The 2002–03 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 122nd 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 624 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 28 from the previous season’s 596.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (levels 5 through 10) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. South Western Football League was the only level 10 league represented in the Cup, three clubs from the South Western Football League were the lowest-ranked clubs in competition. The 32 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 Leagues entering at this round New entries this round Winners from previous round Number of fixtures Extra preliminary round 17 August 2002 Levels 8-10 90 none 45 Preliminary round 31 August 2002 Level 7 351 45 198 First qualifying round 14 September 2002 none none 198 99 Second qualifying round 28 September 2002 Isthmian LeagueNorthern Premier LeagueSouthern Football League(Premier divisions) 69 99 84 Third qualifying round 12 October 2002 none none 84 42 Fourth qualifying round 26 October 2002 Football Conference 22 42 32
Extra preliminary round Matches played on Saturday 17 August 2002. 90 clubs from level 8 and level 9 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, while other 237 clubs from levels 8–10 get a bye to the preliminary round.
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier)1Bedford United & Valerio (8)0–1Brook House (8)2Deal Town (8)2–2Chichester City United (8) Chichester City United (8)2–3Deal Town (8)3Dereham Town (8)1–3AFC Wallingford (8)4Alton Town (8)1–1Didcot Town (8) Didcot Town (8)1–0Alton Town (8)5Bridgnorth Town (8)4–2Gedling Town (9)6Flixton (8)1–1Goole (8) Goole (8)Flixton (8)7Greenwich Borough (8)1–4Three Bridges (8)8Highworth Town (8)2–2Fairford Town (8) Fairford Town (8)1–4Highworth Town (8)9Holker Old Boys (9)0–2Bridlington Town (8)10Horden Colliery Welfare (9)2–1Armthorpe Welfare (8)11Horsham YMCA (8)1–3Eastleigh (8)12Ilford (9)3–0Kempston Rovers (8)13Littlehampton Town (8)0–6Godalming & Guildford (8)14Lymington & New Milton (8)2–2East Preston (8) East Preston (8)1–2Lymington & New Milton (8)15Maltby Main (9)0–6Billingham Synthonia (8)16Bishop Sutton (8)2–1Melksham Town (8)17Moneyfields (8)1–0Burgess Hill Town (8)18Morpeth Town (8)3–2Curzon Ashton (8)19Leek CSOB (9)0–3Nantwich Town (8)20Newmarket Town (8)2–3Ely City (8)Ely City disqualified for fielding ineligible player21Chester-le-Street Town (8)3–1Northallerton Town (9)
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier)22Nelson (9)0–0Norton & Stockton Ancients (9) Norton & Stockton Ancients (9)1–2Nelson (9)23Paulton Rovers (8)5–1Downton (8)24Penrith (9)3–2Brandon United (8)25Consett (8)4–1Pontefract Collieries (9)26Potters Bar Town (8)1–2Milton Keynes City (8)27Ramsgate (8)1–1Maidstone United (8) Maidstone United (8)1–0Ramsgate (8)28Reading Town (8)3–1Farnham Town (8)29Chessington United (8)0–1Ringmer (8)30Raunds Town (8)1–0Ruislip Manor (8)31Saffron Walden Town (9)0–1Hullbridge Sports (9)32Marske United (8)1–4Salford City (8)33Sawbridgeworth Town (9)2–0Harwich & Parkeston (8)34Mickleover Sports (9)3–1Shirebrook Town (9)35AFC Totton (8)3–2Southwick (8)36Grosvenor Park (8)2–0Stafford Town (8)37Stotfold (8)0–0Broxbourne Borough V&E (8) Broxbourne Borough V&E (8)1–5Stotfold (8)38Stratford Town (8)4–1Stourbridge (8)39Street (9)3–1Keynsham Town (8)40Ramsbottom United (8)1–0Thackley (8)41Tiptree United (8)1–1Ipswich Wanderers (8) Ipswich Wanderers (8)Tiptree United (8)42Portland United (8)6–2Welton Rovers (8)43Walton Casuals (8)0–4Whitehawk (8)44Christchurch (8)3–0Willand Rovers (9)45West Auckland Town (8)2–1Winsford United (8)
Preliminary round Matches played on weekend of Saturday 31 August 2002. A total of 396 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 45 winners from the extra preliminary round, 237 clubs from levels 8–10, who get a bye in the extra preliminary round and 114 entering at this stage from the five divisions at level 7 of English football. The round featured three clubs from level 10 (all from the South Western Football League) in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round. Also, Gretna, who switched to the Scottish league system were excluded from the FA Cup.
