The FA Cup is one of footballs oldest and most prestigious football tournaments, and has been played in England since 1871.

Playing in the FA Cup is usually one of the highlights of the season for lower league teams, and FA Cup tickets are usually very much sought after by supporters of these teams.

Entry to the FA Cup is determined by a number of factors, and each year hundreds of clubs, from English Premier League megastars such as Manchester United and Chelsea, down to the lower reaches of the leagues, to the likes of the Eastern Counties Football League teams such as Needham Market and Lowestoft Town, all compete for the chance to lift the famous FA Cup trophy.

Teams from the English Premier League and from the English Football League are automatically eligible to enter, and those clubs from many lower level leagues are also permitted entry to the earlier rounds of the FA up, based upon strict criteria.
The first few rounds of the FA Cup are contested between teams from the lower end of the Football Leagues, with teams being introduced from higher football leagues as the FA Cup progresses. It isn't until the third round, however, that the biggest teams take part.

In recent years, there has been an upsurge in attendances, and FA Cup tickets can be very highly sought after by supporters and neutrals alike, especially for games involving rival teams such as Manchester United v Manchester City, Liverpool v Everton, or Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal.

Ties are created by a simple draw of lots, with the team who will play at home being drawn out first of all, and the team which will play against them being drawn immediately after.

Due to the nature of this arrangement, it can mean that FA Cup tickets for certain ties are valued highly, due to the scarcity of their availability, especially so when a team with a large travelling support are drawn away from home to a team with a small stadium capacity.

The FA Cup final is, by tradition, played at the national home of English Football, Wembley Stadium, the home of English football for over 100 years.
The FA Cup is well known for the number of surprises that occur each year, and each year there will undoubtedly be teams which will be embarrassed by lesser known football teams. This element of surprise is just one of the ways in which the FA Cup provides outstanding entertainment for fans of all teams.

All in all, the FA Cup still remains as one of the worlds most famous and well-loved tournaments, and FA Cup tickets are sure to be in high demand for many years to come.