Hastings away to Bishop’s Stortford

Although hardly the glamour tie that United would have wanted, it does at least give the Ryman League Premier Division club a decent chance of making the second round for the first time ever.

Player-manager Sean Ray tweeted: “Well it’s not one of the big boys but we are in the 1st round of the fa cup with a great chance of going even further.”

Bishop’s Stortford are 16th in Blue Square Bet North - which is one level above the Ryman Premier - with 11 points from 10 games. The Hertfordshire outfit won 3-1 away to Welling United in fourth round qualifying yesterday.

United have won through four rounds to reach the first round proper for only the second time, beating Chatham Town, Staines Town, Hitchin Town and Blackfield & Langley.

The last time they got this far was exactly 10 years ago when they lost 1-0 away to then Conference side Stevenage and finished the match with nine men.

The first round proper is when the League One and Two clubs enter the competition so United could have been paired with the likes of Sheffield United, Coventry City or Portsmouth.

Fellow Ryman Premier team Metropolitan Police were handed a plum draw against League One high-flyers Crawley Town. Matches will be played on the weekend of Saturday November 3.