Five Potential FA Cup first-round upsets: Seadogs can make a splash
- There are 40 first-round FA Cup ties across this weekend
- Thirty-two non-league clubs and nine former FA Cup winners are in the draw
- Recommended bets:
- Back Hereford to beat Gillingham
- Back Scarborough Athletic to beat Forest Green
- Back Crewe to beat Derby
- Back Marine to beat Harrogate Town
- Back Slough to beat Grimsby
FA Cup first-round weekend will be full of the usual drama, excitement and upsets, and here are five ties that are just dripping with shock potential.
Just the name Hereford conjures up memories of the FA Cup's glory years.
Over 50 years have passed since that never-to-be-forgotten day when the late Ronnie Radford stole all our hearts with his wonder goal against Newcastle in a third-round tie at Edgar Street.
And Edgar Street may well be about to host another surprise, granted on a more low-key scale since the visitors on Saturday are Gillingham of League Two rather than the mighty Toon.
But the Gills have lost their way of late while the Bulls have won five in a row at home in National League North.
Forest Green are another League Two side who look hugely vulnerable on the road to a sixth-tier opponent, in their case Scarborough Athletic.
Scarborough, managed by former Manchester United midfielder Jonathan Greening, are just a point behind Hereford in the National League North and are looking forward to a first-ever first-round tie.
Their form is mixed but Forest Green's is poor, and even though there is a two-division gulf between the clubs, on weekends like these that often counts for nothing.
Paul Warne's Derby are inconsistency itself this season and as they continue to hang on to the coat-tails of those above them in the play-off positions, the FA Cup really should not be of too much importance.
It is a thankless first-round tie anyway, having to go to League Two rivals Crewe, who are having a far better season than many would have predicted.
In a division full of big-hitters, no side has scored more than the Alex, whose only defeats in the last couple of months have come against the tasty trio of Salford, Wrexham and Stockport.
Marine's win at National League high-flyers Halifax in the final qualifying round suggests the Merseysiders are more than capable of punching above their weight, and should be trusted to pull off another surprise.
The Northern Premier League side have a three-tier deficit on Harrogate Town but it was only three seasons ago they were winning at Colchester en route to a famous third-round showdown with Tottenham.
Marine are going nicely in the NPL and Harrogate, on a run of four defeats in five, hardly look invincible.
Grimsby are in a real rut and will not relish their trip to Arbour Park to take on National League South hopefuls Slough Town.
Paul Hurst was fired by the Mariners after last Saturday's 1-0 loss at Doncaster, a fourth straight defeat which left them down in 21st place in League Two.
Ben Davies and Shaun Pearson are in interim control and face a thankless task at a Slough side who have battled through five matches to get to this stage and will not want their run to end here.
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