The 2004–05 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 124th 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 661 clubs were accepted for the competition, up 17 from the previous season’s 644.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 through 11) 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 11 league represented in the Cup, five clubs from the South Western Football League were the lowest-ranked clubs in competition. The 32 winning teams from Fourth qualifying round 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 Prize money Extra preliminary round 28 August 2004 Levels 9-11 146 none 73 £500 Preliminary round 4 September 2004 Level 8 291 73 182 £1,000 First qualifying round 18 September 2004 Level 7 66 182 124 £2,250 Second qualifying round 2 October 2004 Conference NorthConference South 44 124 84 £3,750 Third qualifying round 16 October 2004 none none 84 42 £5,000 Fourth qualifying round 30 October 2004 Conference Premier 22 42 32 £10,000
Extra preliminary round Matches played on Saturday/Sunday 28 to 29 August 2004. 146 clubs from Level 9, Level 10 and Level 11 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, while other 203 clubs from levels 9-11 get a bye to the preliminary round.
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 1Hebburn Town (10)1–4Silsden (10) 1402Maine Road (10)3–2Durham City (9) 903Skelmersdale United (9)3–1Brodsworth Miners Welfare (9) 754Newcastle Blue Star (10)1–4Liversedge (9) 5Winterton Rangers (10)1–1Goole (9) 135 Goole (9)1–0Winterton Rangers (10) 1886Curzon Ashton (9)1–3Morpeth Town (9) 787Norton & Stockton Ancients (10)1–0Yorkshire Amateur (10) 2308Tadcaster Albion (10)2–5Fleetwood Town (9) 1149Rossington Main (10)1–2Washington Nissan (10) 6310Nelson (10)0–1Chester-le-Street Town (9) 13011St Helens Town (9)4–3Newcastle Benfield Saints (9) 10012Peterlee Newtown (9)1–1Colne (9) 33 Colne (9)2–0Peterlee Newtown (9) 11713Parkgate (10)3–1Kennek Ryhope CA (10) 5514Holbeach United (9)0–1Alvechurch (9) 8015Barwell (9)1–0Oldbury United (9) 7216Cradley Town (9)0–4Chasetown (9) 6817Biddulph Victoria (9)3–1Staveley Miners Welfare (10) 14018Causeway United (9)4–3Leek CSOB (10) 12419Boldmere St Michaels (9)1–3Norton United (10) 5920Coalville Town (9)3–0Daventry Town (9) 6821Lowestoft Town (9)8–0AFC Wallingford (9) 19022Woodbridge Town (9)2–0Ware (9) 11023Concord Rangers (9)1–3Ilford (9) 3824Norwich United (9)2–0Harefield United (9) 5225North Greenford United (9)3–3Clapton (9) 68 Clapton (9)0–1North Greenford United (9) 10626Chalfont St Peter (9)2–10Wroxham (9) 4627Great Yarmouth Town (9)1–1Long Melford (10) 91 Long Melford (10)2–1Great Yarmouth Town (9) 8728Bury Town (9)6–1Hullbridge Sports (9) 16329Tiptree United (10)2–2Ruislip Manor (9) 52 Ruislip Manor (9)6–2Tiptree United (10) 9630Witham Town (9)0–1Dereham Town (9) 11731Enfield Town (9)0–0Leverstock Green (9) 263 Leverstock Green (9)1–3Enfield Town (9) 12032Wembley (9)0–2Edgware Town (9) 6633Hanwell Town (9)6–1Hadleigh United (10) 6934Royston Town (9)3–0Harpenden Town (9) 6235Bowers & Pitsea (9)0–0London Colney (9) 35 London Colney (9)7–5Bowers & Pitsea (9) 4536AFC Sudbury (9)5–1Haringey Borough (9) 24537Ely City (10)1–2Brook House (9) 8738Felixstowe & Walton United (10)1–1Leiston (9) 127 Leiston (9)4–1Felixstowe & Walton United (10) 151
