The 1990–91 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 110th season of competition in England for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' (FA Cup), the world's oldest association football single knockout competition. A total of 563 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 23 from the previous season's 540.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 through 8) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with five rounds of preliminary (1) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. The 28 winning teams from fourth round qualifying progressed to the First round proper, where League teams tiered at Levels 3 and 4 entered the competition.
Calendar Round Start date New Entries Clubs Preliminary round Saturday 1 September 1990 318 563 → 404 First round qualifying Saturday 15 September 1990 129 404 → 260 Second round qualifying Saturday 29 September 1990 none 260 → 188 Third round qualifying Saturday 13 October 1990 none 188 → 152 Fourth round qualifying Saturday 27 October 1990 20 152 → 124 First round proper Saturday 17 November 1990 52 124 → 84 Second round proper Friday 7 December 1990 none 84 → 64 Third round proper Saturday 5 January 1991 44 64 → 32 Fourth round proper Saturday 26 January 1991 none 32 → 16 Fifth round proper Saturday 16 February 1991 none 16 → 8 Sixth round proper Saturday 9 March 1991 none 8 → 4 Semi-finals Sunday 14 April 1991 none 4 → 2 Final Saturday 18 May 1991 none 2 → 1
Preliminary round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 A F C Totton 2-3 Warminster Town 2 Alfreton Town 2-2 Rushall Olympic 3 Alma Swanley 1-2 Purfleet 4 Alvechurch 2-1 Desborough Town 5 Arlesey Town 0-4 Walthamstow Pennant 6 Armthorpe Welfare 3-0 Sheffield 7 Arnold Town 1-1 Wednesfield 8 Arundel 2-3 Chatham Town 9 Ashford Town (Kent) 3-1 Leatherhead 10 Ashington 1-4 Prudhoe East End 11 Ashton United 0-2 Denaby United 12 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 2-0 Rossendale United 13 Baker Perkins 5-2 Letchworth Garden City 14 Banstead Athletic 1-0 Malden Vale 15 Barkingside 2-1 Aveley 16 Barry Town 2-1 Minehead 17 Bedlington Terriers 0-4 Norton & Stockton Ancients 18 Belper Town 2-3 St Helens Town 19 Billericay Town 4-0 Hanwell Town 20 Billingham Town 1-0 Brandon United 21 Blackpool Wren Rovers 2-4 Accrington Stanley 22 Bootle 1-0 Winsford United 23 Boreham Wood 2-0 Gorleston 24 Borrowash Victoria 1-2 Gresley Rovers 25 Boston 2-0 King's Lynn 26 Bourne Town 3-0 Ely City 27 Bournemouth 1-0 Thatcham Town 28 Brackley Town 1-0 Walsall Wood 29 Bracknell Town 2-3 Hampton 30 Braintree Town 1-0 Collier Row 31 Bridgend Town 2-1 Ton Pentre 32 Bridgnorth Town 1-1 Vauxhall G M 33 Burnham Ramblers 0-2 Hornchurch 34 Burscough 0-3 Maine Road 35 Calne Town 2-0 Paulton Rovers 36 Camberley Town 0-5 Oakwood 37 Canterbury City 0-0 Dorking 38 Chadderton 1-2 Radcliffe Borough 39 Chasetown 0-2 Evesham United 40 Chertsey Town 0-3 Walton & Hersham 41 Chesham United 4-1 Baldock Town 42 Chester-Le-Street Town 0-2 Easington Colliery 43 Chichester City 1-5 A F C Lymington 44 Chipstead 2-3 Littlehampton Town 45 Clacton Town 0-1 Hertford Town 46 Clapton 5-2 Felixstowe Town 47 Clevedon Town 3-3 Dawlish Town 48 Cove 4-0 Haywards Heath Town 49 Cray Wanderers 3-1 Waltham Abbey 50 Crook Town 1-2 Horden Colliery Welfare 51 Croydon 0-4 Egham Town 52 Croydon Athletic 2-2 Andover 53 Cwmbran Town 0-4 Mangotsfield United 54 Darlington Cleveland Bridge 0-1 Evenwood Town 55 Darwen 2-0 Peterlee Newtown 56 Dudley Town 1-1 Corby Town 57 East Thurrock United 0-1 Stevenage Borough 58 Eastbourne United 6-5 Tunbridge Wells 59 Eastwood Hanley 0-2 West Midlands Police 60 Eton Manor 0-2 Edgware Town 61 Farsley Celtic 1-1 Ossett Albion 62 Feltham 2-0 Thame United 63 Ferryhill Athletic 3-1 Blackpool Mechanics 64 Flackwell Heath 5-0 Tring Town 65 Ford United 3-1 Kingsbury Town 66 Glossop 1-1 Skelmersdale United 67 Great Harwood Town 2-2 Harrogate Town 68 Great Yarmouth Town 2-2 Langford 69 Halstead Town 1-1 Canvey Island 70 Harefield United 0-1 Merstham 71 Harwich & Parkeston 4-1 Berkhamsted Town 72 Havant Town 3-0 Horndean 73 Haverhill Rovers 1-1 Eynesbury Rovers 74 Heanor Town 0-4 Halesowen Harriers 75 Hebburn 0-2 Ryhope Community Association 76 Hednesford Town 2-0 Guiseley 77 