The 1996–97 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 116th 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 574 clubs were accepted for the competition, down one from the previous season's 575.
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 through 8) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with five rounds of preliminary (1) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. The 28 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 New Entries Clubs Preliminary round Saturday 31 August 1996 340 574 → 404 First round qualifying Saturday 14 September 1996 118 404 → 260 Second round qualifying Saturday 28 September 1996 none 260 → 188 Third round qualifying Saturday 12 October 1996 none 188 → 152 Fourth round qualifying Saturday 26 October 1996 20 152 → 124 First round proper Saturday 16 November 1996 52 124 → 84 Second round proper Saturday 7 December 1996 none 84 → 64 Third round proper Saturday 4 January 1997 44 64 → 32 Fourth round proper Saturday 25 January 1997 none 32 → 16 Fifth round proper Saturday 15 February 1997 none 16 → 8 Sixth round proper Saturday 8 March 1997 none 8 → 4 Semi-finals Saturday 13 April 1997 none 4 → 2 Final Saturday 17 May 1997 none 2 → 1
Preliminary round Ties Tie Home team Score Away team 1 A F C Lymington 6-1 Windsor & Eton 2 Alnwick Town 0-0 Consett 3 Arlesey Town 3-1 Potton United 4 Arundel 3-0 Canterbury City 5 Ashford Town (Middx) 2-0 Slade Green 6 Ashington 4-5 Ashfield United 7 Banbury United 0-1 V S Rugby 8 Barwell 0-2 Bilston Town 9 Basildon United 0-2 Woodbridge Town 10 Bedfont 1-2 Tunbridge Wells 11 Bedworth United 2-2 Paget Rangers 12 Belper Town 1-1 Leigh R M I 13 Bemerton Heath Harlequins 2-0 Bicester Town 14 Berkhamsted Town 2-3 Chesham United 15 Biggleswade Town 0-1 London Colney 16 Blackpool Rovers 1-2 Hucknall Town 17 Blakenall 3-0 Glossop North End 18 Bootle 2-0 Seaham Red Star 19 Bournemouth 1-3 Abingdon Town 20 Bowers United 2-1 Hanwell Town 21 Brandon United 3-1 Tadcaster Albion 22 Bridport 0-1 Clevedon Town 23 Brimsdown Rovers 1-3 Tring Town 24 Burgess Hill Town 4-1 Epsom & Ewell 25 Burnham Ramblers 1-1 Great Yarmouth Town 26 Bury Town 4-1 Milton Keynes 27 Chasetown 2-0 Boldmere St Michaels 28 Cheadle Town 0-0 Burscough 29 Cirencester Town 1-0 Yate Town 30 Concord Rangers 2-2 Barking 31 Corby Town 5-1 Eynesbury Rovers 32 Corinthian Casuals 1-1 Chipstead 33 Cornard United 0-2 Gorleston 34 Cove 1-0 Ash United 35 Croydon Athletic 2-0 Lewes 36 Dartford 1-1 Horsham 37 Devizes Town 2-0 Westbury United 38 Droylsden 1-5 Stocksbridge Park Steels 39 Dudley Town 1-3 Tamworth 40 East Grinstead 2-3 Folkestone Invicta 41 East Thurrock United 4-2 Mirrlees Blackstone 42 Eastleigh 0-3 Hungerford Town 43 Eastwood Hanley 0-1 Crook Town 44 Eccleshill United 2-1 Hallam 45 Edgware Town 1-1 Flackwell Heath 46 Endsleigh 0-3 Bristol Manor Farm 47 Erith & Belvedere 2-2 Kingsbury Town 48 Esh Winning 1-3 Oldham Town 49 Evenwood Town 3-1 Darwen 50 Fakenham Town 2-2 Maldon Town 