1945–46 FA Cup

::w/c = week commencing ==Qualifying rounds==

As with the 1919–20 tournament, participant numbers were down this season after many clubs from the lower echelons of the English football system did not resume after the Second World War. Local leagues across the UK were reeling after seven seasons of competitive hiatus, while other stronger clubs such as Burton Town were unable to survive the loss of regular income streams during wartime. Most of the clubs from outside the Football League who did enter the tournament still competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 25 places available in the first round proper. The 25 winners from the fourth qualifying round were Stockton, Willington, North Shields, Netherfield, Chorley, Marine, Stalybridge Celtic, Yorkshire Amateur, Shrewsbury Town, Gainsborough Trinity, Wellington Town, Kettering Town, Grantham, Wisbech Town, Chelmsford City, Romford, Barnet, Slough United, Walthamstow Avenue, Sutton United, Bromley, Trowbridge Town, Newport (IOW), Cheltenham Town and Lovell's Athletic. Advancing to the competition proper for the first time were Willington, Netherfield, Wisbech Town, Slough United, Sutton United, Trowbridge Town and Lovell's Athletic, while Shrewsbury Town had not done so since 1909–10. Slough United's appearance in the first round was also the first by a team from that town since Swifts had been knocked out by The Wednesday in 1889-90. This season's extra preliminary round contained only eight teams (four from Oxfordshire and two each from Buckinghamshire and Middlesex). None of those progressed past the second qualifying round. Barnet, Slough United and Sutton United were the only clubs to progress to the first round proper from the preliminary round. ==Results==

First round proper At this stage 38 Third Division North and Third Division South clubs, and Newport County from the Second Division, joined the 25 non-league clubs who had advanced from the qualifying rounds. Chester, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Norwich City received byes to the third round while Hull City and New Brighton did not enter the competition. To make the number of matches up, non-league sides Bath City, Yeovil Town, Bishop Auckland and South Liverpool received byes to this stage, with Bishop Auckland being the champions from the 1938-39 FA Amateur Cup. The first leg matches were played on Saturday, 17 November 1945 and the second legs on the following Saturday, 24 November 1945. No replays were necessary. Second round proper The first leg matches were played on Saturday, 8 December 1945 and the second legs on the following Saturday, 15 December 1945. No replays were necessary. Third round proper At this stage 43 Football League First and Second Division clubs entered the competition along with Chester, Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Norwich City. The first leg matches were played on Saturday, 5 January 1946 and the second legs in the following week commencing Monday, 7 January 1946. Two replays were necessary, both of which were played on Wednesday, 16 January 1946. Lovell's Athletic was the last non-league club left in the competition. Fourth round proper The first leg matches were played on Saturday, 26 January 1946 and the second legs in the following week commencing Monday, 28 January 1946. One replay was necessary, which was played on 4 February 1946. Fifth round proper The first leg matches were played on Saturday, 9 February 1946 and the second legs in the following week commencing Monday, 11 February 1946. Sixth round proper {{football box collapsible • Edwards • Iverson • Broome • Doherty • Carter • Crooks {{football box collapsible ---- {{football box collapsible {{football box collapsible ---- {{football box collapsible {{football box collapsible ---- {{football box collapsible {{football box collapsible Semi-finals {{football box {{football box Replay {{football box Final The final took place on Saturday, 27 April 1946 at Wembley and ended in a 4–1 win for Derby County after extra time. Charlton Athletic's Bert Turner opened the scoring with an own goal in the 85th minute, which he equalised a minute later to force extra time. A goal from Peter Doherty and two from Jack Stamps completed Derby's victory. {{football box • B. Turner • Doherty • Stamps • B. Turner ==Notes==