The FA Cup 1978–79 is the 98th 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 28 victorious teams from the fourth round qualifying progressed to the first round proper.
Preliminary round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 Accrington Stanley 1–2 Lancaster City 2 Alfreton Town 2–5 Mexborough Town 3 Andover 1–1 Newbury Town 4 Appleby Frodingham 1–2 Eastwood Town 5 Banbury United 4–2 Thame United 6 Barry Town 2–0 Mangotsfield United 7 Billingham Synthonia 2–1 Tow Law Town 8 Bourne Town 1–4 Arnold 9 Brierley Hill Alliance 0–2 Alvechurch 10 Bromsgrove Rovers 3–1 Lye Town 11 Burgess Hill Town 1–3 Alton Town 12 Burton Albion 0–1 Oxford City 13 Bury Town 1–2 King's Lynn 14 Carlisle City 4–2 Annfield Plain 15 Chesham United 3–3 Berkhamsted Town 16 Clapton 1–6 Barking 17 Consett 1–1 Eppleton Colliery Welfare 18 Corby Town 0–1 Barton Rovers 19 Cowes 0–0 Fareham Town 20 Crook Town 1–2 South Bank 21 Desborough Town 0–3 Friar Lane Old Boys 22 Didcot Town 1–1 Aylesbury United 23 East Grinstead 1–2 Canterbury City 24 Eastbourne United 1–0 Ashford Town (Kent) 25 Egham Town 2–3 Camberley Town 26 Epsom & Ewell 2–0 Addlestone 27 Farnborough Town 1–0 Maidenhead United 28 Farsley Celtic 0–1 Bridlington Town 29 Faversham Town 1–3 Hastings United 30 Felixstowe Town 1–0 Hoddesdon Town 31 Feltham 2–0 Hayes 32 Finchley 0–1 Hillingdon Borough 33 Folkestone & Shepway 2–1 Bromley 34 Forest Green Rovers 8–1 Calne Town 35 Formby 3–1 Ashton United 36 Frome Town 0–3 Gloucester City 37 Glastonbury 0–3 Bath City 38 Gorleston 1–0 Cambridge City 39 Gravesend & Northfleet 6–2 Aveley 40 Grays Athletic 5–1 Cheshunt 41 Halesowen Town 2–0 Bilston 42 Hampton 2–0 Banstead Athletic 43 Haringey Borough 1–3 Ilford 44 Harlow Town 1–1 Hemel Hempstead 45 Harrow Borough 0–2 Hertford Town 46 Haverhill Rovers 0–0 Lowestoft Town 47 Heanor Town 0–3 Boston United 48 Herne Bay 1–1 Horsham Y M C A 49 Holbeach United 0–3 Louth United 50 Horsham 4–0 Littlehampton Town 51 Ilminster Town 1–0 Poole Town 52 Kidderminster Harriers 5–0 Moor Green 53 Leek Town 2–2 Bangor City 54 Liskeard Athletic 1–0 Barnstaple Town 55 Macclesfield Town 2–4 Marine 56 Margate 2–0 Redhill 57 Mossley 2–1 Burscough 58 Nantwich Town 1–2 Prescot Town 59 Newmarket Town 1–2 Olney Town 60 Newquay 2–2 Penzance 61 North Ferriby United 2–0 Selby Town
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 3 Newbury Town 1–2 Andover 15 Berkhamsted Town 1–0 Chesham United 17 Eppleton Colliery Welfare 0–7 Consett 19 Fareham Town 2–0 Cowes 22 Aylesbury United 2–1 Didcot Town 44 Hemel Hempstead 0–4 Harlow Town 46 Lowestoft Town 2–0 Haverhill Rovers 48 Horsham Y M C A 1–0 Herne Bay 53 Bangor City 1–2 Leek Town 60 Penzance 2–1 Newquay
