2022–23 FA Youth Cup

Football tournament season

The 2022–23 FA Youth Cup was the 71st edition of the FA Youth Cup.

The competition consisted of several rounds and was preceded by a qualifying competition, starting with two preliminary rounds which was followed by three qualifying rounds for non-League teams. The Football League teams entered the draw thereafter, with League One and League Two teams entered in the first round proper, and Premier League and Championship teams entered in the third round proper.

622 teams were accepted into the FA Youth Cup.^[1] Manchester United were the defending champions after defeating Nottingham Forest 3–1 in the 2022 final.^[2]

West Ham United won their fourth Youth Cup title, their first since 1999, defeating Arsenal 5–1 in the final at Emirates Stadium.

Calendar

^[3][4]

Qualifying rounds

Extra preliminary round

120 teams took part in the extra preliminary round. Eleven teams withdrew from the tournament in this phase, and as a result, eleven walkovers occurred. The draw for the round took place on 8 July 2022.^[3]

Preliminary round

448 teams took part in the preliminary round, with 60 teams having progressed from the previous round along with 388 new teams joining in this round. 30 teams withdrew from the competition resulting in walkovers, while Woodford Town was removed from the tournament on appeal for using an ineligible player. The draw for the round took place on 8 July 2022.^[3]

First qualifying round

224 teams took part in the first qualifying round, with the all winners from the previous round participating. There were two walkovers in this round, and two teams were removed from the competition. South Park and Tilbury withdrew from the competition. Reading City was removed from the competition for fielding an ineligible player,^[6] and Lancaster City was removed for an unknown appeal. The draw for this round took place on 2 September 2022.^[7] There were 28 teams from the tenth tier of the football pyramid as the lowest remaining teams in the competition.

Second qualifying round

136 teams took part in the second qualifying round, with all the winners from the previous round and 24 teams from the National League being added for this round.

Third qualifying round

68 teams took part in the third qualifying round, with all the winners from the previous round participating.

Competition proper

First round

46 League One and League Two teams entered the first round proper, with the 34 non-league winners from the qualifying rounds joining them for this round. Only Wycombe Wanderers and Crawley Town did not participate in the first round as they did not apply. Salford City and Barrow were originally drawn, but Barrow withdrew from the first round so Salford City won 3–0 on a walkover.^[8]

Morecambe (3) v Bradford City (4)

Crewe Alexandra (4) v Mansfield Town (4)

Lincoln City (3) v Doncaster Rovers (4)

Ipswich Town (3) v Aveley (7)

Charlton Athletic (3) v Kingstonian (7)

Exeter City (3) v Newport County (4)

Bristol Rovers (3) v Ardley United (9)

Bolton Wanderers (3) v Wythenshawe Amateurs (10)

Basford United (7) v Derby County (3)

Beaconsfield Town (7) v Maidstone United (5)

Carlisle United (4) v Fleetwood Town (3)

Rochdale (4) v York City (5)

Grimsby Town (4) v Walsall (4)

Peterborough United (3) v Northampton Town (4)

Cambridge United (3) v Stevenage (4)

Gillingham (4) v Corinthian Casuals (7)

Mangotsfield United (9) v Swindon Town (4)

Sutton United (4) v Leyton Orient (4)

Harrogate Town (4) v Stockport County (4)

Sutton Coldfield Town (8) v Shrewsbury Town (3)

New Salamis (8) v Colchester United (4)

Hartlepool United (4) v Accrington Stanley (3)

Tranmere Rovers (4) v FC Halifax Town (5)

Port Vale (3) v Chesterfield (5)

Chester (6) v South Shields (7)

Southend United (5) v Kettering Town (6)

Lowestoft Town (8) v Concord Rangers (6)

Scunthorpe United (5) v Solihull Moors (5)

AFC Wimbledon (4) v Lewes (7)

Portsmouth (3) v Three Bridges (8)

Woking (5) v Horndean (9)

Northampton ON Chenecks (10) v Milton Keynes Dons (3)

Barnsley (3) v Spennymoor Town (6)

Sheffield Wednesday (3) v Burton Albion (3)

Oxford United (3) v Torquay United (5)

Forest Green Rovers (3) v Eastleigh (5)

Dover Athletic (6) v Langley (9)

Gosport Borough (7) v Bromley (5)

Plymouth Argyle (3) v Cheltenham Town (3)

Second round

40 teams played this round with all the winners from the previous round participating.

