Lincoln City will be the highest-ranked of 18 Lincolnshire clubs accepted into the 2026/27 Emirates FA Cup.
The Football Association has confirmed 743 clubs have been accepted into the competition for the new season. The accepted Lincolnshire clubs are Barton Town, Blackstones, Boston Town, Boston United, Bottesford Town, Bourne Town, Cleethorpes Town, Deeping Rangers, Gainsborough Trinity, Grantham Town, Grimsby Borough, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Lincoln United, Scunthorpe United, Skegness Town, Spalding United and Stamford.
The FA Cup remains open to clubs from the professional game and the National League System, provided they meet the relevant entry requirements. Premier League and Championship sides will enter at the third round proper, League One and League Two clubs come in at the first round proper, and non-league sides work their way through the qualifying rounds, beginning in August.
For Lincoln City, the third round will be the starting point, while Grimsby Town enter in the first round proper. Scunthorpe United and Boston United will enter later in qualifying because of their place higher up the non-league pyramid, while the county’s remaining entrants will begin even earlier.
Lincolnshire FA Cup history
Grimsby Town still have the deepest FA Cup history of any Lincolnshire club. The Mariners reached the semi-finals in 1938/39, and returned to the quarter-finals in 2022/23 after beating Southampton away, becoming the first club in FA Cup history to knock out five teams from higher divisions in one campaign.
Our finest FA Cup run came in 2016/17, when Danny Cowley’s National League side reached the quarter-finals. The Imps beat Ipswich Town, Brighton & Hove Albion and Premier League Burnley before losing at Arsenal, becoming the first non-league club in more than a century to reach the last eight.
Scunthorpe United have the deepest FA Cup run among the Lincolnshire clubs accepted this season, having reached the fifth round in 1969/70. The Iron beat Newcastle United during that campaign before going out to Liverpool at Anfield, losing 1-0.
Boston United and Grantham Town have both reached the third round proper. Boston did so in 1955/56, 1973/74 and 2004/05, with the 1955/56 run including a 6-1 win away at Derby County before a tie at Tottenham Hotspur. Grantham reached the third round in 1973/74, beating Hillingdon Borough and Rochdale before losing at home to Middlesbrough in front of more than 6,500.
Gainsborough Trinity have reached the second round proper several times, most recently in 2024/25. Trinity beat Hednesford Town on penalties in the fourth qualifying round before losing 1-0 away at Harrogate Town.
Several of the county’s other clubs have reached the first round proper. Boston Town got there in 1976/77, Lincoln United did so in 1991/92 and 1997/98, Stamford reached that stage in 2016/17, Spalding United made it in 1957/58 and 1964/65, and Skegness Town reached the first round in 1955/56. Lincoln United’s 1991/92 run was notable because they were then a Central Midlands League club.
Cleethorpes Town and Bourne Town have both reached the third qualifying round. Cleethorpes did so in 2018/19 and 2021/22, while Bourne reached that stage in 1961/62, 1962/63 and 1965/66.
Blackstones, Bottesford Town, Deeping Rangers and Grimsby Borough have all reached the second qualifying round. Blackstones did so in 1991/92, Bottesford reached that stage for the first time in 2024/25, and Grimsby Borough got there in 2025/26. Deeping Rangers have made the second qualifying round several times, including 2011/12, 2015/16, 2017/18 and 2019/20.
Barton Town have reached the first qualifying round in their current form. The club’s earlier incarnation had deeper FA Cup runs, but the modern Barton Town will again be part of Lincolnshire’s representation in the competition.
Clubs unable to participate
Not every Lincolnshire club is in the FA Cup. Clubs such as Appleby Frodingham, Brigg Town, Crowle Colts, Immingham Town, Holbeach United, Harrowby United, Louth Town, Pinchbeck United, Sleaford Town, Fulbeck United, Horncastle Town, Lincoln Moorlands Railway, Market Rasen Town, Nettleham, Spilsby Town, Wyberton, Crowland Town, Stamford Belvedere and Whaplode Drove Rovers do not appear on the accepted list.
In most cases, the explanation is pyramid status and competition eligibility. The FA Cup is not simply open to every club in county or regional football. Clubs need to be at the required level of the National League System, satisfy ground grading requirements, and meet the relevant FA competition entry criteria. Step Seven and below sit outside the normal FA Cup entry route, while Step Six clubs are more commonly associated with the FA Vase rather than the FA Cup unless they meet the specific criteria in force for that season.
Comments Welcome!