2009–10 FA Cup


The 2009–10 FA Cup was the 129th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; the FA Cup. As in the previous year, 762 clubs were accepted for the competition. One club, Newcastle Blue Star, folded before the fixtures were released. As they were scheduled to enter the competition in the First Round Qualifying, their opponents in this round received a walkover.
The competition commenced on 15 August 2009 with the Extra Preliminary Round and concluded on 15 May 2010 with the Final, held at Wembley Stadium. The final was contested by 2009 winners Chelsea and 2008 winners Portsmouth. Originally, the winners were to qualify for the play-off round of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. However, as Chelsea won the 2009–10 Premier League, and Portsmouth failed to apply for a UEFA licence for the 2010–11 season in time, the berth was given to Liverpool, the seventh-placed team in the Premier League. Chelsea won 1–0 in the final to retain the trophy.

Teams

Calendar

The calendar for the 2009–10 FA Cup, as announced by The Football Association:
RoundMain dateNumber of fixturesClubsNew entries this roundPrize moneyPlayer of the Round
Extra Preliminary Round15 August 2009203762 → 559406: 357th–762nd£750
Preliminary Round29 August 2009167559 → 392131: 226th–356th£1,500
First Round Qualifying12 September 2009116392 → 27665: 161st–225th£3,000Bobby Traynor
Second Round Qualifying26 September 200980276 → 19644: 117th–160th£4,500Mark Danks
Third Round Qualifying10 October 200940196 → 156none£7,500Adam Webster
Fourth Round Qualifying24 October 200932156 → 12424: 93rd–116th£12,500Danny Kedwell
[|First Round Proper]7 November 200940124 → 8448: 45th–92nd£18,000Richard Brodie
[|Second Round Proper]28 November 20092084 → 64none£27,000
Leon Legge
Third Round Proper2 January 20103264 → 3244: 1st–44th£67,500Jermaine Beckford
Fourth Round Proper23 January 20101632 → 16none£90,000Jermaine Beckford
Fifth Round Proper13 February 2010816 → 8none£180,000Gareth Bale
Sixth Round Proper6 March 201048 → 4none£360,000Frédéric Piquionne
Semi-Finals10–11 April 201024 → 2noneWinners: £900,000
Losers: £450,000		Didier Drogba
Final15 May 201012 → 1noneWinner: £1,800,000
Loser: £900,000

Qualifying Rounds

All of the teams that entered the competition, but were not members of the Premier League or The Football League, had to compete in the qualifying rounds.

First Round Proper

Teams from Leagues One and Two entered at this stage, along with the winners from the Fourth Round Qualifying. The draw was made on 25 October 2009 with ties played in the week beginning 6 November 2009.
Lowestoft Town and Paulton Rovers of the eighth tier were the lowest ranked teams left in the competition at this stage, but both failed to make it through to the Second Round.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1GillinghamSouthend United4,605
2Grimsby TownBath City2,103
3GatesheadBrentford1,150
replayBrentfordGateshead1,960
4ChesterfieldAFC Bournemouth3,277
5AFC Telford UnitedLincoln City2,809
6Stockport CountyTooting & Mitcham United3,076
7Burton AlbionOxford City2,207
8BarrowEastleigh1,655
9Oldham AthleticLeeds United5,552
10Cambridge UnitedIlkeston Town2,395
11York CityCrewe Alexandra3,070
12Wycombe WanderersBrighton & Hove Albion2,749
replayBrighton & Hove AlbionWycombe Wanderers3,383
13Hereford UnitedSutton United1,713
14Nuneaton TownExeter City2,452
15Bristol RoversSouthampton6,646
16Carlisle UnitedMorecambe4,181
replayMorecambeCarlisle United3,307
17Forest Green RoversMansfield Town1,149
replayMansfield TownForest Green Rovers2,496
18Oxford UnitedYeovil Town6,144
19Paulton RoversNorwich City2,070
20Swindon TownWoking4,805

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
21Port ValeStevenage Borough3,999
replayStevenage BoroughPort Vale2,894
22Luton TownRochdale3,167
replayRochdaleLuton Town1,982
23BromleyColchester United4,242
24Accrington StanleySalisbury City1,379
25MillwallAFC Wimbledon9,453
26StourbridgeWalsall2,014
27Shrewsbury TownStaines Town3,359
28WealdstoneRotherham United1,638
29Torquay UnitedCheltenham Town2,370
30BarnetDarlington1,654
31Notts CountyBradford City4,213
32Huddersfield TownDagenham & Redbridge5,858
33Milton Keynes DonsMacclesfield Town4,868
34Rushden & DiamondsHinckley United1,540
35Northwich VictoriaCharlton Athletic2,153
36Aldershot TownBury2,519
37WrexhamLowestoft Town2,402
38Hartlepool UnitedKettering Town2,645
39Tranmere RoversLeyton Orient3,180
replayLeyton OrientTranmere Rovers1,518
40Northampton TownFleetwood Town3,077

Second Round Proper

Matches in the Second Round Proper took place on 28 and 29 November 2009 and involved the 40 winning teams from the First Round Proper.
Bath City and Staines Town from the Conference South, and Northwich Victoria from the Conference North were the lowest ranked teams left at this stage, but none made it through to the Third Round.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1Northwich VictoriaLincoln City3,544
2Northampton TownSouthampton4,858
3Hereford UnitedColchester United2,225
4Tranmere RoversAldershot Town3,742
replayAldershot TownTranmere Rovers4,060
5Kettering TownLeeds United4,837
replayLeeds United†Kettering Town10,670
6GillinghamBurton Albion4,996
7WrexhamSwindon Town3,011
8Brighton & Hove AlbionRushden & Diamonds3,638
9Rotherham UnitedLuton Town3,210
replayLuton TownRotherham United2,518
10Milton Keynes DonsExeter City4,867

