FA Vase 2026-27 1st Rd Preview – FA Cup Factfile
The 1st Round of the FA Vase sees the 180 winners from the previous round joined by the 26 clubs exempted till this round, their reward for reaching the 3rd Round last season!
There are 72 clubs from Step Six and 134 clubs from Step Five involved in the round with a minimum of 13 Step Six clubs guaranteed to progress to the next round!
Four all Step Six ties will result in the winning club celebrating FA Vase history by either setting or equalling a new club record run to the 2nd Round!
The South West Peninsula Premier East Division tie between Torridgeside FC and Honiton Town involves two clubs that hadn’t even appeared in the Proper Rounds before this season!
This is also true for AFC North Kilworth of Midland Football League Division One versus Hellenic League Division One opponents Ludlow Town, but this is partly the case because AFC North Kilworth are one of six clubs participating in the competition for the first time!
Step Five side AFC Greenwich Borough of Southern Counties East League Premier Division is another debut club involved in a tie where the winner will post a new record run as they host Tooting Bec of the 1st Division of the same League!
Everett Rovers of Spartan South Midlands Premier Division versus Westside FC of Combined Counties League Division One is the only other tie where the winner is guaranteed to be in the 2nd Round for the very first time!
The other four debut clubs face opponents with more significant FA Vase experience. Dunstable FC and Hedge End Rangers face opposition that have appeared in the Quarter Finals in the past, in the shape of Ampthill Town and Devizes Town respectively!
Field Olympic travel to Atherton Laburnum Rovers who reached the last four of the FA Vase 33 years ago, whilst Eastern Counties League Division One South side Hertford Heath host 2022 winners Newport Pagnell Town!
There are six former Vase winners involved in this 1st Round. Two time winners Brigg Town host fellow Northern Counties East League Division One side Selby Town in a tie that guarantees a Step Six club in the next round, whilst 1981 winners Whickham FC travel to Cheadle Town and 2024 winners Romford FC entertain Hadleigh United in two ties that guarantee a club that started in 1st Qualifying Round this season will still be involved in the 2nd Round!
There are 22 ties in total that guarantee a club that began their Vase campaign this season in the earliest round possible will still be standing in the next round. One such tie is Wisbech Town versus fellow Eastern Counties League Premier Division opponents Walsham-le-Willows, which is also the most common tie of the round with Wisbech Town ahead by two wins to one in past FA Vase games!
Eighteen ties in total have happened in the FA Vase before. Yarm and Eaglescliffe has an immediate opportunity to avenge a defeat on penalties in the 2nd Round last season as they travel to North West Counties League Division One North side Fulwood Amateurs!
United Counties League Premier Division South club Desborough Town has had the longest wait for the opportunity to exact revenge for a past FA Vase defeat having lost 4-1 in the Preliminary Round to Westfields FC 40 years ago!
Holker Old Boys have the biggest margin of defeat to avenge having lost 7-3 to Pickering Town when the clubs met in the Preliminary Round 33 years ago! Spectators at the upcoming Shildon FC versus Handsworth FC tie will be hoping for a repeat of the humdinger of a game between the two clubs at this stage 11 years ago that saw Handsworth FC win by the odd goal in nine!
Conversely, St Blazey of Western League Premier Division face Longwell Green Sports from Division One of that league for the first time in the FA Vase. In fact, prior to this 40th campaign in the FA Vase, St Blazey had never faced opponents in the competition beginning with the letter ‘L’ before, but Longwell Green Sports will be their second such club after defeating Launceston FC in the 1st Qualifying Round!
Another first match-up in the FA Vase sees the only Barker Tie of the round as Northern League Division One side Blyth Town host matching initials opponents Bottesford Town of Northern Counties East League Premier Division!
Also meeting for the first time in the FA Vase are Maghull FC and Colne FC both of North West Counties League Division One North. Not only does this tie guarantee a Step Six club in the next round, but a victory for Maghull would see them reach the 2nd Round for the first time in 41 years!
Another first time tie that also guarantees a Step Six club in the next round could see a club reach the 2nd Round after an even longer wait than Maghull. Boldon Community Association have now waited 46 years to reach the 2nd Round again and they host fellow Northern League Division Two side Jarrow FC who, themselves, are looking to equal their best run to the 2nd Round!
This Jarrow versus Boldon Community Association tie is quirkily just one word away from the name of a past Semi-Finalists in the competition, Jarrow Roofing Boldon Community Association!