Hemel Hempstead 1-2 Metropolitan Police 78 Hinckley Athletic 3-1 Friar Lane Old Boys 79 Holbeach United 1-2 Potton United 80 Horsham 2-0 Epsom & Ewell 81 Horsham Y M C A 3-2 Darenth Heathside 82 Hungerford Town 1-0 Fareham Town 83 Ilfracombe Town 4-0 Barnstaple Town 84 Irlam Town 2-0 Formby 85 Irthlingborough Diamonds 3-4 Buckingham Town 86 Knowsley United 1-1 Ossett Town 87 Lancaster City 2-0 Thackley 88 Lancing 0-3 Lewes 89 Langley Park Welfare 2-0 Washington 90 Langney Sports 3-0 Portfield 91 Leighton Town 0-1 Spalding United 92 Louth United 1-1 Princes End United 93 Lowestoft Town 1-0 Mirrlees Blackstone 94 Maesteg Park w/o-scr Sharpness 95 Malvern Town 3-0 Soham Town Rangers 96 Melksham Town 2-1 Keynsham Town 97 Mile Oak Rovers 0-5 Stourbridge 98 Molesey 1-1 Vauxhall Motors 99 Netherfield 0-3 Murton 100 Newbury Town 2-1 Eastleigh 101 Newmarket Town 2-1 Cheshunt 102 Newtown 1-1 Eastwood Town 103 North Ferriby United 1-2 Leicester United 104 North Shields 2-0 Whickham 105 Northallerton Town 4-2 Clitheroe 106 Nuneaton Borough 4-1 Hinckley Town 107 Oakham United 1-1 Long Eaton United 108 Oldbury United 0-0 Wolverton 109 Paget Rangers 2-0 Boldmere St Michaels 110 Peacehaven & Telscombe 8-1 Selsey 111 Penrith 0-5 Harrogate Railway Athletic 112 Prescot 1-1 Emley 113 Radstock Town 0-3 Weston Super Mare 114 Ramsgate 0-1 Margate 115 Rayners Lane 2-1 Hoddesdon Town 116 Romsey Town 1-0 Frome Town 117 Rothwell Town 7-2 Stamford 118 Royston Town 1-1 Rainham Town 119 Ruislip Manor 2-1 Northwood 120 Salford City 0-3 Warrington Town 121 Salisbury 1-1 Uxbridge 122 Saltash United 1-1 Torrington 123 Sandwell Borough 4-1 Northampton Spencer 124 Sheppey United 0-2 Pagham 125 Shildon 3-1 Garforth Town 126 Sholing Sports 1-3 Abingdon United 127 Shortwood United 1-2 St Blazey 128 Shotton Comrades 1-2 Esh Winning 129 Sittingbourne 2-0 Burgess Hill Town 130 Slade Green 2-0 Ringmer 131 Solihull Borough 0-0 Banbury United 132 Southwick 1-0 Corinthian 133 St Austell 0-4 Falmouth Town 134 Steyning Town 1-2 Whitehawk 135 Stowmarket Town 1-1 Saffron Walden Town 136 Stratford Town 3-1 Highgate United 137 Sutton Town 2-2 Rocester 138 Swanage Town & Herston 4-0 Devizes Town 139 Three Bridges 1-3 Wick 140 Tilbury 0-0 Southall 141 Tiptree United 0-1 Harlow Town 142 Tiverton Town 4-1 Welton Rovers 143 Tonbridge 2-1 Shoreham 144 Tooting & Mitcham United 1-1 Hastings Town 145 Trowbridge Town 7-1 Clandown 146 Ware 0-0 Corinthian Casuals 147 Wellingborough Town 1-0 Tividale 148 Welwyn Garden City 1-2 Chalfont St Peter 149 Wembley 1-0 Bury Town 150 West Auckland Town 4-2 Annfield Plain 151 Westbury United 1-1 Stroud 152 Whitby Town 2-0 Leyland Daf-Sgl 153 Willenhall Town 1-1 Brigg Town 154 Willington 0-1 Cleator Moor Celtic 155 Wimborne Town 3-2 Bideford 156 Wisbech Town 1-1 Barton Rovers 157 Witham Town 2-3 Basildon United 158 Wootton Blue Cross 1-3 Hounslow 159 Yate Town 4-0 Glastonbury
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 2 Rushall Olympic 3-0 Alfreton Town 7 Wednesfield 1-0 Arnold Town 32 Vauxhall G M 4-1 Bridgnorth Town 37 Dorking 4-1 Canterbury City 47 Dawlish Town 2-3 Clevedon Town 52 Andover 7-1 Croydon Athletic 56 Corby Town 1-0 Dudley Town 61 Ossett Albion 0-2 Farsley Celtic 66 Skelmersdale United 0-2 Glossop 67 Harrogate Town 2-1 Great Harwood Town 68 Langford 0-1 Great Yarmouth Town 69 Canvey Island 1-7 Halstead Town 73 Eynesbury Rovers 0-2 Haverhill Rovers 86 Ossett Town 2-3 Knowsley United 92 Princes End United 1-0 Louth United 98 Vauxhall Motors 0-5 Molesey 102 Eastwood Town 2-1 Newtown 107 Long Eaton United 0-1 Oakham United 108 Wolverton 2-1 Oldbury United 112 Emley 2-1 Prescot 118 Rainham Town 1-2 Royston Town 121 Uxbridge 1-2 Salisbury 122 Torrington 2-5 Saltash United 131 Banbury United 1-1 Solihull Borough 135 Saffron Walden Town 2-1 Stowmarket Town 137 Rocester 1-0 Sutton Town 140 Southall 1-3 Tilbury 144 Hastings Town 0-2 Tooting & Mitcham United 146 Corinthian Casuals 1-0 Ware 151 Stroud 3-0 Westbury United 153 Brigg Town 1-1 Willenhall Town 156 Barton Rovers 2-1 Wisbech Town
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 131 Solihull Borough 2-2 Banbury United 153 Brigg Town 1-3 Willenhall Town
3rd replay Tie Home team Score Away team 131 Banbury United 3-4 Solihull Borough
1st qualifying round Ties