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
11BrentfordWalsall2,611
12Carlisle UnitedNorwich City3,946
13Accrington StanleyBarnet1,501
replayBarnetAccrington Stanley1,288
14Oxford UnitedBarrow6,082
replayBarrowOxford United2,754
15AFC BournemouthNotts County6,082
16Stockport CountyTorquay United1,690
17Cambridge UnitedYork City3,505
18Bath CityForest Green Rovers3,325
19Port ValeHuddersfield Town5,311
20Staines TownMillwall2,753
replayMillwallStaines Town3,452

† – After extra time

Third Round Proper

The draw for the Third Round took place on Sunday 29 November 2009 at Wembley Stadium. Premier League and Football League Championship teams entered at this stage, joining the winners from the Second Round and completing the entrants. The majority of fixtures took place on 2 and 3 January 2010, with snow postponing several matches until mid-January.
Barrow, Forest Green Rovers, Luton Town and York City from the Conference National were the only non-league teams left at this stage, but none made it through to the Fourth Round.
Manchester United were knocked out in the Third Round for the first time since they lost to Bournemouth in 1984, when they lost to third-tier rivals Leeds United. It was also Manchester United's first defeat to a lower league side since defeat at Bournemouth. They were joined by rivals and fellow 'Big Four' club Liverpool, who lost at home to second-flight Reading in a replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1Tottenham HotspurPeterborough United35,862
2BrentfordDoncaster Rovers2,883
3MiddlesbroughManchester City12,474
4Stoke CityYork City15,586
5Notts CountyForest Green Rovers4,389
6Huddersfield TownWest Bromwich Albion13,472
7Sheffield UnitedQueens Park Rangers11,461
replayQueens Park RangersSheffield United5,780
8Milton Keynes DonsBurnley11,816
9ChelseaWatford40,912
10Nottingham ForestBirmingham City20,975
replayBirmingham CityNottingham Forest9,399
11Preston North EndColchester United7,621
12West Ham UnitedArsenal25,549
13Aston VillaBlackburn Rovers25,453
14PortsmouthCoventry City11,214
replayCoventry City†Portsmouth7,097
15SunderlandBarrow25,190
16Wigan AthleticHull City5,335
17EvertonCarlisle United31,196

† – After extra time

Fourth Round Proper

The draw for the Fourth Round took place on Sunday 3 January 2010 at Wembley Stadium. Fixtures took place over the weekend of 23 and 24 January 2010.
Accrington Stanley and Notts County from League Two were the lowest ranked teams left at this stage; Accrington Stanley did not proceed further, whilst Notts County defeated Wigan Athletic in a replay at the DW Stadium.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1SouthamptonIpswich Town20,446
2ReadingBurnley12,910
3Derby CountyDoncaster Rovers11,316
4Cardiff CityLeicester City10,961
5Stoke CityArsenal19,735
6Notts CountyWigan Athletic9,073
replayWigan AthleticNotts County5,519
7Scunthorpe UnitedManchester City8,861
8West Bromwich AlbionNewcastle United16,102
9EvertonBirmingham City30,875
10Accrington StanleyFulham3,712
11Bolton WanderersSheffield United14,572
12PortsmouthSunderland10,315
13Preston North EndChelsea23,119
14Aston VillaBrighton & Hove Albion39,725
15Wolverhampton WanderersCrystal Palace14,449
replayCrystal PalaceWolverhampton Wanderers10,282
16Tottenham HotspurLeeds United35,750
replayLeeds UnitedTottenham Hotspur37,704

Fifth Round Proper

The draw for the Fifth Round, conducted by Geoff Thomas and Stephanie Moore MBE, took place on Sunday 24 January 2010 at Wembley Stadium. Fixtures took place over the weekend of 13 and 14 February 2010. Notts County from the Football League Two were the lowest-ranked team left at this stage, but they went out 4–0 to Premier League side Fulham.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1Crystal PalaceAston Villa20,486
replayAston VillaCrystal Palace31,874
2Manchester CityStoke City28,019
replayStoke City†Manchester City21,813
3Derby CountyBirmingham City21,043
4Bolton WanderersTottenham Hotspur13,596
replayTottenham HotspurBolton Wanderers31,436
5ChelseaCardiff City40,827
6FulhamNotts County16,132
7ReadingWest Bromwich Albion18,008
replayWest Bromwich Albion†Reading13,985
8SouthamptonPortsmouth31,385

† – After extra time

Sixth Round Proper

The draw for the Sixth Round, conducted by former England striker Luther Blissett and TV presenter Tim Lovejoy, took place on 14 February 2010 at Football Association headquarters at Wembley Stadium. Fixtures took place over the weekend of 6 and 7 March 2010. Reading from the Championship were the lowest ranked team left at this stage.

Semi-finals

The draw for the semi-finals was conducted by David Ginola and Jason Cundy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 7 March 2010. Both matches took place at Wembley Stadium over the weekend of 10 and 11 April.

Final

The final was played on 15 May 2010 at Wembley Stadium, London

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 John CarewAston Villa6
2 Jermaine BeckfordLeeds United5
2 Jermain DefoeTottenham Hotspur5
4 Ricardo FullerStoke City4
4 Chris MartinNorwich City4
4 Roman PavlyuchenkoTottenham Hotspur4
4 Daniel SturridgeChelsea4

Media coverage

In the United Kingdom, ITV were the sole network broadcasters for the season as subscription broadcasters Setanta Sports entered administration and ceased operations before the start of the season. The Football Association streamed select games live on its website for free.
International broadcasters
CountryBroadcaster
Tring Sport
Prime
Setanta Sports
France Télévisions
SKY Italia