Chichester City are looking forward to a place in the next round of the FA Cup and banking £36,000 without kicking a ball after hitting the jackpot in Monday night’s televised draw for the first round proper.
The lowest ranked club left in the competition and flying the flag for the Isthmian League’s South Division, the Lillywhites scooped the cash-laden bye created by Bury’s demise after coming last out of the hat.
Recognising that their good fortune came at the expense of the Shakers, the Sussex club reacted to the draw by promising to make a donation to the fans trying to bring football back to Bury.
The club would like to place on record that we will be making a donation to the appropriate organisation involved with the continuation of @buryfcofficial.
Someone had to get the bye, maybe after 6 wins already we deserved it?
? #UpTheChi | #EmiratesFACup
— Chichester City FC (@ChiCityFC) October 21, 2019
Broadcast on BBC 2 from 7.10 and hosted by Mark Chapman from the home of Isthmian League North leaders Maldon & Tiptree, the draw was made by England star Karen Carney and former Shakers striker Jermaine Beckford who kicked off his career in Non-League at Wealdstone before being snapped up by Leeds United.
The Jammers beat Royston Town 3-1 on Saturday in the fourth qualifying round to go into the hat and host the event. To the second largest cheers of the night, they drew League Two Leyton Orient and one of the shortest trips of the round to east London from their Essex home.
The Non-League clubs still in the cup after the weekend’s fourth round qualifying ties were joined in the draw by 47 clubs from Leagues One and Two.
A number of other Non-League clubs are looking forward to meeting EFL opposition. The pick of the ties include a trip to Bristol Rovers for National League title-chasers Bromley and a visit from League Two Carlisle United for south Londoners Dulwich Hamlet.
National League Harrogate Town are looking forward to a visit from League One Portsmouth while National League North Darlington are off to League Two Walsall.
National League South Chippenham Town will welcome League Two Northampton Town to Wiltshire while Joey Barton’s Fleetwood Town will be hosted by either Potters Bar Town or Barnet after the near neighbours drew 1-1 on Saturday.
Eight replays are still to be decided while Saturday’s abandoned tie between Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town will be played next Tuesday night (November 5).
The first round is scheduled to take place over the weekend of Saturday 9 November. Like Chichester City, winning clubs will bank £36,000 from The FA prize fund after the £18,750 they collected as victors in the final qualifying round.
FA Cup First Round Draw
Ipswich Town v Lincoln City
Oxford City v Solihull Moors
Crawley Town v Scunthorpe United
Harrogate Town v Portsmouth
Colchester United v Coventry City
Sunderland v Gillingham
Dulwich Hamlet v Carlisle United
Bolton Wanderers v Plymouth
York City v Altrincham
Chesterfield/Wrexham v Rochdale
Maidstone United v Torquay United
Leyton Orient v Maldon & Tiptree
Chippenham Town v Northampton Town
Haringey Borough/Yeovil v Hartlepool
Cambridge United v Exeter City
Whitby Town/Stourbridge v Welling United/Eastleigh
Salford City v Burton Albion
Forest Green v Sutton United/Billericay
Bristol Rovers v Bromley
Ebbsfleet/Woking v Notts County
Walsall v Darlington
Nantwich Town v AFC Fylde
AFC Wimbledon v Doncaster Rovers
Hayes & Yeading/Poole v Oxford United
Shrewsbury Town v Bradford City
Grimsby Town v Newport County
Gateshead v Oldham Athletic
Mansfield Town v Chorley
Dover Athletic v Southend United
Tranmere v Wycombe
Carshalton Athletic v Boston United
Cheltenham Town v Swindon Town
Accrington Stanley v Crewe
Potters Bar/Barnet v Fleetwood Town
Macclesfield v Kingstonian
Maidenhead/Wealdstone v Rotherham United
Blackpool v Morecambe
MK Dons v Port Vale
Stevenage v Peterborough United
