The FA Cup 1952–53 is the 72nd season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down the English football league system meant that the competition started with a number of preliminary and qualifying rounds. The 30 victorious teams from the fourth round qualifying progressed to the first round proper.
Preliminary round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 Andover 2–3 Frome Town 2 Ashby Institute 2–3 Brigg Town 3 Aylesbury United 4–1 Chesham United 4 Banbury Spencer 1–1 Maidenhead United 5 Barking 1–1 Ilford 6 Barnstaple Town 5–1 Dartmouth United 7 Berkhamsted Town 1–5 Barnet 8 Betteshanger Colliery Welfare 2–0 Deal Town 9 Bexhill Town 2–0 Shoreham 10 Bexleyheath & Welling 1–5 Carshalton Athletic 11 Blandford United 2–5 Dorchester Town 12 Boldmere St Michaels 2–2 Rugby Town 13 Boston United 7–1 Barton Town 14 Brentwood & Warley 1–3 Dagenham 15 Calne & Harris United 0–4 Trowbridge Town 16 Chatham Town 0–6 Dover 17 Chatteris Town 0–4 Cambridge United 18 Clandown 0–4 Glastonbury 19 Corsham Town 1–4 Chippenham Town 20 Darlaston 2–1 Stourbridge 21 Dunstable Town 2–4 Hitchin Town 22 Earlestown 0–2 Prescot Cables 23 East Grinstead 4–2 Redhill 24 Enfield 3–3 Woodford Town 25 Epsom 2–2 Dulwich Hamlet 26 Gloucester City 1–1 Llanelli 27 Halesowen Town 1–4 Brierley Hill Alliance 28 Hanham Athletic 0–1 Paulton Rovers 29 Harrow Town 1–8 Uxbridge 30 Hastings United 4–0 Chichester City 31 Hayes 6–1 Yiewsley 32 Haywards Heath 2–2 Southwick 33 Horsham 1–4 Worthing 34 Huntley & Palmers 4–2 Witney Town 35 Kidderminster Harriers 4–0 Dudley Town 36 Kingstonian 5–0 Erith & Belvedere 37 Lancing Athletic 6–6 Eastbourne 38 Leyland Motors 0–3 Horwich R M I 39 Littlehampton Town 4–3 Bognor Regis Town 40 Llandudno 1–1 Bootle Athletic 41 Lockheed Leamington 1–2 Nuneaton Borough 42 Lytham 2–0 Droylsden 43 Maidstone United 0–6 Bromley 44 Margate 1–4 Gravesend & Northfleet 45 Marine 3–3 Ellesmere Port Town 46 Marlow 0–8 Headington United 47 Melksham Town 0–2 Warminster Town 48 Metropolitan Police 1–5 Wimbledon 49 Minehead 1–4 Bideford 50 Moor Green 1–1 Burton Albion 51 Newhaven 2–4 Ashford Town (Kent) 52 Newquay 7–1 Truro City 53 Newton Abbot 1–1 Ilfracombe Town 54 Oxford City 1–4 Wycombe Wanderers 55 Parliament Street Methodists 0–6 Linby Colliery 56 Peasedown Miners Welfare 6–2 Clevedon 57 Penrith 4–4 Burscough 58 Raleigh Athletic 1–4 Ransome & Marles 59 Ramsgate Athletic 4–2 Snowdown Colliery Welfare 60 Retford Town 2–1 Holbeach United 61 Runcorn 2–2 Bangor City 62 Rushden Town 3–1 Wellingborough Town 63 Salisbury 7–1 Welton Rovers 64 Sheppey United 5–1 Bowater Lloyds 65 Sittingbourne 3–1 Faversham Town 66 Slough Centre 2–1 Slough Town 67 Southall 1–3 Edgware Town 68 St Blazey 3–1 Penzance 69 Stafford Rangers 0–1 Bilston 70 Street 2–0 Bristol St George 71 Tamworth 0–2 Hednesford Town 72 Tavistock 1–2 Bridgwater Town 73 Tiverton Town 1–2 Taunton 74 Tunbridge Wells United 2–1 Canterbury City 75 Wadebridge Town 4–5 St Austell 76 Walton & Hersham 0–1 Tooting & Mitcham United 77 Windsor & Eton 0–4 Wealdstone 78 Woking 4–1 Dorking