Port Vale (3) v Salford City (4)

Barnsley (3) v Scunthorpe United (5)

Bristol Rovers (3) v Leyton Orient (4)

Forest Green Rovers (3) v Exeter City (3)

Shrewsbury Town (3) v Rochdale (4)

Colchester United (4) v Maidstone United (5)

AFC Wimbledon (4) v Swindon Town (4)

Charlton Athletic (3) v Northampton Town (4)

Sheffield Wednesday (3) v Derby County (3)

Stockport County (4) v Fleetwood Town (3)

Southend United (5) v Milton Keynes Dons (3)

Lowestoft Town (8) v Dover Athletic (6)

Lincoln City (3) v Tranmere Rovers (4)

Bolton Wanderers (3) v Accrington Stanley (3)

Chester (6) v Bradford City (4)

Oxford United (3) v Horndean (9)

Bromley (5) v Ipswich Town (3)

Gillingham (4) v Plymouth Argyle (3)

Grimsby Town (4) v Crewe Alexandra (4)

Portsmouth (3) v Cambridge United (3)

Third round

64 teams competed in the third round with the 44 Premier League and EFL Championship clubs appearing in this round along with the 20 winners from the previous round.

Sheffield Wednesday (3) v Barnsley (3)

Port Vale (3) v Hull City (2)

Huddersfield Town (2) v Ipswich Town (3)

Coventry City (2) v Southampton

Charlton Athletic (3) v Newcastle United

AFC Wimbledon (4) v Leyton Orient (4)

Preston North End (2) v Rotherham United (2)

Everton v Reading (2)

Southend United (5) v Middlesbrough (2)

Aston Villa v Brentford

Crystal Palace v Manchester United

Manchester City v Blackburn Rovers (2)

Brighton & Hove Albion v Dover Athletic (6)

Stoke City (2) v Blackpool (2)

Sunderland (2) v Swansea City (2)

Gillingham (4) v Wigan Athletic (2)

Arsenal v Millwall (2)

Birmingham City (2) v Luton Town (2)

Lincoln City (3) v Watford (2)

Burnley (2) v Norwich City (2)

Leeds United v Accrington Stanley (3)

Tottenham Hotspur v Queens Park Rangers (2)

Crewe Alexandra (4) v Cardiff City (2)

Colchester United (4) v Cambridge United (3)

Nottingham Forest v West Bromwich Albion (2)

Exeter City (3) v Oxford United (3)

Rochdale (4) v Fulham

Sheffield United (2) v West Ham United

Bristol City (2) v Fleetwood Town (3)

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City

AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool

Chelsea v Bradford City (4)

Fourth round

32 teams participated in the fourth round proper with all 32 winners from the previous round participating. The draw for the fourth round was made on 9 December 2022.^[45]

Watford (2) v Everton

Oxford United (3) v Cardiff City (2)

Stoke City (2) v Manchester United

Port Vale (3) v Liverpool

Sheffield Wednesday (3) v Leicester City

Aston Villa v Southampton

Newcastle United v Arsenal

Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion

Ipswich Town (3) v Nottingham Forest

Fleetwood Town (3) v Middlesbrough (2)

Luton Town (2) v Queens Park Rangers (2)

Gillingham (4) v Preston North End (2)

Burnley (2) v West Ham United

Sunderland (2) v Fulham

Cambridge United (3) v Chelsea

AFC Wimbledon (4) v Leeds United

Fifth round

16 teams participated in the fifth round proper with the 16 winners from the previous round participating. The fifth round draw was made on 13 January 2023.^[53]

Stoke City (2) v West Ham United

Ipswich Town (3) v Liverpool

Luton Town (2) v Preston North End (2)

Watford (2) v Arsenal

Southampton v Fulham

Manchester City v Fleetwood Town (3)

Cambridge United (3) v Sheffield Wednesday (3)

Oxford United (3) v Leeds United

Quarter-finals

Eight teams participated in the quarter-finals with all eight winners from the previous round participating. The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 3 February 2023.^[55]

Ipswich Town (3) v West Ham United

Arsenal v Cambridge United (3)

Preston North End (2) v Southampton

Manchester City v Oxford United (3)

Semi-finals

Four teams participated in the semi-finals with all four winners from the previous round participating. The draw was made on 24 February 2023.^[57]

Arsenal v Manchester City

West Ham United v Southampton

Final

The winners of the semi-finals advanced to the final to determine the winner of the FA Youth Cup. The draw to determine the home team was made on 24 February 2023.^[57] The match was played on 25 April.

