The FA Cup 1980–81 is the 100th 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 Arundel 0–2 Kingstonian 2 Bath City 7–1 Glastonbury 3 Bilston 3–2 Congleton Town 4 Bracknell Town 1–5 Poole Town 5 Brereton Social 1–1 Evesham United 6 Bridlington Trinity 3–0 Eppleton Colliery Welfare 7 Brierley Hill Alliance 0–2 Darlaston 8 Bury Town 2–1 Felixstowe Town 9 Buxton 1–2 Eastwood Town 10 Caernarfon Town 0–2 Chorley 11 Calne Town 0–1 Chippenham Town 12 Carlisle City 1–4 Farsley Celtic 13 Carshalton Athletic 2–0 Feltham 14 Chard Town 1–1 Clevedon Town 15 Chatham Town 2–1 Eastbourne United 16 Chatteris Town 1–1 Great Yarmouth Town 17 Chertsey Town 2–1 Dunstable 18 Cheshunt 0–1 Clapton 19 Chichester City 1–1 Devizes Town 20 Cinderford Town 0–0 Forest Green Rovers 21 Consett 0–2 Crook Town 22 Crawley Town 2–1 Deal Town 23 Cray Wanderers 1–1 Dorking Town 24 Denaby United 1–3 Frickley Athletic 25 Desborough Town 2–1 Friar Lane Old Boys 26 Dulwich Hamlet 3–1 Hampton 27 Easington Colliery Welfare 0–2 South Bank 28 Edgware 4–3 Hoddesdon Town 29 Egham Town 3–1 Molesey 30 Emley 0–3 Fleetwood Town 31 Epping Town 2–1 Haringey Borough 32 Formby 0–2 Glossop 33 Gainsborough Trinity 3–1 Heanor Town 34 Gresley Rovers 1–1 Highgate United 35 Hayes 2–0 Hemel Hempstead 36 Haywards Heath 1–0 Whitstable Town 37 Herne Bay 0–3 Tonbridge 38 Histon 3–0 Irthlingborough Diamonds 39 Hornchurch 2–3 Walthamstow Avenue 40 Horsham 1–6 Lewes 41 Lye Town 2–0 Mangotsfield United 42 March Town United 2–1 Stamford 43 Milton Keynes City 0–2 Southall 44 Nantwich Town 0–0 Winterton Rangers 45 Netherfield 3–2 Washington 46 New Brighton 1–3 Worsbrough Bridge Miners Welfare 47 Newbury Town 1–0 Pagham 48 Newmarket Town 1–0 Wellingborough Town 49 Newquay 8–0 Ottery St Mary 50 Normanby Park Works 0–0 Sutton Town 51 Oxford City 0–2 Cheltenham Town 52 Paulton Rovers 0–3 Weston Super Mare 53 Peacehaven & Telscombe 0–1 Tilbury 54 Peterlee Newtown 1–1 West Auckland Town 55 Porthmadog 1–1 Skelmersdale United 56 Potton United 0–1 Wisbech Town 57 Prescot Cables 2–1 South Liverpool 58 Racing Club Warwick 1–2 V S Rugby 59 Rainham Town 3–4 Uxbridge 60 Redditch United 0–0 Witton Albion 61 Ringmer 3–1 Tunbridge Wells 62 Rossendale United 1–1 Worksop Town 63 Saltash United 5–0 Wadebridge Town 64 Shepton Mallet Town 2–1 Welton Rovers 65 St Neots Town 3–1 Thetford Town 66 Staines Town 0–1 Willesden 67 Tamworth 3–0 Wolverton Town 68 Thackley 1–1 Wingate (Durham) 69 Three Bridges 0–1 Wokingham Town 70 Tiptree United 3–0 Wootton Blue Cross 71 Walsall Wood 0–3 Winsford United 72 Walton & Hersham 3–0 Woodford Town 73 Whitby Town 3–1 Yorkshire Amateur 74 Worthing 0–1 Basingstoke Town
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 5 Evesham United 3–2 Brereton Social 14 Clevedon Town 4–1 Chard Town 16 Great Yarmouth Town 3–2 Chatteris Town 19 Devizes Town 1–3 Chichester City 20 Forest Green Rovers 0–0 Cinderford Town 23 Dorking Town 0–2 Cray Wanderers 34 Highgate United 3–1 Gresley Rovers 44 Winterton Rangers 0–1 Nantwich Town 50 Sutton Town 2–3 Normanby Park Works 54 West Auckland Town 3–4 Peterlee Newtown 55 Skelmersdale United 3–1 Porthmadog 60 Witton Albion 5–1 Redditch United 62 Worksop Town 3–1 Rossendale United 68 Wingate (Durham) 0–1 Thackley
