LEISTON take a break from league action at the weekend as they get ready to welcome Waltham Abbey to Suffolk (3pm kick off) in the Emirates FA Cup First Round Qualifying.

The Blues first played in the FA Cup in 1919 and played in the competition regularly but didn’t participate for 46 years between 1958 and 2004.

The Blues have reached the 4th Round Qualifying three times in recent years and made the First Round in 2008, winning six matches and playing nine games in total that season. The Blues became one of just a handful of non-league sides to reach the First Round proper after starting in the Extra Preliminary Round. That wonderful campaign saw Leiston beat Blackstones, March Town United, Cornard United, Carshalton Athletic, Coalville Town and Lewes. In the First Round Proper they met Fleetwood Town, drawing 0-0 in front of 1,250 people at Victory Road, before losing 2-0 in the replay to the ‘Cod Army’ in front of a crowd just over 2,000 in Lancashire. Had the Blues won at Highbury Avenue, then they would have hosted Hartlepool United in Round 2.

Leiston have made the draw for the FA Cup First Round twice. The first in 2008 but Leiston were still in the hat for the First Round two seasons later, after drawing 0-0 with Dartford in the Fourth Qualifying round. The Blues and Dartford were paired with Port Vale in the First Round proper, but it was the Essex side who met Vale at home, after beating Leiston 3-2 in a replay, with Stuart Boardley and Leon Ottley-Gooch on target for Leiston.

One great stat from the Blues' FA Cup experiences was in 2020 when Blues striker Will Davies netted seven goals in the FA Cup and was indeed the top scorer in the competition that campaign.

Leiston's last 10 years in the FA Cup...

2014/2015: -
First Round Qualfying: -
Haverhill Borough (A) - Won 2-0
(Leon Ottley-Gooch, Tom Winter)

Second Round Qualifying: -
Hendon (A) - Lost 4-1
(Tom Bullard)

2015/2016: -
First Round Qualifying: -
AFC Dunstable (H) - Won 1-0
(Joe Jefford)

Second Round Qualifying: -
Tonbridge Angels (H) - Won 3-1
(John Sands (2), Joe Jefford)

Third Round Qualifying: -
Gloucester City (H) - Lost 3-1
(Stuart Boardley)

2016/2017: -
First Round Qualifying: -

Grays Athletic (H) - Won 4-1
(Jack Ainsley, Gareth Heath, Byron Lawrence, Matt Blake)

Second Round Qualifying: -
South Park (A) - Won 4-1
(Christy Finch (2), Joe Francis (2))

Third Round Qualifying: -
Hungerford Town (A) - Won 4-1
(Matt Blake (2), Tom Winter, Byron Lawrence)

Fourth Round Qualifying: -
Westfields (A) - Lost 2-1
(Tom Winter)

2017/2018: -
First Round Qualifying: -
Aylesbury (A) - Won 3-1
(Byron Lawrence, Dominic Docherty, Seb Dunbar)

Second Round Qualifying: -
Crowborough Athletic (H) - Won 4-2
(Christy Finch (2), Chris Henderson, Joe Jefford)

Third Round Qualifying: -
Oxford City (A) - Lost 4-2
(Byron Lawrence, Matt Blake)

2018/2019: -
First Round Qualifying: -
Cheshunt (A) - Drew 2-2 (Christy Finch, Dominic Docherty)
Cheshunt (Replay) (H) - Won 4-2 (Cemal Ramadan, Christy Finch, Matt Blake, Jake Reed)

Second Round Qualifying: -
Hastings United (H) - Lost 4-3 (Joe Jefford, Matt Blake (2))

2019/2020: -
First Round Qualifying: -
Ware (A) - Lost 5-1 (Matt Blake)

2020/2021: -
Preliminary Round: -
Halstead Town (H) - Won 5-0 (Liam Jackson, Jamie Eaton-Collins, Rob Eagle, Will Davies)

First Round Qualifying: -
Biggleswade Town (H) - Won 5-1 (Will Davies (4), Jamie Eaton-Collins)

Second Round Qualifying: -
Leighton Town (A) - Won 2-1 (Will Davies, Liam Jackson)

Third Round Qualifying: -
AFC Telford United (H) - Drew 0-0. Leiston won 9-8 on penalties.

Fourth Round Qualifying: -
Barnet (H) - Lost 3-2 (Will Davies, J Connors (OG)).

2021/2022: -
First Round Qualifying: -
Brightlingsea Regent (H) - Won 3-2 (Adam Mills (2), Brendan Ocran)

Second Round Qualifying: -
Kings Langley (A) Drew 1-1 (Finlay Barnes)
Kings Langley (Replay, H) - Won 3-1 (Jamie Eaton-Collins, Joe Marsden, Finlay Barnes)

Third Round Qualifying: -
Tamworth (H) - Lost 3-1 (Adam Mills)

2022/2023: -
First Round Qualifying: -
Needham Market (A) - Lost 3-1 (Will Davies)

2023/2024: -
First Round Qualifying: -
St Ives Town (H) (Joe Marsden, Ross Crane)

Second Round Qualifying: -
St Albans City (H) - Lost 2-1 (Kieran Higgs).