By Reading FC

Berks vs Bucks in the world’s oldest cup competition

Reading have been handed a home draw in the first round of the 2023-24 Emirates FA Cup, and will host MK Dons on the weekend of Saturday 4 November.

It is our first time entering the competition at this stage since 2001 – Paul Parker drew the home teams out of the hat and gave the Royals a fixture at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, while former Reading captain Jobi McAnuff picked the away sides out and drew MK Dons’ number.

It will be just the fourth time in our history that we have met MK Dons in any competition – they last came to Berkshire in 2016, and we won on penalties after the EFL Cup fixture had finished 2-2 after extra time.

The draw means we will have four consecutive fixtures on home turf – after upcoming league fixtures against Fleetwood Town and Portsmouth, we then host the Dons for a cup tie before welcoming Bristol Rovers for our rescheduled League One game.

Full information for this fixture – including confirmation of the exact date and kick-off time, as well as ticketing details – will follow in due course.

FA Cup first round draw

  1. Curzon Ashton v Aveley or Barnet
  2. Alfreton Town v Worthing
  3. Chesterfield v Portsmouth
  4. Bolton Wanderers v Solihull Moors
  5. Exeter City v Wigan Athletic
  6. Leyton Orient v Carlisle United
  7. Kidderminster Harriers v Fleetwood Town
  8. Hereford v Gillingham
  9. Ebbsfleet United or Slough Town v Grimsby Town
  10. Charlton Athletic v Cray Valley (PM)
  11. Oxford United v Maidenhead United
  12. Newport County v Oldham Athletic
  13. Swindon Town v Aldershot Town
  14. Crewe Alexandra v Derby County
  15. Mansfield Town v Wrexham
  16. Marine v Harrogate Town
  17. Barnsley v Horsham
  18. Port Vale v Burton Albion
  19. Peterborough United v Salford City
  20. Eastleigh v Boreham Wood
  21. Bradford City v Wycombe Wanderers 
  22. Billericay Town or Sheppey United v Walsall
  23. Shrewsbury Town v Colchester United
  24. Bristol Rovers v Chelmsford City or Whitby Town
  25. Lincoln City v Morecambe
  26. Sutton United v AFC Fylde
  27. Reading v Milton Keynes Dons
  28. Doncaster Rovers v Accrington Stanley
  29. Chester v York City or Needham Market
  30. Scarborough Athletic or Oxford City v Forest Green Rovers
  31. Notts County v Crawley Town
  32. Stockport County v Worksop Town
  33. Yeovil Town v Gateshead
  34. Stevenage v Tranmere Rovers
  35. Braintree Town or Chesham United v Maidstone United
  36. Bromley v Blackpool
  37. AFC Wimbledon v Cheltenham Town
  38. Cambridge United v Bracknell Town
  39. Northampton Town v Barrow
  40. Ramsgate v Hemel Hempstead or Woking