It`s the Fifth Round this week and only one club playing in the Southern League at the time has ever reached that far in the competition – and only five non-League clubs in total.
The 1947/48 season was Colchester United`s fifth consecutive full campaign in the Southern League.
They eventually finished fourth in the league and were runners-up in the Southern League Cup, although the final wasn't held until April 1949 due to fixture congestion.
However, Ted Fenton`s side progressed to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.
After beating league rivals Chelmsford City and then Birmingham Combination side Banbury Spencer, both at home, Fenton’s side discovered some real momentum, to give the town its first taste of FA Cup fever.
In an atmosphere of growing hysteria, Football League sides Wrexham 1-0, Huddersfield Town 1-0 and Bradford Park Avenue 3-2 had also fallen by the wayside and all at Layer Road.
It presented Colchester with its greatest task ever – a first away tie of the run and at Bloomfield Road against First Division giants Blackpool and a last sixteen encounter with Stan Matthews and Stan Mortenson et-al.
More than 30,000 fans, including 3,000 who made the trip from Colchester, crammed into Bloomfield Road that day to see the gallant U’s beaten 5-0.
But for 20 minutes in the first half – after being a goal down in 4 minutes – Colchester threw Blackpool right off their game with the speed of their tackling and terrific team spirit.
But Blackpool’s class inevitably told in the end and after they had doubled their lead on the half-hour mark, three further goals immediately after half-time put them in firm control of the tie and ended Colchester’s dream run.
Blackpool went all the way to the final that season, beating Fulham 2-0 in the quarter-finals and Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in the last four, before losing 4-2 to Manchester United in the final at Wembley.
Matthews had to wait another five years before collecting his coveted winners' medal, following a memorable 4-3 Wembley victory over Bolton Wanderers.
For Colchester, the extraordinary 1947/48 cup run, along with the club’s highly successful Southern League exploits, earned them their election to the Football League two years later, in 1950.
The 2005/06 season saw a then-Conference side Tamworth reach the Third Round for the first time in their history.
As a Conference National side, the Lambs were exempt until the Fourth Qualifying Round where they beat Altrincham 3-1 at home.
The First Round saw Tamworth overcome League One AFC Bournemouth 2-1 at Dean Court.
Graham Ward have the Lambs a 29th-minute lead which Brian Stock cancelled out right on half-time.
But Kyle Storer (pictured) won it for the non-League side with 8 minutes remaining.
In the Second Round, it was a trip up north for the Lambs to take on another League One outfit, Hartlepool United.
Tamworth were able to hold out for another 2-1 win in which Jake Edwards put them in front after 33 minutes and Matt Redmile added a second 3 minutes into the second half.
A Chris Llewellyn penalty 4 minutes later reduced the deficit, but the visitors held on to go into their first-ever Third Round draw.
The draw was made and it was a tough trip away to then-Championship side Stoke City, who boasted players such as Luke Chadwick, Mamady Sidibe and Paul Gallagher.
The Lambs were able to earn a replay after playing out a very respectable and hard-earned 0-0 draw in the initial fixture in front of just under 10,000 at the Britannia Stadium.
The return leg, held at The Lamb eleven days later, saw Nathan Jackson sent the majority in the 3,812 crowd wild when he put Tamworth in front just before half-time.
The Potters didn`t manage to pull back on level terms until 10 minutes from the end of normal time through Paul Gallagher.
It went to extra-time and still ended in a 1-1 draw, which meant the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
And after an extraordinary effort from Tamworth, they were beaten 5-4 on penalties when Mick Tuohy had his effort saved by Steve Simonsen and Belgian Carl Hoefkens beat Scott Bevan with his penalty to see Stoke through.
In 1989/90, Gloucester City were members of the Southern League Premier Division but had to start their FA Cup campaign at the First Qualifying Round stage.
They were drawn at home at Meadow Park to Western League side Mangotsfield United and braces from Lance Morrison and Brian Hughes saw the Tigers comfortably through 4-0.
Next up was another home tie against Southern Midland Division side Barry Town, who held City to a 2-2 draw, with Ricky Chandler and Chris Townsend on target.
Gloucester crossed the bridge for the replay and eased to a 2-0 win, thanks to Morrison and Martin Williams.
By then they already knew they would be facing Premier Division rivals Worcester City in a derby at Meadow Park in the Third Qualifying Round.
And goals from Hughes, Morrison (pictured) and two from David Payne saw the Tigers through 4-2.
The Fourth Qualifying Round draw sent City down to Kent to play Southern League South Division outfit Folkestone at Cheriton Road, where a hard-earned 1-0 win, courtesy of another goal from former Bath City stalwart Payne saw them through to the First Round.
