Accrington Stanley will start their FA Cup campaign with a home tie in the first qualifying round on Saturday, September 14.

Either Ossett Albion or Brigg Town, FA Vase conquerors of Clitheroe at Wembley, will be the visitors to the Crown Ground.

Four of our local non-League sides start even earlier, having been included in the competition's preliminary round on Saturday, August 31.

Only Rossendale are at home but they have a great incentive to beat Castleton Gabriels, with a home tie against Southport awaiting the winners.

Chorley will find themselves with a derby game at The Showground, if Great Harwood Town can come through their preliminary round test.

In the FA Trophy, Town are the only local club in action in the opening round and they have been handed a difficult away game at Tamworth.

Wembley runners-up Clitheroe, who collected £7,350 in prize money from last season's FA Vase run, are exempt until the second round proper of next season's competition.

There's a derby game in the first qualifying round on Saturday, September 7, with Rossendale taking on Nelson at Dark Lane.

Chorley have entered the FA Youth Cup again and start with a home tie against Hallam.

Draws for the early rounds of the FA competitions for 1996-97 include:

FA CUP preliminary round: Trafford v Clitheroe; Rossendale v Castleton Gabriels; Evenwood Town v Darwen; North Ferriby Utd v Great Harwood Town.

First qualifying round: Accrington Stanley v Ossett Albion or Brigg Town; Washington or Bridgnorth Town v Trafford or Clitheroe; Rossendale or Castleton v Southport; Curzon Ashton v Evenwood or Darwen; North Ferriby or Great Harwood v Chorley.

FA TROPHY first qualifying round: Tamworth v Great Harwood. Exempt until third qualifying round: Accrington Stanley. Exempt until first round proper: Chorley.

FA VASE first qualifying round: Penrith v Darwen; Rossendale v Nelson; Ramsbottom v Tetley Walker; Salford City v Bacup; St Helens Town v Haslingden.

Second qualifying round: Rossendale or Nelson v Easington Colliery; Penrith or Darwen v South Shields; Salford or Bacup v Vauxhall GM or Castleton; St Helens or Haslingden v Daisy Hill; Maine Road v Ramsbottom or Tetley Walker. Exempt until second round proper: Clitheroe.

FA YOUTH CUP preliminary round: Chorley v Hallam.

FA COUNTY YOUTH CUP second round: North Riding or Cumberland v Lancashire.

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