Boreham Wood will take on Everton next month as only the 10th non-league club to reach the FA Cup fifth round in the post-war era.
Luke Garrard’s side, fifth in the Vanarama National League, caused a major shock by dumping out Championship Bournemouth on Sunday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the previous teams from outside the top four tiers to reach the last 16.
Colchester, 1947-48
Yeovil, 1948-49
The next year saw the Glovers also advance from the fourth qualifying round to the last 16. They saw off Lovell’s Athletic, Romford and Weymouth before wins over Second Division Bury and First Division Sunderland, but defending champions and eventual semi-finalists Manchester United beat them 8-0.
Blyth Spartans, 1977-78
⏪ OTD in 1978
One of the biggest nights in our history.
42,187 packed into @NUFC‘s St James’ Park as our incredible #FACup journey came to an end during a fifth round replay against @Wrexham_AFC. #HowayBlyth ?⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Rzk7XpWOTD
— Blyth Spartans (@Blyth_Spartans) February 27, 2021
Almost 30 years later, the self-styled “most famous non-league football team” began to write their FA Cup history, starting in the first qualifying round and playing 11 games including a replay against Crook Town. They finally succumbed to Wrexham after controversially being taken to a replay – played in front of over 42,000 at Newcastle’s St James’ Park – and would go on to reach the main draw several more times, including round three in both 2008-09 and 2014-15.
Telford, 1984-85
The fifth-tier side saw off Third Division opposition in Lincoln, via a replay, Preston and Bradford and fourth-tier Darlington before – like Boreham Wood this season – being drawn away to Everton in round five. They went down 3-0 to goals from internationals Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy and Trevor Steven.
Kidderminster, 1993-94
The Harriers, who narrowly missed out on joining Wood in this season’s fifth round as West Ham scored late in both normal time and extra-time, achieved the feat in 1994. Graham Allner led his team to wins over Chesham, Kettering, Woking, second-tier Birmingham and then Preston before a 1-0 defeat to the Hammers with Lee Chapman on the scoresheet.
Crawley, 2010-11
Luton, 2012-13
The Hatters kick-started their rise back up the pyramid with an impressive run including the scalps of Wolves, then in the Championship, and Premier League Norwich as first Alex Lawless and then Scott Rendell made themselves heroes. They were eventually beaten 3-0 by another Championship side, Millwall.
Lincoln, 2016-17
Sutton, 2016-17
The Gunners also ended the run of the other non-league side in the fifth round of that season’s remarkable competition. Paul Doswell’s side upset Championship Leeds in round four before going down 2-0 to the eventual cup winners in a game remembered for reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw’s pie-eating antics on the bench, later revealed to be a betting stunt.
Boreham Wood, 2021-22
Mark Ricketts’ winner against Bournemouth saw Wood join the list, having already disposed of AFC Wimbledon in the previous round. Their fifth-round opponents looked rejuvenated in their first game under Frank Lampard’s management, thumping Brentford 4-1.