Disappointingly for both teams, it was another Premier Division rival in Dorchester Town who came out of the velvet bag but at least for City it was another home tie in which Steve Talboys only goal of the game sealed the victory.
The Second Round paired Gloucester with a relatively short trip back over the bridge to face a then-Third Division Cardiff City at Ninian Park.
Cardiff were struggling at the time – and suffered relegation at the end of the season – but were still firm favourites to beat Gloucester, who defied the odds to race into a 2-0 lead with goals from Talboys and Townsend.
It wasn`t until 7 minutes from time that Jeff Chandler managed to reduce the deficit and then he equalised 3 minutes later to give the Bluebirds a second go.
The draw for the Third Round paired the winners with a trip to First Division Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
But a Morrys Scott effort sealed Cardiff`s 1-0 win in the replay at Meadow Park to bring an end to Gloucester`s run.
Kettering Town have enjoyed many decent FA Cup runs over the years.
And although their run of 1960/61 won`t go down as their best, it`s worth recalling as the club were at a low ebb at the time, having been relegated from the Southern Premier Division at the end of the previous season.
But under former England star Jack Froggatt – still performing tremendously well on-the-field – the Poppies would bounce straight back after one season in the First Division.
Their FA Cup run of 60/61 began with a very short trip to neighbours and new league rivals Corby Town at Occupation Road.
Goals from Austin McGill and Harry Walden (pictured) gave the visitors a 2-1 win.
The Second Qualifying Round gave Kettering a home tie with Stamford, who were then members of the Central Alliance.
A comfortable 3-0 win with goals from McGill, Walden and Jimmy Morrow saw them through.
Next up was then-Metropolitan League side St Neots Town, again at Rockingham Road where another fairly comfortable 2-0 win was achieved.
It was former league rivals Boston United in the Fourth Qualifying Round but again it was a home draw.
Boston finished bottom of the Premier Division the previous season, but instead of being relegated, quit the Southern League and joined the Midland League.
But the Pilgrims looked like causing an upset when they led 1-0 with seconds remaining. However, player-boss Jack Froggatt popped up with a last-gasp equaliser to earn a replay.
The replay would take place under the York Street floodlights – a first for the Poppies in the cup.
And a 3-1 win for the visitors in front of over 4,000 fans with goals from Bernard Shaw and two from Walden earned them a First Round trip to Wycombe Wanderers.
The Chairboys were still `amateurs` in those days, playing in the Isthmian League, and boasted several England Amateur internationals in their side.
And again, winger Harry Walden was the hero with the decisive goal in the 2-1 win.
The Poppies went into the hat for the Second Round draw for the first time in 34 years and it sent them to Elm Park to play Third Division Reading.
Kettering found themselves facing a hiding as they went into half-time 4-1 down, with Walden once more on target.
However, a brave second half performance saw them keep Reading at bay and reduce the arrears by one through Walden`s opposite flank man, Hughie Morrow, but the run was over.
In season 1994/95, current Southern Division One Central club Aylesbury United were members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and were about to embark on an FA Cup run that created an iconic moment in the history of the competition.
The Ducks` run began in the First Qualifying Round with a home tie at Buckingham Road against Boreham Wood, who were in the Isthmian League Division Two at the time.
And goals from Bob Dowie, Paul Hobbs and Cliff Hercules (pictured) sealed a 3-1 win.
The next round paired Aylesbury with Isthmian Division Two side Edgware Town, again at home, where Hercules and Jon Blencowe completed a 2-0 win.
The Third Qualifying Round saw the Ducks handed an away tie at Southern League South Division Baldock Town – a side who would win promotion at the end of the season after finishing second behind Salisbury City.
But an own goal along with one from Allan Pluckrose saw Aylesbury safely through 2-0.
It was Southern Midland Division Moor Green away in the Fourth Qualifying Round and a Paul Murray effort earned the Ducks a replay.
Three days later, Aylesbury made it through to the First Round for the ninth time in ten seasons after a 3-1 replay win at Buckingham Road which stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to eleven games.
Hercules and Steve Heard gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead by the hour-mark, and although Richard Evans reduced the deficit on 76 minutes, a second for Hercules 11 minutes from time saw the hosts through.
The First Round draw was unkind, however, as it sent the Ducks on a long trip to the Isle of Wight to play Southern South Division outfit Newport.
And tricky it proved as in front of a vociferous home crowd of 2,217, Aylesbury just managed to edge through 3-2, thanks to two more Hercules goals and one from Pluckrose.
The draw for the Second Round wasn`t exactly kind to Steve Ketteridge`s side as it sent them away to league rivals Kingstonian.
But the upside is that at least they knew what to expect and that proved crucial as they raced to a 4-1 win with goals from Pluckrose from the penalty spot, Hercules, Blencowe and Naseem Bashir.
