The FA Cup 1988–89 is the 108th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down the English football league system meant that the competition started with a number of preliminary and qualifying rounds. The 28 victorious teams from the fourth round qualifying progressed to the first round proper.
Burnham (Stevenage played ineligible player, awarded to Burnham)
58
Steyning Town
1–3
Whitehawk
59
Sudbury Town
2–1
Cambridge City
60
Sutton Coldfield Town
1–0
Eastwood Town
61
Swanage Town & Herston
1–1
Exmouth Town
62
Thame United
1–3
Gosport Borough
63
Thanet United
1–3
Fisher Athletic
64
Tiverton Town
0–1
Merthyr Tydfil
65
Tow Law Town
3–2
Gateshead
66
Tring Town
1–2
Crawley Town
67
Walton & Hersham
3–2
Leytonstone Ilford
68
Wealdstone
1–0
Arlesey Town
69
Weston-super-Mare
0–1
Weymouth
70
Witham Town
2–3
Bishop's Stortford
71
Wokingham Town
3–1
Hertford Town
72
Worthing
0–4
Windsor & Eton
Replays
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
1
Billingham Synthonia
5–1
Accrington Stanley
8
Bury Town
1–4
Boreham Wood
12
Alvechurch
3–3
Bromsgrove Rovers
13
Bromley
4–2
Carshalton Athletic
17
St Albans City
2–4
Dartford
23
Saltash United
5–0
Falmouth Town
25
Kingstonian
3–4
Feltham
30
Barking
0–3
Grays Athletic
32
Whitley Bay
1–0
Gretna
33
Farsley Celtic
0–1
Guisborough Town
46
Woking
1–0
Molesey
48
Witton Albion
3–1
North Ferriby United
49
Banbury United
1–0
Nuneaton Borough
52
Warrington Town
2–0
Rhyl
53
Barrow
1–0
South Bank
61
Exmouth Town
3–0
Swanage Town & Herston
2nd replays
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
12
Bromsgrove Rovers
2–0
Alvechurch
3rd qualifying round
Ties
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
1
Banbury United
2–3
Redditch United
2
Barnet
0–1
Grays Athletic
3
Bashley
1–2
Fareham Town
4
Billingham Synthonia
3–0
Billingham Town
5
Boston United
3–4
Hinckley Town
6
Bromley
2–2
Crawley Town
7
Bromsgrove Rovers
3–1
Bedworth United
8
Dover Athletic
3–0
Ashford Town (Kent)
9
Dulwich Hamlet
1–1
Burnham
10
Fisher Athletic
1–1
Kingstonian
11
Fleetwood Town
2–2
Emley
12
Frickley Athletic
3–1
Witton Albion
13
Gloucester City
0–1
Merthyr Tydfil
14
Gosport Borough
0–1
Waterlooville
15
Guisborough Town
1–1
Bridlington Town
16
Hendon
5–3
Bishop's Stortford
17
Hyde United
1–1
Northwich Victoria
18
Kettering Town
4–0
Boreham Wood
19
Leyton Wingate
1–2
Sudbury Town
20
Moor Green
1–1
Tamworth
21
Morecambe
0–0
Barrow
22
Saltash United
2–2
Exmouth Town
23
Southport
3–0
Bangor City
24
Stafford Rangers
1–1
Leicester United
25
Staines Town
0–1
Wycombe Wanderers
26
Sutton Coldfield Town
0–1
Dudley Town
27
Tow Law Town
2–2
Spennymoor United
28
Walton & Hersham
2–1
Wembley
29
Warrington Town
1–2
Leek Town
30
Wealdstone
1–2
Hayes
31
Weymouth
3–0
Forest Green Rovers
32
Whitley Bay
0–1
Brandon United
33
Whyteleafe
0–2
Woking
34
Windsor & Eton
1–1
Whitehawk
35
Wokingham Town
1–2
Dartford
36
Worcester City
1–1
Dorchester Town
Replays
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
6
Crawley Town
1–0
Bromley
9
Burnham
2–3
Dulwich Hamlet
10
Kingstonian
1–4
Fisher Athletic
11
Emley
2–2
Fleetwood Town
15
Bridlington Town
0–1
Guisborough Town
17
Northwich Victoria
3–0
Hyde United
20
Tamworth
4–6
Moor Green
21
Barrow
5–1
Morecambe
22
Exmouth Town
4–3
Saltash United
24
Leicester United
2–3
Stafford Rangers
27
Spennymoor United
2–2
Tow Law Town
34
Whitehawk
1–0
Windsor & Eton
36
Dorchester Town
1–2
Worcester City
2nd replays
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
11
Fleetwood Town
3–1
Emley
27
Spennymoor United
2–1
Tow Law Town
4th qualifying round
The teams that given byes to this round are Newport County, Runcorn, Kidderminster Harriers, Sutton United, Macclesfield Town, Altrincham, Welling United, Aylesbury United, Chorley, Yeovil Town, Dagenham, Bognor Regis Town, Farnborough Town, Whitby Town, Chelmsford City, Slough Town, V S Rugby, Caernarfon Town, Burton Albion and Halesowen Town.
Ties
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
1
Aylesbury United
1–1
Sudbury Town
2
Barrow
1–1
Whitby Town
3
Bognor Regis Town
2–2
Whitehawk
4
Bromsgrove Rovers
2–0
Moor Green
5
Caernarfon Town
1–1
Brandon United
6
Chelmsford City
1–3
Halesowen Town
7
Crawley Town
3–3
Merthyr Tydfil
8
Dagenham
2–0
Burton Albion
9
Dudley Town
3–3
Grays Athletic
10
Exmouth Town
1–5
Woking
11
Fareham Town
1–1
Dover Athletic
12
Farnborough Town
2–3
Waterlooville
13
Fisher Athletic
3–3
Dulwich Hamlet
14
Fleetwood Town
1–3
Runcorn
15
Frickley Athletic
1–1
Chorley
16
Hayes
1–0
Redditch United
17
Leek Town
0–0
Guisborough Town
18
Macclesfield Town
0–0
Altrincham
19
Newport County
2–1
Weymouth
20
Northwich Victoria
2–0
Billingham Synthonia
21
Slough Town
1–2
Dartford
22
Southport
2–1
Tow Law Town
23
Stafford Rangers
2–1
Kidderminster Harriers
24
Sutton United
1–1
Walton & Hersham
25
V S Rugby
1–1
Hendon
26
Welling United
1–1
Hinckley Town
27
Worcester City
1–2
Yeovil Town
28
Wycombe Wanderers
1–2
Kettering Town
Replays
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
1
Sudbury Town
0–1
Aylesbury United
2
Whitby Town
1–3
Barrow
3
Whitehawk
0–2
Bognor Regis Town
5
Brandon United
2–0
Caernarfon Town
7
Merthyr Tydfil
3–1
Crawley Town
9
Grays Athletic
2–0
Dudley Town
11
Dover Athletic
0–1
Fareham Town
13
Dulwich Hamlet
0–3
Fisher Athletic
15
Chorley
0–1
Frickley Athletic
17
Guisborough Town
0–0
Leek Town
18
Altrincham
4–0
Macclesfield Town
24
Walton & Hersham
0–3
Sutton United
25
Hendon
2–0
V S Rugby
26
Hinckley Town
0–3
Welling United
2nd replays
Tie
Home team
Score
Away team
17
Guisborough Town
1–0
Leek Town
1988–89 FA Cup
See 1988-89 FA Cup for details of the rounds from the first round proper onwards.