37
Football League clubs joined the participating non-league teams entering this season's tournament in the qualifying rounds. Four
Second Division sides,
Port Vale,
Stockport County,
Nelson and
Coventry City were entered in the fifth qualifying round, with Port Vale losing to
Wrexham, Nelson losing to
Wigan Borough and Coventry losing to
Tranmere Rovers. Stockport progressed to the next round but lost there to
Norwich City. 18 Third Division clubs (
Darlington,
Crewe Alexandra,
Accrington Stanley,
Walsall,
Rotherham County,
Grimsby Town,
Halifax Town,
Chesterfield, Wrexham and Wigan Borough from the
North, and
Northampton Town,
Brentford,
Gillingham,
Portsmouth,
Bristol Rovers,
Reading,
Merthyr Town and Norwich City from the
South) were also entered in the fifth qualifying round, with 14 of these winning through to the next round and only four going out at this stage. Another twelve Third Division clubs (
Ashington,
Hartlepools United,
Barrow,
Southport,
New Brighton,
Rochdale,
Lincoln City and Tranmere Rovers from the
North, and
Southend United,
Exeter City,
Newport County and
Aberdare Athletic from the
South) were entered in the fourth qualifying round. Barrow went out to non-league
Carlisle United while the others either progressed or lost amongst themselves. The remaining Third Division clubs,
Durham City,
Doncaster Rovers and
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic were entered in the preliminary round. Durham needed two replays to see off
West Stanley before losing to Northern Combination outfit Dipton United, while Doncaster and Bournemouth (both newly elected to the Football League this season) withdrew from the competition after being drawn against
Fryston Colliery Welfare and Portsea Gas Company respectively. The eleven League teams ultimately winning through to the first round proper were Grimsby Town, Portsmouth, Accrington Stanley, Northampton Town, Ashington, Exeter City, Norwich City, Aberdare Athletic, Gillingham, Darlington and Halifax Town. The final spot in the main draw went to Welsh
Southern League club
Llanelli, who were appearing at that stage for the first time. Of the 171 clubs entered in the extra preliminary round, the most successful were
Hinckley United and
Folkestone who progressed to the fifth qualifying round before losing to Grimsby Town and Norwich City respectively.
Kent League side
Sittingbourne, having entered the competition in the fourth qualifying round, was the only non-league club besides Llanelli to participate in the sixth qualifying round. ==First round proper==