51 Falmouth Town 3-0 Barnstaple Town 52 Felixstowe Port & Town 0-1 Clapton 53 Ferryhill Athletic 1-2 Yorkshire Amateur 54 Fleet Town 2-0 Waterlooville 55 Flixton 4-1 R T M Newcastle 56 Ford United 1-0 Harwich & Parkeston 57 Frome Town 3-0 Elmore 58 Glasshoughton Welfare 1-2 Matlock Town 59 Glastonbury 2-4 Calne Town 60 Godalming & Guildford 5-2 Carterton Town 61 Gosport Borough 2-1 Ryde 62 Hailsham Town 2-2 Redhill 63 Halesowen Harriers 2-2 Long Buckby 64 Harefield United 2-4 Halstead Town 65 Haringey Borough 0-3 Hornchurch 66 Harrogate Railway Athletic 5-2 Stockton 67 Harrogate Town 6-0 Whitley Bay 68 Harworth Colliery Institute 0-0 Blidworth Welfare 69 Hassocks 1-3 Egham Town 70 Hatfield Main 0-0 Farsley Celtic 71 Haverhill Rovers 5-1 Holbeach United 72 Heanor Town 3-4 Sheffield 73 Hebburn 0-5 Dunston Federation Brewery 74 Hemel Hempstead 1-0 Ware 75 Hillingdon Borough 1-4 Stowmarket Town 76 Hoddesdon Town 0-1 Stotfold 77 Horden Colliery Welfare 0-4 Atherton Collieries 78 Horsham Y M C A 6-1 Littlehampton Town 79 Kidsgrove Athletic 0-3 Chester-Le-Street Town 80 Kimberley Town 1-1 Rossington Main 81 Knypersley Victoria 4-0 Stewart & Lloyds Corby 82 Langford 0-4 Brackley Town 83 Langney Sports 1-3 Chalfont St Peter 84 Leyton Pennant 0-0 Collier Row & Romford 85 Liversedge 0-0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 86 Louth United 2-2 Guisborough Town 87 Lowestoft Town 1-2 Boston Town 88 Lye Town 0-4 Desborough Town 89 Maidenhead United 0-1 Havant Town 90 Mangotsfield United 6-1 Chippenham Town 91 March Town United 2-1 Barkingside 92 Margate 0-1 Banstead Athletic 93 Melksham Town 2-1 Bridgwater Town 94 Merstham 3-2 Deal Town 95 Mile Oak 5-1 Lancing 96 Murton 1-0 Congleton Town 97 Nantwich Town 5-0 South Shields 98 Netherfield 3-0 Shildon 99 Newcastle Town 1-0 Denaby United 100 Newport Pagnell Town 0-1 Wednesfield 101 North Ferriby United 4-0 Great Harwood Town 102 Northallerton 0-1 Morpeth Town 103 Northampton Spencer 1-0 Oldbury United 104 Ossett Albion 2-1 Brigg Town 105 Ossett Town 3-1 Armthorpe Welfare 106 Pagham 1-4 Northwood 107 Peacehaven & Telscombe 5-0 Dorking 108 Pontefract Collieries 1-2 Pickering Town 109 Portfield 1-3 Three Bridges 110 Portsmouth Royal Navy 1-6 Camberley Town 111 Potters Bar Town 5-1 Cheshunt 112 Prudhoe Town 1-1 Maine Road 113 Raynes Park Vale 1-4 Burnham 114 Ringmer 7-0 Steyning Town 115 Rocester 5-1 Bolehall Swifts 116 Rossendale United 1-1 Castleton Gabriels 117 Rothwell Town 5-1 Bourne Town 118 Royston Town 1-0 Southall 119 Ruislip Manor 1-1 Clacton Town 120 Rushall Olympic 1-3 Pelsall Villa 121 Ryhope Community Association 1-2 Arnold Town 122 Saffron Walden Town 2-2 Newmarket Town 123 Selsey 3-1 Thamesmead Town 124 Sheppey United 1-2 Harlow Town 125 Shifnal Town 1-2 Chadderton 126 Shoreham 0-1 Wealdstone 127 Shotton Comrades 0-4 Garforth Town 128 Soham Town Rangers 0-2 Stamford 129 Southend Manor 0-5 Braintree Town 130 Southwick 0-0 Oakwood 131 St Blazey 2-0 Minehead 132 St Helens Town 2-2 Peterlee