1st qualifying round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 Arundel 2–3 Bognor Regis Town 2 Ashington 0–1 Bishop Auckland 3 Atherstone Town 2–0 Belper Town 4 Barnet 2–1 Bracknell Town 5 Barton Town 1–3 Boston 6 Bedford Town 2–1 Bishop's Stortford 7 Bedworth United 0–0 Brereton Social 8 Bexhill Town 1–1 Crawley Town 9 Bideford 2–1 Falmouth Town 10 Billericay Town 2–1 Chelmsford City 11 Boldon Community Association 2–0 Durham City 12 Boreham Wood 3–2 Burnham 13 Bridgwater Town 1–0 Chard Town 14 Bridlington Trinity 1–0 Emley 15 Bridport 0–1 Dorchester Town 16 Brigg Town 1–1 Spalding United 17 Buxton 3–1 Glossop 18 Carshalton Athletic 3–0 Chertsey Town 19 Chalfont St Peter 0–0 Epping Town 20 Cheltenham Town 6–1 Clevedon Town 21 Chichester City 1–1 Dorking Town 22 Chippenham Town 2–2 Cinderford Town 23 Chorley 3–0 Darwen 24 Clacton Town 0–4 Ely City 25 Clitheroe 0–1 Curzon Ashton 26 Congleton Town 1–2 Droylsden 27 Corinthian Casuals 0–0 Edgware Town 28 Cray Wanderers 1–2 Dulwich Hamlet 29 Croydon 1–0 Erith & Belvedere 30 Darlaston 1–1 Evesham United 31 Dover 3–0 Eastbourne Town 32 Dudley Town 3–0 Gresley Rovers 33 Easington Colliery Welfare 2–1 West Auckland Town 34 Enderby Town 3–4 Gainsborough Trinity 35 Evenwood Town 2–2 North Shields 36 Fleetwood Town 0–0 Netherfield 37 Frickley Athletic 0–2 Hednesford Town 38 Gateshead 1–0 Horden Colliery Welfare 39 Gornal Athletic 0–2 Kempston Rovers 40 Grantham 5–3 Ashby Institute 41 Great Yarmouth Town 1–1 Harwich & Parkeston 42 Guisborough Town 2–2 Consett 43 Haywards Heath 4–0 Wigmore Athletic 44 Highgate United 2–1 Stourbridge 45 Hinckley Athletic 5–0 Long Eaton United 46 Histon 3–1 Parson Drove United 47 Hornchurch 1–1 Leytonstone 48 Hounslow 1–1 St Albans City 49 Hungerford Town 5–1 Swaythling 50 Hyde United 1–1 Skelmersdale United 51 Irthlingborough Diamonds 3–0 Friar Lane Old Boys 52 Kingstonian 1–0 Tring Town 53 Larkhall Athletic 3–3 Paulton Rovers 54 Letchworth Garden City 5–1 Felixstowe Town 55 Lewes 1–1 Ramsgate 56 Leyland Motors 1–2 Horwich R M I 57 Leyton Wingate 1–0 Tilbury 58 Llanelli 1–3 Shepton Mallet Town 59 Lytham 0–2 Barrow 60 Maidstone United 2–0 Horsham Y M C A 61 March Town United 4–1 Chatteris Town 62 Marlow 1–1 Feltham 63 Medway 4–1 Sidley United 64 Melksham Town 1–0 Gloucester City 65 Merthyr Tydfil 4–0 Bridgend Town 66 Metropolitan Police 1–0 Harlow Town 67 Milton Keynes City 2–0 Coventry Sporting 68 Molesey 2–2 Hillingdon Borough 69 New Brighton 1–3 Prestwich Heys 70 New Mills 2–0 Denaby United 71 Newport I O W 0–1 Basingstoke Town 72 Oldbury United 1–1 Willenhall Town 73 Oswestry Town 1–1 St Helens Town 74 Penrith 0–4 Lancaster City 75 Porthmadog 3–1 Marine 76 Potton United 0–1 Rushden Town 77 Racing Club Warwick 1–1 Tamworth 78 Radcliffe Borough 0–6 Runcorn 79 Rainham Town 0–4 Walthamstow Avenue 80 Redditch United 3–2 Tividale 81 Retford Town 2–1 Stamford 82 Rhyl 2–0 Prescot Town 83 Ringmer 0–2 Hastings United 84 Rothwell Town 1–1 Olney Town 85 Ruislip Manor 0–3 Southall & Ealing Borough 86 Salisbury 4–0 Welton Rovers 87 Saltash United 8–1 Penzance 88 Selsey 2–3 Tunbridge Wells 89 Sheppey United 1–4 Canterbury City 90 Shildon 3–1 Whitley Bay 91 Sittingbourne 1–4 Eastbourne United 92 Skegness Town 0–1 Louth United 93 Slough Town 2–0 Farnborough Town 94 Snowdown Colliery Welfare 0–3 Tonbridge 95 Soham Town Rangers 2–0 Sudbury Town 96 South Liverpool 0–3 Formby 97 Southwick 1–2 Horsham 98 Spennymoor United 2–1 Carlisle City 99 St Blazey 0–3 Taunton Town 100 St Neots Town 1–0 King's Lynn 101 Staines Town 2–1 