Phil Kinsella
Reporter, BBC Radio Merseyside Sport

This is what the FA Cup is all about - 83 places and three divisions below their hosts.

But all the pressure is on Bradford because they are the giants who are ready to be killed by a Marine side who've got such a good FA Cup record over the past few years.

Marine boss Bobby Grant's gone big with three men up front. George Newell is back to lead the line.

BBC Local Radio

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The magic of the FA Cup...

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The FA Cup is what it is because of ties like this.

A famous old club goes under. Its phoenix side makes the first round for the first time, after winning six games to get there. Now in their way, a League One side, 115 places above them in the pecking order.

Leading the minnows' attack is a 40-year-old who's come out of retirement for one last dance with this most romantic of competitions.

And who's to say AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Billy Sharp will be denied? Having scored his first nine professional goals while on loan at the original Diamonds in 2005, one more today would see him reach 300 in his distinguished career, 21 years and 815 appearances later.

Sharp, who's in for one game only, said the chance to play "made the hairs on my neck stand up" and was a story that was "too good to turn down".

If he and step-four Diamonds can defy logic and the biggest gap in the first round, 2,000 delirious travelling fans will be telling that tale for decades.

As for Burton, they hammered seventh-tier St Albans City 6-0 at this stage last season on their way to a narrow fourth-round exit against then-Premier League West Ham and will again wear the tag of overwhelming favourites.

Brewers boss Gary Bowyer knows that tag can weight a ton but said avoiding three potential non-league banana skins in the cup run a year ago, "sets us up nicely" for this challenge.

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What a story this is for a seventh-tier village football club from Worcestershire - and you can see how proud their club secretary Stephen Denny is.

Alvechurch have reached the FA Cup first round for only the fourth time in their history and in doing so, they now travel to Home Park where they will play at the biggest stadium the club has entered for many a year.

The Church, who are currently sixth in the Southern League Premier Division Central, did make it to the second round in 2022-23 before they were beaten 2-1 by Forest Green Rovers.

An unlikely victory today for Alvechurch would mark their second-best ever run in the competition since reaching the third round in 1973-74.

Standing in their way is a Plymouth side with aspirations of winning promotion to the Championship this season.

Argyle are currently fifth in League One and a whopping 97 league places above Alvechurch on the football pyramid - and their last FA Cup tie at home? A 1-0 win over Liverpool in February 2025.

Image source, BBC/Nesta McGregor

The 33-place cushion between Salisbury FC and their first-round visitors Sholing is filling some home fans with optimism that a run to one of the most glamorous third round ties is within reach - a trip to Old Trafford.

There's still one round before then, of course, but with one of these non-league first-round newbies certain of a place in round two, fans can be forgiven for dreaming big.

One supporter Mike, is confident of a victory today and is adamant about where he wants Salisbury's potential run to take them: "I think we’ll win today. And you know what I am not even thinking about the next round, I'm thinking about the third round - I want Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"I think right now they are for the taking."

Another fan, Martin, is also believing their excellent form in National League South will bring comfortable passage to round two.

"I think we beat them 4-0," he told BBC Sport.

"We’re on a 13-game unbeaten run. Even the our subs, when they come on, they look just as good as the starters.

"So an easy win, but be careful because I haven’t got a prediction right all season!"

Image source, BBC/Nesta McGregor

The Ray McEnhill Stadium will be chocka for the tie that will guarantee another non-league side in the hat for the second round.

National League South Salisbury FC host Southern League Premier South side Sholing, 33 places lower, with both making this stage for the first time.

Brian Dutton's Salisbury, formed out of the ashes of Salisbury City in 2015, are currently fourth in the sixth tier after a 13-game unbeaten run and have banged in 12 goals in four qualifying ties to get to round one - more than anyone else.

Southampton-based Sholing, under Ross White, narrowly missed the play-offs in a club-best sixth place in the seventh tier last season and are going well this term with two wins and three draws in their last five.

These two have recent-ish history - Salisbury did the double over the Boatmen when the two were Southern Premier Division companions three seasons ago.

Sholing saw off Salisbury in their previous incarnation as City in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup 15 years ago.

Over 3,000 fans are in for this.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

The atmosphere is building at a raucous Rodney Parade as Newport County prepare to face Walsall.

An all League Two clash and a battle of which side's formidable form can remain.

Newport County have started to make this place a fortress, yet to taste defeat at home in the league.

But history doesn't favour the Exiles - winless in their last five home FA Cup matches and without a win in nine against Walsall.

The Saddlers are to sure to prove tricky customers. Third in League Two and unbeaten away from home so far this season.

This one is set up nicely and both sides know how important a good FA Cup run can be for momentum.

For Worcester City boss Chris Cornes it wasn't until he saw the report on Colchester United at training on Tuesday that the enormity of what his side had done properly sunk in.