25 April 2023

19:00

Emirates Stadium, Holloway, London

Attendance: 34,127

Referee: David Webb

References

1. "Line-up, rules, round dates and prize fund for 2022–23 Emirates FA Cup and Youth Cup". The FA. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
2. "Man Utd 3–1 Nottingham Forest: Home side clinch FA Youth Cup in front of record crowd at Old Trafford". Sky Sports. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
3. "The early round draws for the 2022–23 FA Youth Cup have been made". The FA. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
4. "FA Youth Cup round dates 2022–23". The FA. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
5. @TheYoungDaniels (30 August 2022). "Tonight's attendance is a fantastic 157 here at the Zeeco! Thank you to everyone for coming out. #FAYouthCup" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
6. "Reading City removed from FA Youth Cup". Football in Berkshire.
7. "The draw for the FA Youth Cup first round qualifying has been made". The FA. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
8. "Salford City Under-18s will go straight through to the FA Youth Cup Second round". Salford City FC.
9. "FA YOUTH CUP TOWN 9 AVELEY FC 0". Ipswich Town FC.
10. "Youth Cup Report: Wanderers 3 Wythenshawe Ams 0". Bolton Wanderers FC.
11. "Report: United 1–2 Derby County (FAYC1)". Basford United FC.
12. "Youth: United 0–4 Fleetwood". Carlisle United FC.
13. "Report Gillingham 4–1 Corinthian Casuals". Gillingham FC.
14. "Academy Match Report: Harrogate Town AFC 1–2 Stockport County". Harrogate Town FC.
15. "Match Report Sutton Coldfield Town under-18s 0–6 Shrewsbury Town under-18s". Shrewsbury Town FC.
16. "FAYC Report Chester U18's 2–1 South Shields". Chester FC.
17. @@SUFCYouth (22 November 2022). "HT: Tonight's attendance at Roots Hall is 181. Thanks to everyone who has come out to support the squad this evening" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
18. "Report: Iron U18s 3–2 Solihull Moors U18s". Scunthorpe United FC.
19. "Pompey Academy 6 Three Bridges 1". Portsmouth FC.
20. "Report Young U's Go Through in FA Youth Cup". Oxford United FC.
21. "Report Argyle Academy 3 Cheltenham Town 0". Plymouth Argyle FC.
22. "Match Report: Shrewsbury Town under-18s 1–2 Rochdale under-18s". Shrewsbury Town FC.
23. "Academy Match Report: County 0–1 Fleetwood Town". Stockport County FC.
24. "FA Youth Cup Report: Wanderers 0 Accrington Stanley 2". Bolton Wanderers FC.
25. "FAYC Report | Chester 1–1 Bradford City (AET, Bradford win 4–3 on pens)". Chester FC.
26. "Youth Report – Gillingham 1–0 Plymouth Argyle". Gillingham FC.
27. "Pompey Academy 4 Cambridge 5". Portsmouth FC.
28. "FA Youth Cup Match Report Port Vale 3–0 Hull City". Port Vale FC.
29. "Danaher Previews Thursday's FA Youth Cup Game". Huddersfield Town AFC.
30. "PREVIEW: Sky Blues host Southampton in FA Youth Cup action". Coventry City FC.
31. "NEWS FA Youth Cup game details confirmed – Charlton v Newcastle United". The Mag.
32. "FA Youth Cup Report: Charlton 2 Newcastle United 3". Charlton Athletic FC.
33. "FA YOUTH CUP FIXTURE MOVED TO STADIUM OF LIGHT". Swansea City AFC.
34. "FA Youth Cup: Third round at Swansea postponed". Sunderland AFC.
35. "Youth Report Gillingham 2-0 Wigan Athletic". Gillingham FC.
36. "Wigan Youth Cup fixture postponed". Gillingham FC.
37. "U18S: FA Youth Cup Tie Against Canaries & Trip to Posh Postponed". Burnley FC.
38. "Spurs vs QPR FA Youth Cup tie postponed". Stevenage FC.
39. "FA Youth Cup R3 Match Postponed Crewe Alexandra vs. Cardiff City". Cardiff City FC.
40. "FA Youth Cup Match Postponed". Colchester United FC.
41. @OfficialECFC (December 13, 2022). "🏆 Our U18s tie with @OUFCOfficial U18s in the FA Youth Cup will now take place next Tuesday December 20 in a 7 pm kick-off at SJP" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
42. "FA Youth Cup Tie Postponed". Rochdale AFC.
43. "U18s' FA Youth Cup third round clash postponed". West Ham United FC.
44. "GALLERY: CHERRIES IMPRESS AGAINST REDS". AFC Bournemouth.
45. "The draw for the FA Youth Cup fourth round proper has been made". The FA. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
46. "Under 18s Go Through in FA Youth Cup". Oxford United FC.
47. "FA Youth Cup tie at Newcastle moved to St James'". Arsenal FC.
48. "CHANGES FOR FA YOUTH CUP TIE & U21S GAME TOMORROW". Burnley FC.
49. @@AcademyOfLight (17 January 2023). "❌ Our Under-18s' FA Youth Cup fourth round tie against Fulham on Thursday has been postponed due to a highly anticipated frozen pitch" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
50. "Chelsea Youth Cup tie moved to Weds 25th January". Cambridge United FC.
51. "Youth Cup tie moved back to Thursday". Cambridge United FC.
52. @AFCWimbledon (1 February 2023). "🏟 Tonight's attendance is 1,074" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
53. "The draw for the FA Youth Cup fifth round proper has been made". The FA. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
54. "Youth Cup Game Postponed". Oxford United FC.
55. "The draw for the quarter-final of the FA Youth Cup has been made". The FA. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
56. "New date for FA Youth Cup quarter-final". Arsenal FC.
57. "The draw for the FA Youth Cup semi-final and pathway to the Final has been made". The FA. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
58. "Keen: It's a special night and I'm so proud of U18s". West Ham United F.C. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.

External links

• The FA Youth Cup at The Football Association official website