Giant-killing acts in the FA Cup history

Exeter City received great acclamation, even from their illustrious opponents, when they held FA Cup holders Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford last month in the third round of the competition.

Yet, non-League sides like Exeter seldom win a replay (United won 2-0) after achieving such sensational results. Still, they should have been glad to have had another bite at the cherry.

You have to go back 16 years for the last non-League side that succeeded in knocking out one of the members of the top flight.

Conference members Sutton United elbowed out Coventry City in 1989. Since the turn of the 20th century top echelon clubs to fall for non-League sides read:

1901 Tottenham Hotspur-Sheffield United 3-1 (final replay at Crystal Palace after 2-2 draw at same venue).
1920 Sheffield Wed.-Darlington 0-2 after a 0-0 draw; Cardiff City-Oldham Athletic 2-0.
1924 Corinthians-Blackburn Rovers 1-0.
1948 Colchester-Huddersfield Town 1-0.
1949 Yeovil Town-Sunderland 2-1.
1972 Hereford-Newcastle United 2-1.
1975 Burnley-Wimbledon 0-1.
1986 Birmingham-Altrincham 1-2.
1989 Sutton United-Coventry City 2-1.

In the history of the FA Cup - since the foundation of the Football League in 1888 - sides outside the top flight that made it to the final read (where not indicated held at Wembley):

1890 Wednesday (non-League) lost to Blackburn Rovers 0-6 at Kennington Oval.
1894 Notts County (Division II) defeated Bolton Wanderers 4-1 (Logan 3, Watson) at Goodison Park.
1900 Southampton (non-League) lost to Bury 0-4 at Crystal Palace.
1901 Tottenham Hotspur (non-League) toppled Sheffield United 3-1 (Cameron, Smith, Brown) at Burnden Park, after a replay: 2-2 (Brown 2) at the same venue.
1902 Southampton (non-League) were beaten by Sheffield United 1-2 (Brown) at Crystal Palace, after a replay: 1-1 (Wood) at the same venue.
1904 Bolton Wanderers (Division II) lost to Manchester City 0-1 at Crystal Palace.
1908 Wolverhampton Wanderers (Division II) defeated Newcastle 3-1 (Hunt, Hedley, Harrison) at Crystal Palace.
1910 Barnsley (Division II) succumbed to Newcastle United 0-2 at Goodison Park, after a replay: 1-1 (Tufnell) at Crystal Palace.
1912 Barnsley (Division II) defeated West Bromwich Albion 1-0 (Tufnell) at Bramall Lane, after a replay: 0-0 at Crystal Palace.
1920 Huddersfield (Division II) lost to Aston Villa 0-1 at Stamford Bridge after extra time.
1921 Wolves (Division II) lost to Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 at Stamford Bridge.
1923 West Ham United (Division II) lost to Bolton Wanderers 0-2.
1931 West Bromwich Albion (Division II) defeated Birmingham 2-1 (Richardson 2).
1936 Sheffield United (Division II) went out to Arsenal 0-1.
1947 Burnley (Division II) lost to Charlton Athletic 0-1 after extra time.
1949 Leicester City (Division II) lost to Wolves 1-3 (Griffiths).
1964 Preston North End (Division II) lost to West Ham United 2-3 (Holden, Dawson).
1973 Sunderland (Division II) toppled Leeds United 1-0 (Porterfield).
1975 Fulham (Division II) lost to West Ham United 0-2.
1976 Southampton (Division II) defeated Manchester United 1-0 (Stokes).
1980 West Ham United (Division II) beat Arsenal 1-0 (Brooking).
1992 Sunderland (Division II) lost to Liverpool 0-2.
2004 Millwall (First Division) lost to Manchester United 0-3.

Non-Leaguers in fourth round

Since the re-organisation of the FA Cup competition in 1925, the non-League sides that reached the fourth round read:

1927 Corinthians-Newcastle United 1-3.
1929 West Ham United-Corinthians 3-0; Arsenal-Mansfield Town 2-0.
1934 Workington-Preston North End 1-2.
1939 Birmingham City-Chelmsford 6-0.
1948 Colchester United-Bradford 3-2 - lost in the fifth round at Blackpool 0-5.
1949 Yeovil Town-Sunderland 2-1 after extra time - went down in the fifth round at Manchester United 0-8.
1952 Walthamstow Avenue-Manchester United 2-5 after a replay, a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
1954 Headington United-Bolton 2-4.
1955 Bishop Auckland-York City 1-3.
1957 Bristol City-Rhyl 3-0; Burnley-New Brighton 9-0; Huddersfield Town-Peterborough United 3-1.
1959 Worcester City-Sheffield United 0-2.
1960 Sheffield Wednesday-Peterborough United 2-0.
1962 Preston North End-Weymouth 2-0.
1963 Sunderland-Gravesend and Northfleet 5-2 after a replay, a 1-1 draw at Gravesend.
1964 Bedford-Carlisle United 0-3.
1966 Bedford-Everton 0-3.
1970 Sutton United-Leeds United 0-6.
1972 West Ham United-Hereford United 1-3 after a replay, a 0-0 draw at Edgar Street.
1975 Leicester City-Leatherhead 3-2; Wimbledon-Leeds United 0-1 after a replay, 0-0 draw at Elland Road; Stafford Rangers-Peterborough United 1-2.
1976 Bradford-Tooting and Mitcham 3-1.
1977 Northwich Victoria-Oldham 1-3.
1978 Stoke-Blyth Spartans 2-3 - lost in the fifth round at home to Wrexham 1-2 after a replay, a 1-1 draw at the Racecourse Ground.
1980 Watford-Harlow Town 4-3.
1981 Enfield-Barnsley 0-3, tie played at White Hart Lane, after a replay, 1-1 draw at the Oakwell Ground.
1984 Derby County-Telford United 3-2.
1985 Telford United-Darlington 3-0 after a replay, a 1-1 draw at Feethams - lost in the fifth round at Everton 0-3.
1986 York City-Altrincham 2-0.
1989 Charlton Athletic-Kettering Town 1-2; Norwich-Sutton United 8-0.
1991 Everton-Woking 1-0.
1994 Kidderminster-Preston NE 1-0 - lost in the fifth round at home to West Ham 0-1.
1997 Middlesbrough-Hednesdford 3-2.
1998 Newcastle United-Stevenage 2-1 after a replay, a 1-1 draw at Stevenage.
2001 Kingstonian-Bristol City 0-1 after a replay, a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate.
2003 Farnborough Town-Arsenal 1-5 (at Highbury); Norwich-Dagenham and Redbridge 1-0.
2004 Scarborough-Chelsea 0-1; Telford-Millwall 0-2.

Yeovil - top scalp hunters

Yeovil Town, now in their second season in the Football League, were the top scalp hunters in their non-League era dismissing 20 members of the League, thus:

1924-25 Bournemouth 3-2

1934-35 C. Palace 3-0, Exeter 4-1

1938-39 Brighton 2-1

1948-49 Bury 3-1, Sunderland 2-1

1958-59 Southend United 1-0

1960-61 Walsall 1-0

1963-64 Southend 1-0, C. Palace 3-1

1970-71 Bournemouth 1-0

1972-73 Brentford 2-1

1987-88 Cambridge United 1-0

1991-92 Walsall 1-0

1992-93 Torquay 5-2, Hereford 2-1

1993-94 Fulham 1-0

1998-99 Northampton Town 2-0

2000-01 Colchester 5-1, Blackpool 1-0