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FA Cup draw: Gillingham handed home tie against Barrow or Gloucester City in First Round
19.10.26, 19:29 Updated 19.10.26, 19:37
Gillingham have been handed a home tie in the First Round of the FA Cup, with non-league opposition set to visit Priestfield on the weekend of November 6-9.
The Gills were ball number 19 in the draw, and Arsenal legend and three-time FA Cup winner Martin Keown pulled their number from the hat for the 18th confirmed tie of the round, with Gareth Ainsworth's men set to face either Barrow or Gloucester City.
Southern League Premier Division South side Gloucester City agonisingly missed out on promotion last season as they finished third in the 2025/26 campaign, then lost 5-1 to Farnham Town in the play-off final.
The Tigers have struggled to hit the same league form so far this season, and currently sit 20th in the 22-team division, having won two, drawn two and lost four of their league games so far.
However, they've had some success in the early rounds of the FA Cup, having beaten Mangotsfield United after a replay, then knocked out AFC Totton and Mulbarton Wanderers. That set up an away tie with National League side Barrow, where they held the National League side to a goalless draw.
Now they'll bring the Bluebirds back to their Meadow Park home for the replay on Tuesday, October 20, with the winners set to head to Priestfield on the weekend of Friday, November 6 for the First Round proper of the competition.
Barrow, meanwhile, only entered the competition at the Fourth Qualifying Round last time out, with their goalless draw at home to Gloucester necessitating a replay.
The club, who were relegated as League Two's bottom club last season, will be looking to bounce back in the National League this season, and currently sit eighth after a solid start to the campaign that saw them win six, draw three and lose four of their first 13 games.
Now they face a tricky midweek away tie at Gloucester, who now have the carrot of a trip to Priestfield should they be successful.
FA Cup: First Round draw in full
- Dover Athletic v Wealdstone
- Mansfield Town v Macclesfield or Anstey Nomads
- Huddersfield Town v Exeter City
- Luton Town v Chesham United or Forest Green Rovers
- Bristol Rovers v Cambridge United
- Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday
- Kidderminster Harriers v Doncaster Rovers
- Leyton Orient v Harborough Town
- Accrington Stanley v Wycombe Wanderers
- MK Dons v Swindon Town
- Newport County v Walsall
- Bromley v Rotherham United
- Barnet v Tranmere Rovers
- Fleetwood Town v Rochdale
- Barnsley v Aldershot Town or Tadley Calleva
- Plymouth Parkway v Berkhamsted
- Chesterfield v Leatherhead or Yeovil Town
- Gillingham v Barrow or Gloucester City
- Bury or Harrogate Town v AFC Fylde
- Crewe Alexandra v AFC Wimbledon
- Oxford United v Stevenage
- Burton Albion v AFC Rushden & Diamonds
- Bedford Town or Cray Wanderers v Stockport County
- Port Vale v Scunthorpe United
- Cheltenham Town v FC Halifax Town
- Colchester United v Chorley or Worcester City
- Eastleigh v Shrewsbury Town
- Peterborough United v Reading
- Wimborne Town v Crawley Town
- Plymouth Argyle v Spalding United or Alvechurch
- Hornchurch v Blackpool
- Guiseley v Sutton United
- Gateshead or Stafford Rangers v Grimsby Town
- Oxford City v Leicester City
- Bradford City v Marine
- York City v Northampton Town
- Altrincham or FC United of Manchester v Notts County
- Boreham Wood v Wigan Athletic
- Carlisle United v Salford City
- Salisbury v Sholing
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Simon Head
Founding Editor, Gills 365Follow Simon
A veteran sports journalist and editor with more than 25 years in the industry, Simon has written for major news outlets, broadcasters and sports organisations around the world. Simon is a longtime Gillingham season ticket holder, and has been a regular at Priestfield since the mid-1990s.
