as the tenth tier, the FA Cup first round proper kicked off at the start of November.
There were the usual shocks - Cray Valley Paper Mills earning a replay with Charlton Athletic, non-league Aldershot Town beating League Two Swindon Town 7-4 away from home and seventh-tier Horsham managing an incredible 3-3 draw away at League One Barnsley.
The second-round draw has now been made as the cliched magic of the FA Cup continues to sparkle.
Here is the full slate of upcoming FA Cup fixtures and when Premier League teams will enter the competition.
The 2023/24 FA Cup second round draw
FA Cup second round tie |
|---|
AFC Wimbledon vs Ramsgate |
Aldershot vs Stockport County |
Alfreton Town vs Walsall |
Blackpool vs Scarborough/Forest Green |
Bolton Wanderers vs Harrogate Town |
Cambridge United vs Fleetwood Town |
Chester/York City vs Wigan Athletic |
Chesterfield vs Leyton Orient |
Crewe Alexandra/Derby County vs Bristol Rovers |
Eastleigh vs Reading |
Gillingham vs Charlton/Cray Valley Paper Mills |
Maidstone United vs Barrow |
Newport County vs Barnet |
Notts County vs Shrewsbury Town |
Oxford United vs Slough Town/Grimsby |
Peterborough/Salford vs Doncaster/Accrington |
Stevenage vs Port Vale/Burton Albion |
Sutton United vs Barnsley/Horsham |
Wrexham vs Yeovil Town |
Wycombe Wanderers vs Morecambe |
As is normally the case with the FA Cup, eyes are immediately drawn to any potential upsets. There are certainly several on the cards in the second round, including eighth-tier Ramsgate, who shocked Woking in the first round, travelling to League Two AFC Wimbledon.
The same applies to Horsham should they manage to conquer Barnsley in their upcoming first-round replay, with a potential trip to League Two Sutton United.
Eastleigh are also worth keeping an eye on. The National League side have a tie lined up against Reading who were in the Championship as recently as last season.
Cray Valley Paper Mills will need to navigate a replay against Charlton to set up a clash with Gillingham in round two. The side from the eighth tier of English football managed a 1-1 draw against the Addicks last time out and will now welcome the League One side to Badgers Sports Stadium.
Alfreton Town host Walsall in the second round and Scarborough Athletic could face Blackpool if they can beat Forest Green in their replay.
When is the 2023/24 FA Cup second round?
Ramsgate began their FA Cup journey all the way back in mid-August, when the evening sun didn't set until after 8pm. The Isthmian League South East Division side - which is in the same tier of England's footballing pyramid as Hashtag United - will go up against AFC Wimbledon in December.
While the first-round ties that couldn't be decided within 90 minutes are still being replayed, there is only a provisional date for the next phase of the competition. What fans of Ramsgate and beyond do know is that all second-round ties will commence around the weekend of 2 December 2023.
When do Premier League sides enter the FA Cup?
If the likes of Ramsgate and Horsham could make it beyond the second round, then they could set up ties with Premier League and Championship sides in the third round.
Premier League clubs can draw anyone in the third round, including other teams from the top tier, but there are likely to be a few classic FA Cup mismatches between England's best sides and lower league minnows.
Third-round ties will take place around the weekend of the 6 January 2024 and the always eagerly anticipated draw will happen after the second-round ties have been completed - barring replays.
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