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 20 Cinderford Town 1–2 Forest Green Rovers
1st qualifying round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 Accrington Stanley 2–0 Darwen 2 Addlestone & Weybridge Town 2–2 Boreham Wood 3 Alfreton Town 2–1 Brigg Town 4 Almondsbury Greenway 0–1 Barnstaple Town 5 Alton Town 0–3 Andover 6 Alvechurch 0–2 Banbury United 7 Annfield Plain 2–3 Billingham Synthonia 8 Appleby Frodingham{1} 5–0 Ashby Institute 9 Armitage 1–2 Belper Town 10 Arnold 0–1 Barton Town 11 Ashford Town (Kent) 4–1 Corinthian Casuals 12 Ashington 0–3 Bishop Auckland 13 Aveley 2–0 Basildon United 14 Aylesbury United 2–0 Burnham 15 Bangor City 0–2 Bootle 16 Barrow 8–1 Boldon Community Association 17 Barry Town 1–0 Bromsgrove Rovers 18 Barton Rovers 3–0 Camberley Town 19 Basingstoke Town 2–3 Egham Town 20 Bedford Town 3–2 Bishop's Stortford 21 Bedworth United 2–0 Gornal Athletic 22 Berkhamsted Town 1–2 Finchley 23 Bexhill Town 0–7 Bromley 24 Bideford 1–0 Bridgwater Town 25 Billericay Town 1–1 Chalfont St Peter 26 Blue Star 3–1 Bridlington Town 27 Bognor Regis Town 3–1 Bridport 28 Boston 6–1 Spalding United 29 Boston United 3–0 Skegness Town 30 Bourne Town 0–0 Cambridge City 31 Brandon United 0–0 Shildon 32 Bridgend Town 0–1 Ton Pentre 33 Burgess Hill Town 1–2 Canterbury City 34 Burscough 2–1 Prestwich Heys 35 Burton Albion 2–2 Willenhall Town 36 Chelmsford City 0–0 Clacton Town 37 Cheltenham Town 3–2 Forest Green Rovers 38 Chesham United 0–1 St Albans City 39 Clitheroe 1–1 Curzon Ashton 40 Corby Town 1–0 Ely City 41 Coventry Sporting 2–3 Hinckley Athletic 42 Croydon 1–0 Southwick 43 Dartford 4–1 Saffron Walden Town 44 Droylsden 1–1 Stalybridge Celtic 45 Enderby Town 3–1 Tividale 46 Epsom & Ewell 1–0 Eastbourne Town 47 Evesham United 0–1 Buckingham Town 48 Falmouth Town 1–1 Liskeard Athletic 49 Fareham Town 2–0 Newport I O W 50 Faversham Town 0–2 Dover 51 Ferryhill Athletic 2–2 Evenwood Town 52 Folkestone 6–2 East Grinstead 53 Frome Town 1–1 Farnborough Town 54 Gloucester City 1–0 Dorchester Town 55 Goole Town 1–0 Whitley Bay 56 Gosport Borough 0–0 Hastings United 57 Grays Athletic 0–0 Erith & Belvedere 58 Guisborough Town 2–3 Gateshead 59 Halesowen Town 1–1 Didcot Town 60 Haverhill Rovers 2–3 Gorleston 61 Haywards Heath 0–1 Crawley Town 62 Hillingdon Borough 0–0 Hendon 63 Hitchin Town 3–0 Rushden Town 64 Horden Colliery Welfare 1–0 Willington 65 Hungerford Town 5–1 Wick 66 Ilkeston Town 0–0 Holbeach United 67 Kempston Rovers 3–0 Hertford Town 68 Kidderminster Harriers 3–0 Hednesford Town 69 Kingstonian 1–0 Banstead Athletic 70 Lancaster City 1–1 Hyde United 71 Leyton Wingate 0–3 Harefield United 72 Leytonstone Ilford 0–1 Wembley 73 Llanelli 2–0 Clandown 74 Long Eaton United 0–0 Grantham 75 Lowestoft Town 0–2 Harwich & Parkeston 76 Lye Town 1–1 Chippenham Town 77 Lytham 0–2 Leyland Motors 78 Maidenhead United 1–0 Thame United 79 Maidstone United 6–0 Ramsgate 80 March Town United 1–2 Gainsborough Trinity 81 Margate 1–1 Sittingbourne 82 Marine 3–0 Rhyl 83 Marlow 1–2 Harrow Borough 84 Melksham Town 7–0 Ilminster Town 85 Metropolitan Police 2–3 Hounslow 86 Mexborough Town Athletic 1–2 Leek Town 