Having been unkind to the Ducks, the Third Round came up trumps with a home tie against Premier League Queens Park Rangers.
However, they switched the game to Loftus Road where a crowd of 15,417 saw the cup run come to an end as Danny Maddix, Les Ferdinand and Kevin Gallen, who would later play for Aylesbury, give the R`s a 3-0 half-time lead which Michael Meaker added to 12 minutes from time.
Unfortunately, Aylesbury couldn`t find a goal which would have sparked off another of what had become their iconic `duck walk` goal celebration!
The `duck walk` had become famous on the television program 'They think it's all over'.
Allen Batsford took over a manager of Southern League Premier Division Wimbledon in the summer of 1974.
The Dons had finished 12th in 1973/74 and had been knocked out of the FA Cup by Southern Division One North side King`s Lynn in the First Round.
Batsford inherited only seven players at Plough Lane, and a plethora of his former charges at Walton & Hersham were brought in to bolster the numbers.
And what a transformation!
Wimbledon`s unbelievable run in the FA Cup in 1974/75 which culminated in a magnificent draw at Elland Road against a Leeds United side who were top of the tree in the First Division and European football at the time ultimately led to the Dons achieving Football League status three years later after Batsford had led them to three successive league titles.
That cup run of 74/75 started way back in the First Qualifying Round against then-Spartan League side Bracknell Town away from home and when new goalkeeper Dickie Guy, one of those who followed Batsford from Walton & Hersham, dropped a cross into his own net, the omens weren`t good!
However, the visitors recovered to record a comfortable 3-1 win.
The Second and Third Qualifying Rounds paired the Dons with Isthmian League Division Two outfits Maidenhead United (4-0) and Wokingham Town and both were won fairly comfortably, 4-0 and 2-0 respectively.
The final qualifying round saw the Dons drawn away to struggling league rivals Guildford & Dorking as they were known then following the merger of Guildford City and Dorking.
Although Batsford`s side had won 5-0 in the league against the same opposition a few weeks earlier, a close match ensued, and Wimbledon's two late goals gave the scoreline a rather flattering 3-0 look.
As in the previous season, another Southern Premier rival, Bath City, was the First Round 'reward' and a hard-earned 1-0 win came courtesy of a long-range Mick Mahon effort.
Another home draw in the Second Round against fellow Southern Leaguers Kettering Town.
At the time of playing the Poppies, Wimbledon were on a long unbeaten run and a crowd of almost 6,000 (including me!) saw a rather tepid visiting side, now under Geoff Vowden following the departure of Ron Atkinson to Cambridge United, lose 2-0 and earned the Dons a place in the Third Round for the first time in history.
However, even though the ball drawn out of the velvet bag first was a First Division side, it wasn`t a Manchester United or a Liverpool, it was Burnley, which meant a slightly lesser pay day for the Dons and only a very slim chance of getting through.
Over 1,000 Wimbledon fans made the journey to Lancashire to take on a Burnley side that were sitting mid-table in the top division of English football and contained the likes of Leighton James, Martin Dobson, Ray Hankin and goalkeeper Alan Stevenson.
But Turf Moor was about to witness was one of the amazing results in FA Cup history as a non-League team won on the ground of First Division opponents for the first time since 1920.
The only goal came in the 48th minute when Ian Cooke's shot was parried by Stevenson and Micky Mahon drove in the rebound.
Dickie Guy made some decent saves in the first half, but he surpassed himself in the second with brilliant stops from Paul Fletcher and Hankin.
The Dons held on to win 1-0 and were in the bag for Monday`s Fourth Round draw.
And unbelievably, the Southern League minnows were handed another away tie but it was at Elland Road against reigning First Division champions Leeds United!
Media interest was now emormous and some of the Wimbledon team became almost as familiar faces as the likes of George Best or Kevin Keegan!
The game finally arrived and a crowd of 46,230 saw an amazing defensive performance by Wimbledon which culminated in a save by Dickie Guy from the normally reliable Peter Lorimer's penalty with just 8 minutes left force an incredible goalless draw.
Guy`s penalty save became one of the most replayed football situations for years – these days it would have gone `viral`!
The incredible performance at Elland Road only increased interest in this little South London club and there were overnight ques for replay tickets!
As it happened, the replay never took place at Plough Lane, due to a waterlogged pitch, which pleased the police as they believed there were thousands of forged tickets in circulation.
The match was switched to Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park where another 45,000-plus crowd saw the end of Wimbledon`s cup dream.
But as can so often happen when a lower league side earns a replay against a top team, the Dons weren`t overawed or even look like being hammered as only a deflected Johnny Giles effort which was going well wide, separated the teams in the end.
<7r> It was a fantastic achievement by Allen Batsford`s side, who would go on and dominate the Southern League for the next three seasons.
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