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The FA Cup, formally known as the Football Association Challenge Cup, is an annual men's football competition held in England. It dates back to the 1871-72 season, making it the oldest national football tournament worldwide. The competition is overseen and named by The Football Association (The FA). Since 2015, it has been sponsored by Emirates and bears the name The Emirates FA Cup. A parallel event for women, the Women's FA Cup, has been held since 1970. All eligible clubs from Level 9 of the English football league system and below can participate, with Level 10 clubs stepping in if higher-level clubs are absent. This rule was put in place to ensure the competition proceeds smoothly. The record number of clubs competing was 763 during the 2011-12 season. The tournament follows a structure of 12 rounds that are drawn randomly, culminating in the semi-finals and the final match. The participating teams are not seeded initially, but there's a mechanism for byes based on their league level. This guarantees that higher-ranked teams join the competition in later rounds. The number of matches a team must win varies based on the entry round, ranging from six to fourteen games. The first six rounds constitute the Qualifying Competition and involve clubs from levels 5 to 10 of the National League System, commonly known as non-league football. Out of these, 32 teams advance to the first round of the Competition Proper, where they meet the initial batch of 48 professional teams from Leagues One and Two. The final entrants, 20 from the Premier League and 24 from the Championship, join in during the draw for the third round proper. Historically, only one non-League team has reached the quarter-finals, and teams below Level 2 have never made it to the final. This makes the progress of smaller teams a major focus, particularly if they manage an unexpected victory against stronger opponents. The winners of the FA Cup are awarded the prestigious FA Cup trophy, with two designs and five actual cups having been used over time. The most recent trophy is a replica of the 1911 design, introduced in 2014. Victorious teams also earn a spot in the UEFA Europa League and secure participation in the upcoming FA Community Shield match. Arsenal holds the record for the most titles, with fourteen wins, the latest being in 2020. The competition's most successful figure is Arsenal's former manager Arsène Wenger, who led his team to victory in seven finals. The reigning champions are Manchester City, who emerged victorious in the 2023 final by defeating local rivals Manchester United. Leighton Town 1-0 Enfield FA Cup Preliminary Round 20/08/23 HM Life - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKvOxd7Bx8YigRfp7pAbkQw HM Games - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_MIs7WdpJ-GCbxahQCAdA Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/harrymears23 Twitter - https://twitter.com/HarryMears23 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harrymears23/ #football #soccer #awaydays #facup #nonleague #nonleaguefootball #groundhopping #groundhopper
2023-09-02
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