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The FA Cup begins in earnest on Monday with the draw for the first round proper, which takes place from 7pm BST at Bradford City’s Valley Parade.
32 teams have made it this far through qualifying, and they will be joined in the first round by the 48 teams from League One and League Two as some minnows look to put together an early cup run this season.
40 fixtures will be drawn on Monday and they’ll take place in the first weekend of November as another campaign in the world’s oldest cup competition begins.
The final on 17 May might feel like a long way away, but the cup remains full of early season fairytale potential as it enters its 144th edition.
Follow all the build-up to the draw below, as well as reaction to the big first round ties:
FA Cup draw LIVE
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the FA Cup first round draw.
The 32 teams that made their way through the qualifying rounds will learn their opponents at around 7pm BST, as will the 48 teams from League One and League Two.
Will the draw throw up any derbies, or any potential cupsets? We’ll find out soon.
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 17:31
FA Cup draw LIVE
The FA Cup intensifies with the draw set to be made for the first round proper.
The 48 League One and League Two teams enter at this stage, joining the 32 clubs who have fought through the qualifying rounds.
40 fixtures will be drawn out of the hat as the road to Wembley begins in earnest, with cup final day at the end of the season on Saturday 17 May 2025.
Who will take a first step towards a deep cup run?
Chris Wilson14 October 2024 17:40