Bristol City and Bristol Rovers will learn their FA Cup third round opponents tonight as the Robins enter the competition while the Gas beat League One rivals Barnsley on penalties at Oakwell on Saturday afternoon having beaten National League South outfit Weston-super-Mare in the first round.
Fans of both clubs will be keeping an eye out for the opposing team’s ball number with a first Bristol Derby since September 2013 a possibility.
It’s also a chance for both teams to come up against the giants of English football as Premier League clubs also enter the competition at this stage alongside teams from the Championship.
Last season, City famously beat West Ham United 1-0 in a third round replay at Ashton Gate having drawn 1-1 in the inital match at the London Stadium before forcing another Premier League side to a replay in Nottingham Forest in the fourth round. They were, however, eliminated on penalties at the City Ground.
The campaign prior, the Robins made it to the fifith round and hosted top-flight champions and eventual FA Cup winners Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s men went on to complete a famous treble.
As for Rovers, Gasheads still won’t be over last season’s heartbreak as an excellent display away at Norwich City in the third round was only rewarded with a replay before the fourth round draw put the tie’s winner up against Liverpool way at Anfield.
The Gas led 1-0 at half-time in the home replay but eventually lost 3-1 as the Canaries’ Championship quality prevailed and Matt Taylor’s side missed out on what would’ve been a gargantuan cup tie.
Both teams are in the hat. Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s third round draw…
When is the FA Cup third round draw?
The draw will take place from 7pm GMT tonight (Monday, December 2) live from Old Trafford, home of FA Cup holders Manchester United.
How can I watch the FA Cup third round draw?
BBC Two will be broadcasting the draw from 7pm GMT. There will also be a live stream on BBC iPlayer and the official FA Cup social media channels. Bristol Live will also be running a live blog.
What are the ball numbers?
1. AFC Bournemouth (PL)
2. Arsenal (PL)
3. Aston Villa (PL)
4. Blackburn Rovers (Champ.)
5. Brentford (PL)
6. Brighton and Hove Albion (PL)
7. Bristol City (Champ.)
8. Burnley (Champ.)
9. Cardiff City (Champ.)
10. Chelsea (PL)
11. Coventry City (Champ.)
12. Crystal Palace (PL)
13. Derby County (Champ.)
14. Everton (PL)
15. Fulham (PL)
16. Hull City (Champ.)
17. Ipswich Town (PL)
18. Leeds United (Champ.)
19. Leicester City (PL)
20. Liverpool (PL)
21. Luton Town (Champ.)
22. Manchester City (PL)
23. Manchester United (PL)
24. Middlesbrough (Champ.)
25. Millwall (Champ.)
26. Newcastle United (PL)
27. Norwich City (Champ.)
28. Nottingham Forest (PL)
29. Oxford United (Champ.)
30. Plymouth Argyle (Champ.)
31. Portsmouth (Champ.)
32. Preston North End (Champ.)
33. Queens Park Rangers (Champ.)
34. Sheffield United (Champ.)
35. Sheffield Wednesday (Champ.)
36. Southampton (PL)
37. Stoke City (Champ.)
38. Sunderland (Champ.)
39. Swansea City (Champ.)
40. Tottenham Hotspur (PL)
41. Watford (Champ.)
42. West Bromwich Albion (Champ.)
43. West Ham United (PL)
44. Wolverhampton Wanderers (PL)
45. Salford City (LG2)
46. Charlton Athletic (LG1)
47. Exeter City (LG1)
48. Leyton Orient (LG1)
49. Bristol Rovers (LG1)
50. Dagenham and Redbridge (NL)
51. Accrington Stanley (LG2)
52. Lincoln City (LG1)
53. Tamworth (NL)
54. Birmingham City (LG1)
55. Mansfield Town (LG1)
56. Peterborough United (LG1)
57. Stockport County (LG1)
58. Wycombe Wanderers (LG1)
59. Morecambe (LG2)
60. Bromley (LG2)
61. Doncaster Rovers (LG2)
62. Reading (LG1)
63. Harrogate Town (LG2)
64. Wigan Athletic (LG1)
How much prize money can be won?
Winning teams will pocket £115,000 from the FA’s prize fund while losing sides will get £25,000.
When will the ties be played?
The third round ties will be played between Friday, January 9 2025 and Monday, January 13 2025.