The first round of the FA Cup returns today, Friday, November 6. As the oldest national football competition in the world, it has hosted some of the most astonishing results in the sport's history. The opportunity for lower league clubs to host teams several rungs higher up the English football pyramid and, at times, defeat them is the magic of the tournament.
However, the giant-killing in the competition don't just happen to the top-flight clubs. Battles between clubs sitting in the seventh tier of English football and the third tier also make for hugely entertaining viewing and present the opportunity for a massive upset to unfurl. Express Sport compile the 11 biggest upsets in FA Cup first-round history.
Stourbridge and Nuneaton's memorable wins
11. Stourbridge 2–0 Plymouth Argyle (2011–12): After holding Football League opposition to a pulsating 3–3 draw at Home Park, seventh-tier Stourbridge brought Plymouth back to the War Memorial Ground for a first-round replay. Paul McCone and Sean Geddes found the net to give the Glassboys a 2–0 victory, knocking out an EFL club that had played in the Championship only two seasons prior.
10. Nuneaton Borough 1–0 Stoke City (2000–01): Stoke City were high-flying in the third tier and expected to cruise through against Nuneaton Borough. Instead, a resolute defensive performance and a dramatic stoppage-time penalty from Marc McGregor handed the non-league side an iconic 1–0 win at Manor Park.
Salford and Kettering's giant-killings
9. Salford City 2–0 Notts County (2015–2016): With the "Class of '92" owners (Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Ryan Giggs) watching from the Moor Lane grass bank, seventh-tier Salford stunned the oldest professional club in the world. Goals from Danny Webber and Richie Allen gave the part-timers a comprehensive 2–0 victory.
8. Northampton Town 1–2 Kettering Town (2024–25): A fiery, long-standing Northamptonshire county derby with 79 league places between the teams. Kettering fell behind at Sixfields to an own goal, but Luca Miller equalised in the second half before former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger looped in a towering 92nd-minute header in extra time to dump out their League One rivals.