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 4 Maidenhead United 3–0 Banbury Spencer 5 Ilford 4–2 Barking 12 Rugby Town 2–1 Boldmere St Michaels 24 Woodford Town 4–2 Enfield 25 Dulwich Hamlet 4–2 Epsom 26 Llanelli 5–0 Gloucester City 32 Southwick 0–1 Haywards Heath 37 Eastbourne 1–2 Lancing Athletic 40 Bootle Athletic 1–0 Llandudno 45 Ellesmere Port Town 2–1 Marine 50 Burton Albion 3–0 Moor Green 53 Ilfracombe Town 2–1 Newton Abbot 57 Burscough 3–1 Penrith 61 Bangor City 3–2 Runcorn
1st qualifying round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 Alnwick Town 4–1 West Sleekburn Welfare 2 Amble 0–4 Ashington 3 Annfield Plain 6–2 Boldon Colliery Welfare 4 Ashford Town (Kent) 1–3 Hastings United 5 Ashton United 7–2 Skelmersdale United 6 Bangor City 2–0 St Helens Town 7 Barnet 1–2 St Albans City 8 Barnstaple Town 1–1 Taunton 9 Basford United 0–1 Boots Athletic 10 Basingstoke Town 3–1 Totton 11 Beccles 3–1 Bungay Town 12 Bedford Town 6–0 Potton United 13 Betteshanger Colliery Welfare 1–2 Ramsgate Athletic 14 Bexhill Town 1–2 Lancing Athletic 15 Biggleswade & District 0–3 Wolverton Town & B R 16 Billingham Synthonia 3–2 South Bank 17 Bootle Athletic 1–1 New Brighton 18 Boston United 5–4 Alford United 19 Bourne Town 0–5 Grantham 20 Bournemouth Gasworks Athletic 3–0 Poole Town 21 Bourneville Athletic 0–2 Rugby Town 22 Bridport 0–2 Dorchester Town 23 Brodsworth Main Colliery 0–5 Norton Woodseats 24 Bromley 0–1 Gravesend & Northfleet 25 Bromsgrove Rovers 3–2 Darlaston 26 Brunswick Institute 0–2 Beighton Miners Welfare 27 Brush Sports 5–0 Ibstock Penistone Rovers 28 Burscough 1–0 Lancaster City 29 Burton Albion 1–2 Bedworth Town 30 Bury Town 9–1 Leiston 31 Cambridge United 3–1 March Town United 32 Carshalton Athletic 3–0 Kingstonian 33 Cheshunt 2–1 Tufnell Park Edmonton 34 Chippenham United 2–2 Wells City 35 Cinderford Town 1–1 Cheltenham Town 36 Clacton Town 1–1 Romford 37 Clapton 1–2 Finchley 38 Clitheroe 1–1 Fleetwood 39 Coalville Town 7–1 Moira United 40 Cowes 0–1 Newport I O W 41 Cradley Heath 2–2 Bilston 42 Cramlington Welfare 0–1 Hexham Hearts 43 Creswell Colliery 2–0 Sutton Town 44 Dagenham 2–2 Briggs Sports 45 Dawdon Colliery Welfare 1–2 South Shields 46 Denaby United 2–1 Stocksbridge Works 47 Desborough Town 1–4 Corby Town 48 Diss Town 1–4 Lowestoft Town 49 Dover 2–0 Sheppey United 50 Dulwich Hamlet 2–1 Tooting & Mitcham United 51 Easington Colliery Welfare 3–0 Heaton Stannington 52 East Grinstead 1–0 Haywards Heath 53 Edgware Town 2–1 Slough Centre 54 Ellesmere Port Town 4–0 South Liverpool 55 Evenwood Town 1–0 Tow Law Town 56 Farsley Celtic 1–0 Ossett Town 57 Ferryhill Athletic 7–0 Skinnigrove Works 58 Frickley Colliery 2–2 Upton Colliery 59 Frome Town 3–6 Devizes Town 60 Gosforth & Coxlodge 0–5 Consett 61 Gothic 6–0 Wymondham Town 62 Grays Athletic 6–2 Harwich & Parkeston 63 Great Yarmouth Town 13–0 Cromer 64 Gresley Rovers 3–1 Gedling Colliery 65 Grimethorpe Athletic 3–1 Sheffield 66 Hayes 0–3 Uxbridge 67 Head Wrightsons 2–0 Bridlington Central United 68 Headington United 4–2 Aylesbury United 69 Hednesford Town 1–1 Nuneaton Borough 70 Hemel Hempstead 6–0 Abingdon Town 71 Hinckley Athletic 2–3 Whitwick Colliery 72 Hitchin Town 5–0 Luton Amateur 