He said seeing the analysis sheet on a League Two club was "mad" and talking about the tie was "not something I thought I'd ever say".

Back-to-back wins in the Southern Premier Division have pepped them up nicely and Cornes' message to his players today is clear.

"Go and be big, horrible and strong and see what we can create," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"No-one's expecting us to get anything out the game but if we do we're heroes."

For City fans of a certain vintage, the heroes of their 1959 run to the second round - including a win over then second-tier Liverpool, will never be beaten.

But more modern-day legends of the first-round upset against League One Coventry City in 2014 and the gallant defeat at Sheffield United the following year would be joined if they can add to the U's current woes.

Danny Cowley's side are in the midst of a horrid run - no win in 12 - and next to bottom in League Two.

Cowley said the fans "are still with us" and while staying in the EFL is the obvious priority, failure to see off a side 66 places below them in the pyramid would be another depressing result.

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Harborough Town had never reached an FA Cup first round before until November 2024 - and now the Bees have made it for the second time in three seasons.

Their cup run in 2024-25 took them to the second round where they were eventually knocked out by Reading, though they put in a valiant effort with a 5-3 defeat.

They are up against League One opposition again this afternoon, with a trip to Leyton Orient who are currently 14th in the third tier and 75 league places higher than their sixth-tier opponents.

Harborough won the Southern League Premier Division Central last season to gain promotion to National League North for the first time in their history.

And to try and aid their efforts in east London, they have signed striker Kyle Hudlin who, at 6ft 9n, is one of the world's tallest professional footballers.

Naz Premji
BBC Final Score commentator at the City Ground

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Bradford City will be looking to avoid a Cupset as they welcome National League North strugglers Marine to Valley Parade.

The Bantams have had some memorable FA Cup moments in recent years and arguably produced one of the biggest shocks when they went to Stamford Bridge and beat Jose Mourinho's Chelsea 4-2 back in 2015.

Marine will be looking to put their poor recent League form behind them and try and beat the West Yorkshire outfit in their own back yard.

Bobby Grant's side beat Hartlepool United of the National League in the final qualifying round to secure this tie in the first round proper.

They do have players with EFL experience and their manager himself excelled in spells at Fleetwood and Rochdale.

Michael Duff's Bantams will be much changed and if the players coming in don't for some reason gel, then Marine could sense another memorable cup run could be on the cards.

Who will ever forget their run in 2021 when they eventually lost to another Jose Mourinho side in the form of Tottenham Hotspur but not before they had put up a great fight and that game raised almost £300,000 for the non-league side in virtual ticket sales.

It's November, it's the first round proper of the FA Cup and we love it. We really do!

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It was only six years ago that non-league side Marine enjoyed a run to the FA Cup third round and earned themselves a tie against Tottenham Hotspur, which they lost 5-0.

The Mariners have enjoyed success since then with two promotions, climbing from the eighth tier of English football up to the sixth in National League North.

Bobby Grant's side will hope to replicate the cup efforts from 2020-21 and secure another glamour tie, but first they must cause what would be considered a significant upset away at League One Bradford City.

The Bantams are seventh in the third tier - 83 places higher than Marine - and suffered their first defeat in their past 13 games (W8 D4) in all competitions when they were beaten 3-0 by West Yorkshire rivals last weekend.

Marine had won six games on the bounce before a run of three without victory in the league (D1 L2) before today.

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For the romantics among you searching for a cup shock, you’d be advised to keep an eye on the scoreline at Meadow Park.

Two tiers and 28 places separate the sides, but Boreham Wood go into this tie against the 2013 cup winners in prime form.

Nine successive league wins in a 16-match unbeaten start to the campaign has Luke Garrard’s National League leaders 12 points clear.

They are also no strangers to the main draw of the cup - they’re in the first round for the seventh year running and have progressed in four of the past six seasons.

In contrast, Wigan sit in the League One drop zone without a win on the road this season, although they have won 16 of their past 19 ties against non-league opponents.

The glory of that 2013 Wembley win over Manchester City must seem like a lifetime ago.

Everything is coming up roses for Salford as we reach the first round of the cup.

A run of eight successive wins for the side has taken the Ammies five points clear at the top of League Two.

They’ve also got a decent FA Cup record in recent times, having won at this stage in four of the past six campaigns and reached round four for the first time last term.

Yet don’t count out the Blues. Carlisle have won five of their past six matches to climb to eighth in the National League.

They also sprung a shock last season in beating League One Reading, but if they are to do so again, it’ll have to be without head coach Rob Elliot.

He begins a third suspension of the season - and we’re only two days past Bonfire Night.

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Fleetwood have made plenty of headlines in knockout competition this season - but can they add a few more in the FA Cup?

