First Round
StrumSolo > 06/08/2013, 13:03
I love how we're straight in to the cup once the league season has started. The first round got underway last night with Preston beating local rivals Blackpool 1-0 at Deepdale, thanks to a late Tom Clarke goal. The game wasn't without controversy either, as around 200 Preston fans rushed the pitch at the final whistle, resulting in a steward being trampled by a police horse! Aggy.
The bulk of the ties (31!) take place tonight though, and with the draw for this stage of the competition being split in to North and South sections, there's a few more derbies in store. Bournemouth host Portsmouth and will be in the strange position of being clear favourites. After years of playing a league or two below Pompey, the Cherries now sit two divisions above them. The away side will want to put the weekend's 4-1 defeat to Oxford behind them but it won't be easy.
Elsewhere, AFC Wimbledon travel to Millwall for an all-London tie and in the Northern half of the draw, Bradford will make the short trip to Huddersfield while Sheffield Wednesday are just up the road in Rotherham.
Should be an intriguing night. Here are the fixtures in full:
Barnsley v Scunthorpe United
Birmingham City v Plymouth Argyle
Bournemouth v Portsmouth
Brentford v Dagenham & Redbridge
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newport County AFC
Bristol Rovers v Watford
Bury v Crewe Alexandra
Charlton Athletic v Oxford United
Cheltenham Town v Crawley Town
Colchester United v Peterborough United
Doncaster Rovers v Rochdale
Exeter City v Queens Park Rangers
Gillingham v Bristol City
Huddersfield Town v Bradford City
Leyton Orient v Coventry City
Middlesbrough v Accrington Stanley
Millwall v AFC Wimbledon
Morecambe v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Northampton Town v Milton Keynes Dons
Nottingham Forest v Hartlepool United
Oldham Athletic v Derby County
Port Vale v Walsall
Rotherham United v Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United v Burton Albion
Shrewsbury Town v Bolton Wanderers
Southend United v Yeovil Town
Stevenage v Ipswich Town
Swindon Town v Torquay United
Tranmere Rovers v Mansfield Town
Wycombe Wanderers v Leicester City
York City v Burnley
Are your team involved? How do you think they'll get on?