73 Horwich R M I 5–3 Chorley 74 Huntingdon United 0–3 Cambridge City 75 Ilfracombe Town 3–0 Bideford 76 Ilkeston Town 7–2 Long Eaton Town 77 Ilminster Town 2–1 Lymington 78 Kettering Town 1–0 Rushden Town 79 Kidderminster Harriers 2–0 Oswestry Town 80 King's Lynn 4–1 St Neots & District 81 Langold W M C 2–0 Bentley Colliery 82 Letchworth Town 1–1 Eton Manor 83 Linby Colliery 3–0 Bestwood Colliery 84 Littlehampton Town 0–3 Worthing 85 Lovells Athletic 0–1 Llanelli 86 Lye Town 1–3 Brierley Hill Alliance 87 Lysaghts Sports 1–9 Skegness Town 88 Macclesfield 3–0 Congleton Town 89 Maidenhead United 2–0 Bicester Town 90 Morecambe 1–0 Great Harwood 91 Mossley 3–1 Lytham 92 Netherfield 5–0 Bacup Borough 93 Newburn 4–1 Shankhouse 94 Newhall United 3–2 Matlock Town 95 Newquay 1–3 St Blazey 96 Northwich Victoria 1–1 Winsford United 97 Paulton Rovers 2–7 Bath City 98 Peasedown Miners Welfare 3–0 Radstock Town 99 Players Athletic 8–5 Shirebrook 100 Portland United 3–1 Shaftesbury 101 Prescot Cables 1–1 Flint Town United 102 Ransome & Marles 1–0 Cinderhill Colliery 103 Retford Town 8–2 Brigg Town 104 Rossendale United 2–0 Darwen 105 Ryde Sports 3–4 Alton Town 106 Salisbury 4–1 Westbury United 107 Seaham Colliery Welfare 1–3 Horden Colliery Welfare 108 Shildon 0–4 Crook Town 109 Silksworth Colliery Welfare 7–0 Murton Colliery Welfare 110 South Kirkby Colliery 2–1 Hallam 111 South Normanton Miners Welfare 4–0 Barwell Athletic 112 Spalding United 1–0 Stamford 113 Spencer Moulton 0–3 Chippenham Town 114 St Austell 2–3 Bridgwater Town 115 Stalybridge Celtic 3–2 Hyde United 116 Stanley United 2–4 Spennymoor United 117 Stonehouse 0–1 Ebbw Vale 118 Stowmarket 4–0 Thetford Town 119 Street 1–2 Glastonbury 120 Sutton Town (Birmingham) 1–2 Atherstone Town 121 Sutton United 3–2 Hounslow Town 122 Symingtons Recreation 2–5 Peterborough United 123 Tilbury 1–0 Ilford 124 Troedyrhiw 3–8 Barry Town 125 Tunbridge Wells United 2–4 Sittingbourne 126 Ushaw Moor 2–0 Chilton Athletic 127 Vauxhall Motors 2–4 Eynesbury Rovers 128 Warminster Town 1–1 Trowbridge Town 129 Wealdstone 0–1 Hendon 130 Whitton United 0–4 Sudbury Town 131 Willington 2–4 West Auckland Town 132 Winchester City 1–0 Gosport Borough Athletic 133 Wisbech Town 3–0 Histon Institute 134 Woking 1–2 Wimbledon 135 Woodford Town 2–1 Stevenage Town 136 Worksop Town 3–3 Rawmarsh Welfare 137 Wycombe Wanderers 4–2 Huntley & Palmers
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 8 Taunton 3–5 Barnstaple Town 17 New Brighton 1–0 Bootle Athletic 34 Wells City 3–1 Chippenham United 35 Cheltenham Town 5–0 Cinderford Town 36 Romford 1–3 Clacton Town 38 Fleetwood 1–2 Clitheroe 41 Bilston 3–1 Cradley Heath 44 Briggs Sports 0–0 Dagenham (Abandoned in extra time) 58 Upton Colliery 0–2 Frickley Colliery 69 Nuneaton Borough 2–5 Hednesford Town 82 Eton Manor 1–1 Letchworth Town 96 Winsford United 4–2 Northwich Victoria 101 Flint Town United 3–0 Prescot Cables 128 Trowbridge Town 4–1 Warminster Town 136 Rawmarsh Welfare 3–2 Worksop Town
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 44 Briggs Sports 1–3 Dagenham 82 Letchworth Town 0–3 Eton Manor
2nd qualifying round Ties