The Cod Army will already have eyes on their upcoming EFL Cup quarter-final against Everton after their incredible win over Premier League leaders Arsenal last month.

It’s fair to say the visit of fellow League Two strugglers Rochdale is unlikely to set the pulses racing in the same way.

Despite sitting 16th in the fourth tier, Matt Lawlor’s side have a brilliant home record, losing just once on the Highbury turf this season, but that was against today’s opponents.

Dale have struggled since then, however, and are without a win in seven. They’ll probably relish a distraction from their league woes.

Marc Webber
BBC Final Score commentator at the Silverlake Stadium

Image source, BBC/Marc Webber

Eastleigh mascots Brooksy Bear and Mrs Brooksy are up for the Cup…and maybe some Final Score updates as well?

The National League side host League Two Shrewsbury Town who are in slightly better form, losing only one of their last five, but anything can happen.

Aldershot Town defender Ollie Harfield says they believe they can cause an upset at League One club Barnsley in the FA Cup, inspired by the memory of a famous victory three years ago.

The National League side are looking to reach round two for only the second time in 11 seasons.

The last time they got that far was in 2023-2024 under Tommy Widdrington when they famously thrashed League Two Swindon Town 7-4 in the first round.

Harfield was in the Shots side that day and told BBC Radio Surrey: "It was a memorable FA Cup for us all. I was just lucky to be a part of it. It was unbelievable to be honest.

"Playing in it was crazy. Obviously no non-league team had ever scored seven past a league side. Great memories, and hopefully we can go and make some more.

"It was a mixture of shock to be honest in the dressing room. I think we were four or five nil up at half-time, and I looked up at the clock after 49 minutes and it was 7-0."

Ged Scott
BBC Sport England

It's now 55 seasons since non-league Hereford United's 2-1 third-round replay win over top-flight Newcastle United entered English football folklore as arguably the greatest FA Cup shock of all time.

Elsewhere in the Midlands, though, there have been many other upsets and moments of cup magic too.

Telford United (in 1984) and Kidderminster Harriers (in 1994) both made it to the fifth round, and Worcestershire village side Alvechurch hold a record they will keep forever - unless the rules are changed again - after taking four replays to see off Oxford City in a qualifying round tie in 1971.

Worcester City were involved in a record-breaking penalty shootout against Scunthorpe in 2014 - the same year they famously beat Coventry City.

But, while the memory of that day at Hereford - Ronnie Radford et al - surpasses all other memories, across the Worcestershire border, it perhaps still irks a bit.

Accompanied by fallen 1970s non-league stars Stafford Rangers, Worcestershire clubs make up three of the four non-EFL Midlands sides to have made it through to the first round proper - the Harriers plus seventh-tier duo Alvechurch and Worcester, who all face EFL clubs.

How will they fare this time? Read more about the Worcestershire trio of clubs here.

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We have got a whopping 33 games in the FA Cup first round today. Get your scrolling thumb ready, here are the fixtures in full...

• Accrington Stanley v Wycombe Wanderers
• Barnet v Tranmere Rovers
• Barnsley v Aldershot Town
• Boreham Wood v Wigan Athletic
• Bradford City v Marine
• Bromley v Rotherham United
• Burton Albion v AFC Rushen & Diamonds
• Carlisle United v Salford City
• Cheltenham Town v Halifax Town
• Chesterfield v Yeovil Town
• Colchester United v Worcester City
• Crewe Alexandra v AFC Wimbledon
• Dover Athletic v Wealdstone
• Eastleigh v Shrewsbury Town
• Fleetwood Town v Rochdale
• Gillingham v Barrow
• Guiseley v Sutton United
• Harrogate Town v Fylde
• Hornchurch v Blackpool
• Huddersfield Town v Exeter City
• Kidderminster Harriers v Doncaster Rovers
• Leyton Orient v Forest Green Rovers
• MK Dons v Swindon Town
• Mansfield Town v Macclesfield
• Newport County v Walsall
• Oxford United v Stevanage
• Plymouth Argyle v Alvechurch
• Port Vale v Scunthorpe United
• Sailsbury v Sholing
• York City v Northampton Town
• Altrincham v Notts County (17:30 GMT)
• Peterborough United v Reading (20:00 GMT)

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The first round of the FA Cup began on Friday night with two ties.

League One side Leicester City avoided an upset at Oxford City, who ply their trade in National League North.

The 2021 winners eventually overcame the Hoops with a 4-2 victory.

Meanwhile, Bristol Rovers pulled off an upset of sorts as the League Two club beat third-tier opposition Cambridge United 2-0.

Tap on either of the scores below to read the match reports from those games:

• Bristol Rovers 2-0 Cambridge United
• Oxford City 2-4 Leicester City