Willesden 102 Stalybridge Celtic 3–1 Leek Town 103 Stowmarket 0–1 Lowestoft Town 104 Stratford Town 2–2 Kidderminster Harriers 105 Sutton Coldfield Town 3–0 Oxford City 106 Sutton Town 0–0 Boston United 107 Sutton United 2–1 Hertford Town 108 Telford United 0–1 Halesowen Town 109 Thetford Town 1–5 Gorleston 110 Three Bridges 0–2 Margate 111 Tiverton Town 1–0 Ilminster Town 112 Ton Pentre 0–1 Barry Town 113 Trowbridge Town 1–0 Forest Green Rovers 114 Uxbridge 2–1 Berkhamsted Town 115 V S Rugby 2–0 Dunstable 116 Wadebridge Town 0–2 Liskeard Athletic 117 Wallsend Town 1–0 Ferryhill Athletic 118 Walton & Hersham 2–3 Camberley Town 119 Ware 0–2 Barking 120 Washington 3–2 Blue Star 121 Waterlooville 2–0 Fareham Town 122 Welling United 1–2 Gravesend & Northfleet 123 Wellingborough Town 1–1 Arnold 124 Wembley 0–0 Grays Athletic 125 Weston Super Mare 1–2 Bath City 126 Whitby Town 3–3 Worsbrough Bridge Miners Welfare 127 Whitstable Town 1–1 Folkestone & Shepway 128 Willington 0–1 Billingham Synthonia 129 Windsor & Eton 1–0 Hampton 130 Wingate (Durham) 0–0 South Bank 131 Winsford United 3–0 Mexborough Town 132 Winterton Rangers 0–0 North Ferriby United 133 Wisbech Town 0–2 Barton Rovers 134 Witney Town 0–2 Banbury United 135 Witton Albion 4–2 Mossley 136 Woking 3–1 Epsom & Ewell 137 Wokingham Town 2–0 Aylesbury United 138 Wolverton Town & B R 1–2 Alvechurch 139 Worcester City 1–0 Bromsgrove Rovers 140 Worksop Town 2–1 Eastwood Town 141 Worthing 4–1 Alton Town 142 Yeovil Town 4–0 Andover 143 Yorkshire Amateur 0–0 Bridlington Town
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 7 Brereton Social 3–2 Bedworth United 8 Crawley Town 1–1 Bexhill Town 16 Spalding United 3–4 Brigg Town 19 Epping Town 1–1 Chalfont St Peter 21 Dorking Town 3–2 Chichester City 22 Cinderford Town 2–1 Chippenham Town 27 Edgware Town 4–0 Corinthian Casuals 30 Evesham United 2–4 Darlaston 35 North Shields 1–0 Evenwood Town 36 Netherfield 1–1 Fleetwood Town 41 Harwich & Parkeston 4–1 Great Yarmouth Town 42 Consett 3–2 Guisborough Town 47 Leytonstone 4–1 Hornchurch 48 St Albans City 4–2 Hounslow 50 Skelmersdale United 0–1 Hyde United 53 Paulton Rovers 2–1 Larkhall Athletic 55 Ramsgate 3–0 Lewes 62 Feltham 3–0 Marlow 68 Hillingdon Borough 2–1 Molesey 72 Willenhall Town 2–0 Oldbury United 73 St Helens Town 0–0 Oswestry Town 77 Tamworth 1–0 Racing Club Warwick 84 Olney Town 0–1 Rothwell Town 104 Kidderminster Harriers 7–0 Stratford Town 106 Boston United 2–1 Sutton Town 123 Arnold 2–1 Wellingborough Town 124 Grays Athletic 4–1 Wembley 126 Worsbrough Bridge Miners Welfare 0–1 Whitby Town 127 Folkestone & Shepway 5–0 Whitstable Town 130 South Bank 1–1 Wingate (Durham) 132 North Ferriby United 0–1 Winterton Rangers 143 Bridlington Town 2–3 Yorkshire Amateur
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 8 Bexhill Town 0–1 Crawley Town 19 Chalfont St Peter 0–0 Epping Town 36 Fleetwood Town 2–0 Netherfield 73 Oswestry Town 3–2 St Helens Town 130 Wingate (Durham) 0–0 South Bank
3rd replay Tie Home team Score Away team 19 Epping Town 1–2 Chalfont St Peter 130 South Bank 2–1 Wingate (Durham)
2nd qualifying round Ties