87 Moor Green 4–0 Rothwell Town 88 Moreton Town 0–1 Dudley Town 89 Nantwich Town 0–0 Eastwood Town 90 Netherfield 1–2 Bridlington Trinity 91 Newbury Town 2–0 Chichester City 92 Newmarket Town 1–1 Hayes 93 Normanby Park Works 0–4 Desborough Town 94 North Ferriby United 1–0 Horwich R M I 95 North Shields 0–0 Tow Law Town 96 Northwich Victoria 1–0 New Mills{1} 97 Oldbury United 4–0 Matlock Town 98 Oswestry Town 0–1 Colwyn Bay 99 Parson Drove United 0–1 Stowmarket 100 Penrith 6–0 Durham City 101 Peterlee Newtown 0–2 Farsley Celtic 102 Prescot Cables 2–0 Glossop 103 Redhill 0–2 Littlehampton Town 104 Ringmer 3–3 Lewes 105 Salisbury 1–1 Trowbridge Town 106 Saltash United 4–0 Newquay 107 Shepton Mallet Town 0–4 Clevedon Town 108 Skelmersdale United 0–1 Chorley 109 Slough Town 5–1 Ware 110 Soham Town Rangers 1–1 King's Lynn 111 Southall 0–8 Dulwich Hamlet 112 Southport 1–3 St Helens Town 113 St Blazey 1–2 Penzance 114 St Neots Town 0–1 Great Yarmouth Town 115 Stourbridge 6–2 Macclesfield Town 116 Sudbury Town 0–3 Letchworth Garden City 117 Sutton Coldfield Town 2–0 Telford United 118 Sutton United 3–1 Steyning Town 119 Tamworth 3–0 Histon 120 Thackley 1–0 Crook Town 121 Tilbury 4–1 Cray Wanderers 122 Tiptree United 0–1 Edgware 123 Tiverton Town 0–5 Taunton Town 124 Tonbridge 1–1 Chatham Town 125 Tooting & Mitcham United 0–3 Windsor & Eton 126 Uxbridge 1–0 Epping Town 127 V S Rugby 3–1 Darlaston 128 Wallsend Town 0–2 Spennymoor United 129 Walthamstow Avenue 5–0 Clapton 130 Walton & Hersham 1–0 Chertsey Town 131 Waterlooville 2–0 Horsham Y M C A 132 Welling United 4–2 Sheppey United 133 Weston Super Mare 1–2 Bath City 134 Whitby Town 3–0 South Bank 135 Willesden 0–2 Carshalton Athletic 136 Winsford United 4–2 Bilston 137 Wisbech Town 1–2 Bury Town 138 Witney Town 2–1 Ruislip Manor 139 Witton Albion 3–1 Highgate United 140 Woking 2–1 Tring Town 141 Wokingham Town 0–1 Poole Town 142 Worcester City 1–1 Malvern Town 143 Worksop Town 3–2 Frickley Athletic 144 Worsbrough Bridge Miners Welfare 0–4 Fleetwood Town
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 2 Boreham Wood 0–2 Addlestone & Weybridge Town 25 Chalfont St Peter 0–3 Billericay Town 30 Cambridge City 0–1 Bourne Town 31 Shildon 1–0 Brandon United 35 Willenhall Town 1–2 Burton Albion 36 Clacton Town 1–2 Chelmsford City 39 Curzon Ashton 2–2 Clitheroe 44 Stalybridge Celtic 2–1 Droylsden 48 Liskeard Athletic 2–3 Falmouth Town 51 Evenwood Town 2–1 Ferryhill Athletic 53 Farnborough Town 1–0 Frome Town 56 Hastings United 3–4 Gosport Borough 57 Erith & Belvedere 1–3 Grays Athletic 59 Didcot Town 0–1 Halesowen Town 62 Hendon 3–2 Hillingdon Borough 66 Holbeach United 1–0 Ilkeston Town 70 Hyde United 3–1 Lancaster City 74 Grantham 2–2 Long Eaton United 76 Chippenham Town 0–2 Lye Town 81 Sittingbourne 3–4 Margate 89 Eastwood Town 1–0 Nantwich Town 92 Hayes 5–0 Newmarket Town 95 Tow Law Town 4–2 North Shields 104 Lewes 6–2 Ringmer 105 Trowbridge Town 2–1 Salisbury 110 King's Lynn 2–1 Soham Town Rangers 124 Chatham Town 1–0 Tonbridge 142 Malvern Town 0–2 Worcester City
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 39 Clitheroe 0–1 Curzon Ashton 74 Grantham 3–0 Long Eaton United
2nd qualifying round Ties