Newtown 133 St Leonards Stamcroft 2-0 Metropolitan Police 134 Stafford Rangers 1-1 Redditch United 135 Stansted 2-1 Aveley 136 Stapenhill 3-0 Salford City 137 Stourport Swifts 0-4 Pershore Town 138 Stratford Town 0-2 Shepshed Dynamo 139 Sutton Coldfield Town 0-0 Moor Green 140 Thackley 0-4 Selby Town 141 Thatcham Town 2-0 Brockenhurst 142 Tilbury 1-1 Diss Town 143 Tiptree United 1-0 Hadleigh United 144 Tonbridge Angels 1-0 Leatherhead 145 Torrington 3-0 Paulton Rovers 146 Trafford 2-0 Clitheroe 147 Tuffley Rovers 2-5 Taunton Town 148 Uxbridge 2-1 Leighton Town 149 Viking Sports 2-0 Corinthian 150 Washington 0-0 Bridgnorth Town 151 Watton United 1-4 Bedford Town 152 Wellingborough Town 0-3 Cogenhoe United 153 Welton Rovers 3-2 Saltash United 154 Welwyn Garden City 2-0 Wootton Blue Cross 155 West Midlands Police 1-2 Westfields 156 Weston Super Mare 2-0 Brislington 157 Whitby Town 6-2 Whickham 158 Whitehawk 1-6 Whitstable Town 159 Whyteleafe 3-3 Chatham Town 160 Wick 0-2 Herne Bay 161 Willenhall Town 1-0 Hinckley Town 162 Willington 2-1 Borrowash Victoria 163 Wimborne Town 1-1 Andover 164 Wingate & Finchley 0-1 Spalding United 165 Witham Town 2-5 Grantham Town 166 Wivenhoe Town 2-2 Raunds Town 167 Wokingham Town 0-0 Fareham Town 168 Workington 1-0 Worksop Town 169 Worthing 0-1 Fisher Athletic London 170 Wroxham 2-2 Great Wakering Rovers
Replays Tie Home team Score Away team 2 Consett 2-0 Alnwick Town 11 Paget Rangers 1-2 Bedworth United 12 Leigh R M I 3-1 Belper Town 25 Great Yarmouth Town 3-1 Burnham Ramblers 28 Burscough 2-0 Cheadle Town 30 Barking 1-0 Concord Rangers 32 Chipstead 2-4 Corinthian Casuals 36 Horsham 1-0 Dartford 45 Flackwell Heath 1-1 Edgware Town 47 Kingsbury Town 0-1 Erith & Belvedere 50 Maldon Town 2-0 Fakenham Town 62 Redhill 2-1 Hailsham Town 63 Long Buckby 1-1 Halesowen Harriers 68 Blidworth Welfare 2-2 Harworth Colliery Institute 70 Farsley Celtic 2-1 Hatfield Main 80 Rossington Main 3-0 Kimberley Town 84 Collier Row & Romford 1-0 Leyton Pennant 85 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 2-2 Liversedge 86 Guisborough Town 4-1 Louth United 112 Maine Road 1-2 Prudhoe Town 116 Castleton Gabriels 2-4 Rossendale United 119 Clacton Town 3-2 Ruislip Manor 122 Newmarket Town 3-0 Saffron Walden Town 130 Oakwood 1-2 Southwick 132 Peterlee Newtown 1-2 St Helens Town 134 Redditch United 0-1 Stafford Rangers 139 Moor Green 3-2 Sutton Coldfield Town 142 Diss Town 1-0 Tilbury 150 Bridgnorth Town 2-1 Washington 159 Chatham Town 2-0 Whyteleafe 163 Andover 0-1 Wimborne Town 166 Raunds Town 3-0 Wivenhoe Town 167 Fareham Town 4-1 Wokingham Town 170 Great Wakering Rovers 0-1 Wroxham
2nd replays Tie Home team Score Away team 45 Flackwell Heath 0-3 Edgware Town 63 Halesowen Harriers 2-1 Long Buckby 68 Blidworth Welfare 2-1 Harworth Colliery Institute 85 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 2-2 Liversedge
3rd replay Tie Home team Score Away team 85 Liversedge 1-3 Atherton Laburnum Rovers
1st qualifying round Ties