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier)1Abbey Hey (8)0–0Bamber Bridge (7) Bamber Bridge (7)Abbey Hey (8)2Banbury United (7)1–1Berkhamsted Town (7) Berkhamsted Town (7)1–4Banbury United (7)3Bowers United (9)1–4Arlesey Town (7)4Brentwood (9)2–2AFC Wallingford (8) AFC Wallingford (8)4–1Brentwood (9)5Biddulph Victoria (8)2–0Bridgnorth Town (8)6Bournemouth (8)3–0Bridgwater Town (8)7Bacup Borough (9)1–2Bridlington Town (8)8Bedlington Terriers (8)3–0Brodsworth Miners Welfare (8)9Bromley (7)3–2Abingdon Town (8)10Barwell (8)1–1Bromsgrove Rovers (7) Bromsgrove Rovers (7)4–3Barwell (8)11Brook House (8)2–3Burnham (7)12Bury Town (8)2–3Barton Rovers (7)13Ashford Town (Kent) (7)1–3Carshalton Athletic (7)14Bedworth United (7)1–1Causeway United (8) Causeway United (8)1–2Bedworth United (7)15Chertsey Town (7)4–1Arundel (8)16Bishop Sutton (8)1–3Cinderford Town (7)17Clapton (8)0–3Beaconsfield SYCOB (8)18Clevedon Town (7)2–2Bitton (9) Bitton (9)1–2Clevedon Town (7)19Ashington (9)1–0Colne (9)20Camberley Town (8)0–1Cove (8)21Alnwick Town (9)1–2Crook Town (9)22Beckenham Town (8)1–2Croydon (7)23Dartford (7)2–2Carterton Town (8) Carterton Town (8)1–0Dartford (7)24Three Bridges (8)3–1Didcot Town (8)25Cogenhoe United (8)0–2Diss Town (8)26Croydon Athletic (7)0–0Eastbourne Borough (7) Eastbourne Borough (7)4–1Croydon Athletic (7)27Eastbourne United (9)0–3Cobham (8)28Bourne Town (8)1–1Eastwood Town (7) Eastwood Town (7)3–1Bourne Town (8)29Darwen (9)1–3Eccleshill United (8)30Chatham Town (7)0–0Egham Town (7) Egham Town (7)0–1Chatham Town (7)31Elmore (8)1–2Backwell United (8)32Corinthian-Casuals (7)1–1Epsom & Ewell (7) Epsom & Ewell (7)1–2Corinthian-Casuals (7)33Eastleigh (8)5–0Erith & Belvedere (7)34Evenwood Town (9)1–4Durham City (8)35Brislington (8)2–2Evesham United (7) Evesham United (7)3–2Brislington (8)36Falmouth Town (10)2–0Bristol Manor Farm (9)37Brockenhurst (8)3–2Fleet Town (7)38Glossop North End (8)1–0Boldmere St Michaels (8)39Belper Town (7)0–1Gresley Rovers (7)40Billingham Town (8)w/oGretna (-)Walkover for Billingham Town – Gretna removed after being granted entry into the Scottish League, allowing them to compete in the Scottish Cup41Guisborough Town (8)2–0Blackpool Mechanics (9)42AFC Newbury (8)2–1Hailsham Town (8)43Chester-le-Street Town (8)2–0Hall Road Rangers (9)44Hanwell Town (8)0–3Great Wakering Rovers (7)45East Thurrock United (7)1–2Harefield United (8)46Harlow Town (7)0–1Aveley (7)47Easington