The 1995–96 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 115th 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 575 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 18 from the previous season's 557.
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 26 August 1995 342 575 → 404 First round qualifying Saturday 9 September 1995 117 404 → 260 Second round qualifying Saturday 23 September 1995 none 260 → 188 Third round qualifying Saturday 7 October 1995 none 188 → 152 Fourth round qualifying Saturday 21 October 1995 20 152 → 124 First round proper Saturday 11 November 1995 52 124 → 84 Second round proper Saturday 2 December 1995 none 84 → 64 Third round proper Saturday 6 January 1996 44 64 → 32 Fourth round proper Saturday 27 January 1996 none 32 → 16 Fifth round proper Saturday 17 February 1996 none 16 → 8 Sixth round proper Saturday 9 March 1996 none 8 → 4 Semi-finals Saturday 31 March 1996 none 4 → 2 Final Saturday 11 May 1996 none 2 → 1
Preliminary round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 A F C Lymington 0-2 Calne Town 2 A F C Totton 3-1 Fleet Town 3 Abingdon Town 3-2 Andover 4 Aldershot Town 5-0 Selsey 5 Alnwick Town 1-3 Glasshoughton Welfare 6 Armthorpe Welfare 1-1 Bradford Park Avenue 7 Arnold 2-0 Maine Road 8 Aveley 0-0 Stowmarket Town 9 Backwell United 0-1 Elmore 10 Banstead Athletic 3-1 Burgess Hill Town 11 Barking 1-0 Royston Town 12 Barnstaple Town 2-0 Minehead 13 Basildon United 1-2 Saffron Walden Town 14 Bedfont 0-0 Langford 15 Bedford Town 1-4 Edgware Town 16 Belper Town 2-3 Worksop Town 17 Bemerton Heath Harlequins 2-3 Ryde 18 Bicester Town 0-1 Ringmer 19 Biggleswade Town 0-4 Berkhamsted Town 20 Bilston Town 0-0 Blakenall 21 Blidworth Welfare 0-0 Rossendale United 22 Bognor Regis Town 4-3 Whitehawk 23 Bournemouth 0-4 Wimborne Town 24 Bracknell Town 0-0 Kingsbury Town 25 Brandon United 1-4 Chester-Le-Street Town 26 Brierley Hill Town 0-0 Sandwell Borough 27 Brigg Town 1-1 Clitheroe 28 Brimsdown Rovers 0-2 Barton Rovers 29 Brockenhurst 0-0 Swanage Town & Herston 30 Brook House 0-0 Welwyn Garden City 31 Burnham Ramblers 1-3 Holbeach United 32 Burscough 2-2 Northallerton 33 Bury Town 1-2 Collier Row 34 Chadderton 0-1 Eastwood Town 35 Chasetown 2-1 Halesowen Harriers 36 Chatham Town 3-1 Whyteleafe 37 Cheshunt 0-1 Wealdstone 38 Chippenham Town 0-0 Paulton Rovers 39 Chipstead 0-4 Horsham 40 Clapton 2-1 Leighton Town 41 Clevedon Town 1-5 Mangotsfield United 42 Concord Rangers 2-1 Wootton Blue Cross 43 Corinthian Casuals 3-0 Stamco 44 Crook Town 3-2 Kimberley Town 45 Crowborough Athletic 1-3 Godalming & Guildford 46 Croydon 5-2 Dorking 47 Darlington Cleveland Social 0-3 Billingham Synthonia 48 Dartford 3-1 Egham Town 49 Denaby United 4-0 Hucknall Town 50 Desborough Town 0-0 Rocester 51 Devizes Town 1-1 Bristol Manor Farm 52 East Ham United 0-7 Sudbury Wanderers 53 East Thurrock United 1-1 Tiptree United 54 Eccleshill United 3-2 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 55 Epsom & Ewell 0-4 Tooting & Mitcham United 56 Esh Winning 3-1 Stockton 57 Eynesbury Rovers 4-1 Witham Town 58 