The 2005–06 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 125th season of competition in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' (

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

), the world's oldest

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

single knockout competition. A total of 674 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 13 from the previous season’s 661. The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down ( Levels 5 through 11) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these

non-League Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...

teams.

South Western Football League The South Western Football League was an English association football league composed of clubs from Cornwall and west and north Devon. It consisted of a single division at the eleventh overall tier of the English football league system, the seven ...

was the only level 11 league represented in the Cup, seven clubs from the South Western Football League were the lowest-ranked clubs in competition. The 32 winning teams from Fourth qualifying round progressed to the

First round proper First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number 1 (number), one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, D ...

, where

League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

teams tiered at Levels 3 and 4 entered the competition.

Calendar

Extra preliminary round

Matches played on Friday/Saturday/Sunday 19 to 21 August 2005. 172 clubs from Level 9, Level 10 and Level 11 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, while other 189 clubs from levels 9-11 get a bye to the preliminary round.

Preliminary round

Matches played on weekend of Saturday 27 August 2005. A total of 364 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 86 winners from the extra preliminary round, 189 clubs from Levels 9-11, who get a bye in the extra preliminary round and 89 entering at this stage from the four divisions at Level 8 of English football. The round featured five clubs from Level 11 (all from the

) still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.

First qualifying round

Matches on weekend of Saturday 10 September 2005. A total of 248 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 182 winners from the Preliminary round and 66 entering at this stage from the top division of the three leagues at Level 7 of English football. The round featured five clubs from Level 11 (all from the

) still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.

Second qualifying round

Matches played on weekend of Saturday 24 September 2005. A total of 168 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 124 winners from the first qualifying round and 44 Level 6 clubs, from

Conference North The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Syst ...

and Conference South, entering at this stage. Great Harwood Town, Hebburn Town and Staveley Miners Welfare from Level 10 of English football were the lowest-ranked clubs to qualify for this round of the competition.

Third qualifying round

Matches played on weekend of Saturday 8 October 2005. A total of 84 clubs took part, all having progressed from the second qualifying round. The round featured twelve clubs from Level 9 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.

Fourth qualifying round

Matches played on weekend of Saturday 22 October 2005. A total of 64 clubs took part, 42 having progressed from the third qualifying round and 22 clubs from

Conference Premier The National League, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that is semi-professi ...

, forming Level 5 of English football, entering at this stage.

Bishop's Cleeve Bishop's Cleeve is a large village and civil parish in the Borough of Tewkesbury in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham. The village lies at the foot of Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds. Bishop's Cleeve ...

Chasetown Chasetown is a village in the town of Burntwood in Staffordshire, England. It is split between the civil parishes of Burntwood and Hammerwich. History Chasetown developed in the mid 19th century as a coal mining village. At first the village wa ...

and Leamington from Level 9 of English football were the lowest-ranked clubs to qualify for this round of the competition.

Competition proper

See

2005–06 FA Cup The 2005–06 FA Cup was the 125th staging of the world's oldest football competition, the FA Cup. The competition began on 20 August 2005, with the lowest-ranked of the 674 entrants competing in the Extra Preliminary round. For the top 44 clubs, ...

for details of the rounds from the first round proper onwards.

External links

Football Club History Database: FA Cup 2005–06

The FA Cup Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:2005-06 FA Cup qualifying rounds FA Cup qualifying rounds Qual