Colliery (9)1–3Hebburn Town (9)48Chalfont St Peter (8)0–3Hemel Hempstead Town (7)49Concord Rangers (9)2–3Hertford Town (7)50Highworth Town (8)3–0Cirencester Town (7)51Hillingdon Borough (8)2–2Chessington & Hook United (8) Chessington & Hook United (8)1–3Hillingdon Borough (8)52Hoddesdon Town (8)0–2AFC Sudbury (8)53Great Yarmouth Town (8)2–1Holmer Green (8)54Hullbridge Sports (9)2–5Edgware Town (8)55Deal Town (8)4–2Hythe Town (8)56Devizes Town (8)5–2Ilfracombe Town (9)57Glasshoughton Welfare (8)1–3Jarrow Roofing BCA (8)58Brigg Town (8)2–4Kendal Town (7)59Kidsgrove Athletic (7)4–1Buxton (8)60King's Lynn (7)1–0Deeping Rangers (8)61Banstead Athletic (7)1–4Leatherhead (7)62Ipswich Wanderers (8)2–3Leyton Pennant (7)63Chorley (7)5–0Liversedge (8)64Horsham (7)2–2Lordswood (8) Lordswood (8)1–2Horsham (7)65Louth United (9)4–1Cheadle Town (9)66Lymington & New Milton (8)1–1Dulwich Hamlet (7) Dulwich Hamlet (7)1–3Lymington & New Milton (8)67Maine Road (9)1–2Guiseley (7)68Maldon Town (8)1–1Flackwell Heath (8) Flackwell Heath (8)1–0Maldon Town (8)69Bashley (7)2–2Mangotsfield United (7) Mangotsfield United (7)0–1Bashley (7)70Long Buckby (8)0–2Marlow (7)71Merthyr Tydfil (7)3–0Christchurch (8)72Metropolitan Police (7)4–0Lancing (9)73Mickleover Sports (9)2–1Cradley Town (8)74Mildenhall Town (8)0–0London Colney (8) London Colney (8)1–0Mildenhall Town (8)75Minehead Town (9)0–2Gloucester City (7)76Molesey (7)3–0Hassocks (8)77Moneyfields (8)0–2BAT Sports (8)78Goole (8)0–3Mossley (8)79North Leigh (8)0–5Cowes Sports (8)80Nantwich Town (8)4–0Holbeach United (8)81Nelson (9)2–3Bishop Auckland (7)82Newcastle Town (8)0–1Leek Town (7)83Newmarket Town (8)1–3Ilford (9)84Newport (Isle of Wight) (7)1–1Blackfield & Langley (8) Blackfield & Langley (8)0–3Newport (Isle of Wight) (7)85Haringey Borough (8)0–1Northwood (7)86Oxford City (7)0–1Cray Wanderers (8)87Pagham (8)3–2Bracknell Town (7)88Odd Down (8)0–2Paulton Rovers (8)89Pelsall Villa (8)1–1Borrowash Victoria (8) Borrowash Victoria (8)1–4Pelsall Villa (8)90Peterlee Newtown (8)2–1Billingham Synthonia (8)91Matlock Town (7)2–2Pickering Town (8) Pickering Town (8)0–1Matlock Town (7)92Porthleven (10)0–5Dorchester Town (7)93Corsham Town (9)3–1Portland United (8)94Histon (7)2–3Quorn (8)95Clitheroe (8)1–3Radcliffe Borough (7)96Ramsbottom United (8)3–0Chadderton (9)97Raunds Town (8)5–1Burnham Ramblers (9)98Arnold Town (8)1–0Racing Club Warwick (7)99Redditch United (7)2–1Grosvenor Park (8)