Falmouth Town 3-0 Frome Town 59 Fareham Town 1-1 Weymouth 60 Farsley Celtic 2-2 Oldham Town 61 Felixstowe Port & Town 1-1 Burnham 62 Fisher '93 0-0 Merstham 63 Flackwell Heath 1-0 Potters Bar Town 64 Folkestone Invicta 1-1 Peacehaven & Telscombe 65 Forest Green Rovers 4-0 Exmouth Town 66 Glastonbury 1-5 Tuffley Rovers 67 Glossop North End 1-2 Nantwich Town 68 Goole Town 2-2 Great Harwood Town 69 Gorleston 1-5 Diss Town 70 Gosport Borough 2-0 Eastleigh 71 Great Yarmouth Town 2-1 Bourne Town 72 Guisborough Town 1-0 Gretna 73 Hadleigh United 1-0 Southall 74 Halstead Town 1-1 Stamford 75 Hanwell Town 2-4 Wingate & Finchley 76 Harefield United 0-1 Hoddesdon Town 77 Harlow Town 2-3 Thamesmead Town 78 Haverhill Rovers 0-1 Hampton 79 Herne Bay 1-1 Horsham Y M C A 80 Hertford Town 2-1 Ware 81 Hillingdon Borough 2-0 Cornard United 82 Hinckley Athletic 1-1 Ashton United 83 Hornchurch 3-0 Bowers United 84 Hungerford Town 5-0 Poole Town 85 Immingham Town 1-1 Rossington Main 86 King's Lynn 3-0 Wivenhoe Town 87 Knypersley Victoria 0-3 Stratford Town 88 Leicester United 0-0 Barwell 89 Leigh R M I 2-0 Flixton 90 Lewes 2-1 Lancing 91 Leyton Pennant 2-2 Clacton Town 92 Lincoln United 3-2 Stocksbridge Park Steels 93 Littlehampton Town 1-1 Southwick 94 Liversedge 1-4 Blackpool Rovers 95 Long Buckby 2-1 Stewart & Lloyds Corby 96 Louth United 4-0 Harworth Colliery Institute 97 Lowestoft Town 2-2 Chalfont St Peter 98 Maltby Miners Welfare 3-3 Mossley 99 March Town United 1-0 Fakenham Town 100 Melksham Town 1-2 Bridport 101 Metropolitan Police 7-0 Viking Sports 102 Milton Keynes 0-4 Leatherhead 103 Netherfield 10-1 Evenwood Town 104 Newbury Town scr-w/o Buckingham Town 105 Newmarket Town 0-1 Boston Town 106 Newport Pagnell Town 0-2 Boldmere St Michaels 107 North Ferriby United 2-4 Heanor Town 108 Northampton Spencer 2-2 Cogenhoe United 109 Northwood 3-2 Ford United 110 Oldbury United 4-0 Darlaston 111 Ossett Albion 1-3 Hatfield Main 112 Ossett Town 3-2 Castleton Gabriels 113 Pelsall Villa 1-1 Dudley Town 114 Pershore Town 1-1 Evesham United 115 Pontefract Collieries 4-1 Oakham United 116 Prescot 3-0 Atherton Collieries 117 Prudhoe Town 1-3 Consett 118 R T M Newcastle 1-2 Harrogate Railway Athletic 119 Radcliffe Borough 3-2 Alfreton Town 120 Raynes Park Vale 3-0 Canterbury City 121 Redditch United 2-2 Bridgnorth Town 122 Redhill 3-1 Tunbridge Wells 123 Rothwell Town 2-0 Rushall Olympic 124 Ryhope Community Association 2-2 Morpeth Town 125 Salford City 1-2 Newcastle Town 126 Saltash United 3-2 Torrington 127 Seaham Red Star 1-2 Billingham Town 128 Sheffield w/o-scr Caernarfon Town 129 Sheppey United 2-0 Arundel 130 Shepshed Dynamo 0-1 Grantham Town 131 Shifnal Town 0-0 Willenhall Town 132 Shoreham 4-2 Corinthian 133 Shotton Comrades 1-1 Shildon 134 Slade Green 0-2 Langney Sports 135 Soham Town Rangers 1-1 Stotfold 136 South Shields 3-4 Pickering Town 137 Spalding United 2-3 Harwich & Parkeston 138 St Helens Town 1-2 Bootle 139 Stapenhill 1-2 Lye Town 140 Steyning Town 3-0 Cove 141 Stourport Swifts 0-1 Armitage '90 142 Tadcaster Albion 1-1 Bedlington Terriers 143 Tamworth 