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 39Wisbech Town (9)0–1Sawbridgeworth Town (9) 25740Enfield (9)5–3March Town United (10) 13841Buckingham Town (9)4–2Kingsbury Town (9) 9342Ipswich Wanderers (10)6–1St Neots Town (9) 7843Haverhill Rovers (10)5–0Needham Market (9) 10644Potters Bar Town (9)0–0Clacton Town (9) 74 Clacton Town (9)0–1Potters Bar Town (9) 16045Newmarket Town (9)1–1Ford Sports Daventry (9) 99 Ford Sports Daventry (9)2–1Newmarket Town (9) 46Cove (9)0–2Fareham Town (9) 6047VCD Athletic (9)2–0Godalming & Guildford (9) 9148Camberley Town (9)1–0Thatcham Town (9) 8749Lordswood (9)1–4Winchester City (9) 13450Chessington United (9)3–3Chichester City United (9) 40 Chichester City United (9)5–0Chessington United (9) 9551Walton Casuals (9)2–0Three Bridges (9) 9452Hythe Town (9)1–1Littlehampton Town (9) 161 Littlehampton Town (9)3–2Hythe Town (9) 14153Wick (10)2–0Saltdean United (10) 54Broadbridge Heath (10)0–2Brockenhurst (9) 16355Selsey (10)1–2Merstham (9) 10556Moneyfields (9)4–1Redhill (9) 16857Arundel (9)1–3Whitstable Town (9) 9058Greenwich Borough (9)6–3Eastbourne United Association (9) 53Greenwich Borough fielded ineligible player, therefore the winners of the match were Eastbourne United Association59Whitehawk (9)1–1AFC Totton (9) 78 AFC Totton (9)Whitehawk (9) 11060Slade Green (9)0–0Reading Town (9) 75 Reading Town (9)2–1Slade Green (9) 5261Bishop Sutton (9)1–1Frome Town (9) 87 Frome Town (9)1–0Bishop Sutton (9) 17662Hamworthy United (9)1–0Liskeard Athletic (11) 17363Willand Rovers (10)1–4St Blazey (11) 20264Highworth Town (9)2–1Falmouth Town (11) 19265Devizes Town (9)1–4Exmouth Town (9) 6266Street (10)4–2Welton Rovers (9) 11667Bristol Manor Farm (9)2–3Bridport (9) 3568Bishop's Cleeve (9)7–0Minehead Town (10) 10669Tuffley Rovers (9)0–3Barnstaple Town (9) 4270Portland United (9)0–3Bridgwater Town (9) 18071Keynsham Town (9)0–1Saltash United (10) 5272Downton (9)0–1Porthleven (11) 7073Backwell United (9)3–2Odd Down (9) 26
Preliminary round Matches played on weekend of Saturday 4 September 2004. A total of 364 clubs took part in this stage of the competition, including the 73 winners from the extra preliminary round, 203 clubs from Levels 9-11, who get a bye in the extra preliminary round and 88 entering at this stage from the four divisions at Level 8 of English football. The round featured three clubs from Level 11 (all from the South Western Football League) still in the competition, being the lowest ranked clubs in this round.
Tie Home team (tier) Score Away team (tier) 1Warrington Town (8)3–0Pontefract Collieries (10) 1322South Shields (10)3–5Blackpool Mechanics (10) 1043Flixton (10)5–2Parkgate (10) 494Willington (10)0–9Woodley Sports (8) 405Maltby Main (9)7–1Penrith (10) 756Abbey Hey (9)0–1Squires Gate (9) 527Holker Old Boys (10)2–0Hall Road Rangers (10) 1838North Shields (10)0–1Ashington (9) 1569Consett (9)1–1Crook Town (10) 91 Crook Town (10)3–1Consett (9) 12810Atherton Collieries (9)1–2Alsager Town (9) 6811Jarrow Roofing BCA (9)1–1Retford United (10) 84 Retford United (10)1–0Jarrow Roofing BCA (9) 16412Prudhoe Town (10)0–1Sheffield (9) 5013Chadderton (10)2–1Norton & Stockton Ancients (10) 12114Northallerton Town (10)1–1Billingham Town (9) 109 Billingham Town (9)1–0Northallerton Town (10) 16215Marske United (10)0–1Colwyn Bay (8) 11116Harrogate Railway Athletic (9)1–1Esh Winning (9) 117 Esh Winning (9)7–3Harrogate Railway Athletic (9) 9817Pickering Town (9)1–0Bedlington Terriers (9) 13918Padiham (10)1–5Billingham Synthonia (9) 28819Silsden (10)1–1Hallam (9) 315 Hallam (9)1–3Silsden (10) 11020Clitheroe (8)6–1Tow Law Town (9) 22721St Helens Town (9)0–3West Auckland Town (9) 10622Kendal Town (8)4–1Eccleshill United (9) 11523Bacup Borough (9)0–3Chorley (8) 9224Cheadle Town (10)0–3Maine Road (9) 8925Horden Colliery Welfare (9)1–0AFC Telford United (8) 19226Armthorpe Welfare (9)1–1Thackley (9) 47 Thackley (9)1–4Armthorpe Welfare (9) 12727Ossett Albion (8)0–0Washington (10) 107 Washington (10)0–1Ossett Albion (8) 5628Great Harwood Town (9)0–2Glasshoughton Welfare (9) 7929Seaham Red Star (10)3–3Whickham (10) 54 Whickham (10)4–0Seaham Red Star (10) 7630Guisborough Town (9)1–3Brigg Town (8) 8431Cammell Laird (10)2–0Goole (9) 19332Mossley (8)3–0Selby Town (9) 23833Thornaby (9)2–1Easington Colliery (10) 7534Fleetwood Town (9)6–0Alnwick Town (10) 17135Chester-le-Street Town (9)0–2Colne (9) 7536Ramsbottom United (9)3–0Evenwood Town (10) 13137Darwen (10)0–0Brandon United (9) 88 Brandon United (9)4–1Darwen (10) 6138Washington Nissan (10)1–1Dunston Federation Brewery (9) 39 Dunston Federation Brewery (9)4–1Washington Nissan (10) 14239Shildon (9)2–0Garforth Town (10) 21740Oldham Town (10)0–0Atherton Laburnum Rovers (9) 51 Atherton Laburnum Rovers (9)1–0Oldham Town (10) 9041Trafford (9)4–2North Ferriby United (8) 16042Whitley Bay (9)3–1Salford City (9) 20843Rossendale United (8)1–4Liversedge (9) 14244Winsford United (10)2–1Morpeth Town (9) 45Skelmersdale United (9)1–1Stocksbridge Park Steels (8) 122 Stocksbridge Park Steels (8)0–2Skelmersdale United (9) 12346Shepshed Dynamo (8)3–2Racing Club Warwick (9) 14747Congleton Town (9)0–1Carlton Town (10) 17148Causeway United (9)1–1Lincoln Moorlands (10) 42 Lincoln Moorlands (10)0–3Causeway United (9) 4849Eastwood Town (8)1–2Willenhall Town (8) 15950Gedling Town (10)0–3Coalville Town (9) 3951Stourbridge (9)1–3Norton United (10) 17952Glossop North End (9)2–3Ludlow Town (9) 10553Stratford Town (9)2–1Mickleover Sports (9) 14854Bedworth United (8)2–0Quorn (9) 14855Long Eaton United (9)0–3Spalding United (8) 9856Boston Town (9)1–2Stone Dominoes (9) 4857Chasetown (9)2–2Belper Town (8) 140 Belper Town (8)2–0Chasetown (9) 16758Borrowash Victoria (9)1–0Biddulph Victoria (9) 5259Arnold Town (9)1–4Rocester (8) 18860Kidsgrove Athletic (8)1–4Newcastle Town (9) 28161Rushall Olympic (9)3–0Bourne Town (9) 7162Blackstones (9)1–2Barwell (9) 7063Sutton Coldfield Town (8)1–0Nantwich Town (9) 8864Buxton (9)1–1Stourport Swifts (8) 364 Stourport Swifts (8)Buxton (9) 12565Sutton Town (10)2–1Oadby Town (9) 25466Shirebrook Town (9)3–1Bromsgrove Rovers (8) 30567Alvechurch (9)1–3Ilkeston Town (8) 10568Gresley Rovers (8)1–0Studley (9) 25269Corby Town (8)1–2Westfields (9) 10670Deeping Rangers (9)2–0Glapwell (9) 16171Cogenhoe United (9)7–0Woodford United (9) 8472Soham Town Rangers (9)1–0Leighton Town (8) 12673Sawbridgeworth Town (9)0–3Haverhill Rovers (10) 8474Rothwell Town (8)2–3Berkhamsted Town (8) 9375Enfield Town (9)2–1AFC Sudbury (9) 39176Royston Town (9)0–5Barkingside (9) 8277Brackley Town (8)5–2Stowmarket Town (9) 12478Fakenham Town (10)2–3Gorleston (9) 10579Enfield (9)1–0Long Buckby (9) 9880Great Wakering Rovers (8)1–1Maldon Town (8) 140 Maldon Town (8)3–1Great Wakering Rovers (8) 20081London Colney (9)2–2St Margaretsbury (9) 50 St Margaretsbury (9)2–1London Colney (9) 6882East Thurrock United (8)3–3Halstead Town (9) 104 Halstead Town (9)1–0East Thurrock United (8) 18983Bedford United & Valerio (9)0–3Potton United (9) 5484Ford Sports Daventry (9)1–1Southend Manor (9) 35 Southend Manor (9)3–1Ford Sports Daventry (9) 5485Long Melford (10)1–0Woodbridge Town (9) 11586Stanway Rovers (10)0–3Boreham Wood (8) 11087Desborough Town (9)1–4North Greenford United (9) 85