Most teams that were not members of the
Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 25 places available in the first round. This season,
Football League Third Division South club
Brighton & Hove Albion also competed in the qualifying rounds after submitting incorrect paperwork with their entry and not being exempted to the first round proper. The 25 winners from the fourth qualifying round were
Spennymoor United,
Crook Town,
Scarborough,
Workington,
Stalybridge Celtic,
Darwen,
Nelson,
Boston Town,
Gainsborough Trinity,
Denaby United,
Scunthorpe & Lindsey United,
Hereford United,
Ilford,
Romford,
Wycombe Wanderers,
Margate,
Folkestone,
Dartford,
Kingstonian,
Lloyds (Sittingbourne),
Guildford City,
Ryde Sports,
Merthyr Town and
Yeovil & Petter's United along with Brighton & Hove Albion. Those appearing in the competition proper for the first time were Hereford United, Wycombe Wanderers, Lloyds (Sittingbourne) and Ryde Sports. Stalybridge Celtic reached this stage for the first time since withdrawing from the Football League in 1923, while Romford had last featured in the first round in
1885-86. For the first time, three clubs progressed to the main draw from the extra preliminary round. Spennymoor United defeated Dawdon Colliery Recreation,
Murton Colliery Welfare, Seaham Colliery Welfare, Wardley Welfare,
Horden Colliery Welfare and
Bridlington Town; Lloyds (Sittingbourne) defeated Royal Marines Chatham, Canterbury Waverley, Callender Athletic,
Beckenham,
Sheppey United and
Wimbledon; and Merthyr Town defeated
Ebbw Vale,
Barry,
Hanham Athletic,
Llanelli,
St Philip's Marsh Adult School and
Street. All three clubs lost in the first round proper. However, the talk of the tournament was
Brighton & Hove Albion's unprecedented run to the fifth round proper. Entering in the first qualifying round, Brighton defeated
Shoreham,
Worthing,
Hastings & St Leonards and
Barnet to reach the main draw before knocking out
Crystal Palace,
Wrexham,
Chelsea and
Bradford Park Avenue. They went out to
West Ham United in a fifth round replay at
Upton Park but by then they had become the first (and only) Football League club ever to feature in nine rounds of an individual Cup competition. Barring an exceptional decision or allowance by the
FA, this feat is no longer attainable by clubs in the Football or
Premier Leagues. ==First round proper==