3-1 Hinckley Town 144 Thackley 5-2 Cheadle Town 145 Thame United 4-0 Maidenhead United 146 Thatcham Town 2-1 Oakwood 147 Three Bridges 0-5 Camberley Town 148 Tilbury 1-2 Woodbridge Town 149 Tonbridge Angels 3-1 Croydon Athletic 150 Trafford 2-1 Fleetwood 151 Tufnell Park 1-0 Potton United 152 Uxbridge 4-0 Kempston Rovers 153 Washington 1-0 Garforth Town (Tie awarded to Garforth Town) 154 Wednesfield 2-2 Banbury United 155 Wellingborough Town 0-4 Bolehall Swifts 156 Welton Rovers 2-0 Odd Down 157 West Midlands Police 1-1 Raunds Town 158 Westbury United 2-2 Basingstoke Town 159 Westfields 1-1 Corby Town 160 Weston Super Mare 7-0 St Blazey 161 Whitley Bay 3-0 Easington Colliery 162 Whitstable Town 3-2 Hailsham Town 163 Wick 3-2 Portfield 164 Willington 0-0 Dunston Federation Brewery 165 Winterton Rangers 2-0 Darwen 166 Wisbech Town 4-0 Tring Town 167 Witney Town 5-0 B A T Sports 168 Worcester City 1-2 Yate Town 169 Workington 8-1 Hebburn 170 Wroxham 0-0 Canvey Island 171 Yorkshire Amateur 2-4 Borrowash Victoria
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 6 Bradford Park Avenue 1-0 Armthorpe Welfare 8 Stowmarket Town 3-4 Aveley 14 Langford 1-1 Bedfont 20 Blakenall 2-1 Bilston Town 21 Rossendale United 3-0 Blidworth Welfare 24 Kingsbury Town 0-0 Bracknell Town 26 Sandwell Borough 5-3 Brierley Hill Town 27 Clitheroe 1-0 Brigg Town 29 Swanage Town & Herston 1-1 Brockenhurst 30 Welwyn Garden City 0-2 Brook House 32 Northallerton 1-2 Burscough 38 Paulton Rovers 1-1 Chippenham Town 50 Rocester 2-4 Desborough Town 51 Bristol Manor Farm 3-1 Devizes Town 53 Tiptree United 6-2 East Thurrock United 59 Weymouth 3-2 Fareham Town 60 Oldham Town 0-2 Farsley Celtic 61 Burnham 2-3 Felixstowe Port & Town 62 Merstham 0-2 Fisher '93 64 Peacehaven & Telscombe 4-1 Folkestone Invicta 68 Great Harwood Town 3-2 Goole Town 74 Stamford 3-3 Halstead Town 79 Horsham Y M C A 1-4 Herne Bay 82 Ashton United 2-4 Hinckley Athletic 85 Rossington Main 1-4 Immingham Town 88 Barwell 1-1 Leicester United 91 Clacton Town 0-4 Leyton Pennant 93 Southwick 1-0 Littlehampton Town 97 Chalfont St Peter 4-1 Lowestoft Town 98 Mossley 4-0 Maltby Miners Welfare 108 Cogenhoe United 1-0 Northampton Spencer 113 Dudley Town 1-0 Pelsall Villa 114 Evesham United 3-2 Pershore Town 121 Bridgnorth Town 1-4 Redditch United 124 Morpeth Town 3-1 Ryhope Community Association 131 Willenhall Town 0-1 Shifnal Town 133 Shildon 2-1 Shotton Comrades 135 Stotfold 4-1 Soham Town Rangers 142 Bedlington Terriers 3-0 Tadcaster Albion 154 Banbury United 0-3 Wednesfield 157 Raunds Town 3-2 West Midlands Police 158 Basingstoke Town 5-1 Westbury United 159 Corby Town 7-5 Westfields 164 Dunston Federation Brewery 5-2 Willington 170 Canvey Island 3-1 Wroxham
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 14 Bedfont 0-4 Langford 24 Kingsbury Town 1-1 Bracknell Town 29 Brockenhurst 1-0 Swanage Town & Herston 38 Chippenham Town 0-2 Paulton Rovers 74 Stamford 1-2 Halstead Town 88 Barwell 3-4 Leicester United
3rd replay Tie Home team Score Away team 24 Bracknell Town 3-2 Kingsbury Town
1st qualifying round Ties