Six teams from the sixth-tier and below, including two eighth-tier teams, are within one win of potentially drawing a Premier League team in the 2020-21 FA Cup.
And with the financial effects of the coronavirus on lower-tier sides, it’s challenging not to root even harder for them to find more wins.
Isthmian League side Canvey Island FC and Northern Premier League outfit Marine Football Club are hoping to score huge upsets in second-round matches later this month to reach January’s third round.
That’s where Championship and Premier League sides enter the fray.
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Marine ousted League Two side Colchester United in penalty kicks this weekend, while Canvey Island knocked out a seventh-tier side (Banbury United).
Both will have to knock off a fifth-tier side to get there, with Marine hosting Havant and Waterlooville while Canvey Island will mix it up with Boreham Wood.
Marine and Canvey Island have already won six matches to get to the second round, starting back in September with preliminary round play.
There were others notable upsets in this weekend’s first round, too, as a trio of League One sides were dropped by sixth-tier opposition. Swindon Town fell to Darlington, Wigan Athletic lost to Chorley, and Oxford City dropped Northampton Town.
#FACup history beckons for @MarineAFC & @CIFC - two level eight clubs looking to emulate @ChasetownFC1954 and reach the 3rd Rd of the competition.
— FA Cup Factfile / Phil Annets (@FACupFactfile) November 9, 2020
Updated blog from last season when this situation happened for the first ever time.https://t.co/01YEdYkw2l pic.twitter.com/ar0J4Gmdm5
FA Cup second round proper
Matches to be played between November 27-30
Stevenage v Hull City
Harrogate Town v Blackpool
Tranmere Rovers v Brackley Town
Barrow or Wimbledon v Crawley Town
Stockport County v Yeovil Town
Plymouth Argyle v Lincoln City
Portsmouth v King’s Lynn Town
Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandria
Peterborough United v Chorley
Morecambe v Solihull Moors
Shrewsbury Town v Oxford City
Mansfield Town v Dagenham and Redbridge
Newport County v Salford City
Marine v Havant and Waterlooville
Gillingham v Exeter City
Canvey Island v Boreham Wood
Carlisle United v Doncaster Rovers
Barney v MK Dons
Bristol Rovers v Darlington
Bradford City v Oldham Athletic
