Jersey Bulls & Guernsey FC: After two years, the FA Cup reappears in non-English and non-Welsh teams

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The FA Cup is the oldest football cup that is still held today. It is mainly participated by English teams, but in history, more than 100 teams from Scotland, Wales and Ireland have participated in the FA Cup in England. With the institutionalization and standardization of the game, the main English teams and five Welsh teams who have joined the English League system are participating in the FA Cup in England.

The FA released the list of participating teams for the FA Cup 2025-26 season the day before yesterday (June 26), with a total of 747 teams, the second most in history, second only to the 758 teams in the 2012-13 season. In addition, unlike the 2024-25 season where only England and Wales teams competed, the 2025-26 season also included the Jersey Bulls of the Channel Islands and the Guernsey Football Club of Guernsey.

Jersey and Guernsey are located on the side of the English Channel near the Cotton Peninsula in France. They belong to neither England nor Wales. Instead, they are royal territories (Crown Dependencies), with the Jersey and Guernsey boroughs respectively. .

1. Jersey Bulls

Jersey Administrative Region is a popular address comparable to Andorra's social media. Its own Football Association and has its own Jersey League system that does not belong to the English League system. Its Premiership 1 won the 2024-25 season championship is Grouville, who is the first time in team history to win the top league championship in Jersey. The borough of Jersey also has its own FA Cup, the Le Riche Cup and the secondary league, Premiership 1.

The Jersey Bulls did not participate in the Jersey League system, but joined the England League system. They participated in the runner-up of the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division South in the 2024-25 season, and were promoted and will participate in the 8th League, Isthmian League South East Division in the 2025-26 season. If they continue to upgrade, they will participate in the 7th League, Isthmian League Premier Division in the 2026-27 season.

Jersey Bulls had previously participated in the qualifying rounds for three consecutive times in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but failed (the most recent entry was in August 2023), and then missed the 2024-25 season and did not rejoin the event until the 2025-26 season.

Jersey's dairy cows have a higher reputation than Jersey bulls, and the milk of Jersey cows sold in supermarkets is another translation of Jersey cows.

In addition, Jersey also appears in Maupassant's representative work, "My Uncle Yule", and is translated as "Gerceae Island". My family, who was not wealthy, came from Le Havre, Normandy, and chose to travel to Gersay because it was close to the ground and was not expensive, but it was also considered a "face-friendly" trip abroad. As a result, I met Yule, who was riding oysters on Gersay Island.

2. Guernsey FC

Because it is very close to the European continent, Jersey and Guernsey became one of the few British territories occupied by the German army during World War II. The novel "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" tells the story of the war years in those years with flashbacks. This work was also made into a movie in 2018. The Guernsey Administrative Region also has its own Football Association and has its own Guernsey League system that does not belong to the English League system: the first level is Priaulx, because the league was founded in 1893. Priaulx spent 5 pounds to buy a trophy that year. The 2024-25 season champion was St. Martins Athletic Club; the second level is Division 1.

Guernsey FC does not participate in the Guernsey League system, but joins the England League system. They participated in the 8th Division of the Isthmian League South Central Division in the 2024-25 season, and was relegated for ranking fourth from the bottom (19/22). They will participate in the 9th Division of the Southern Combination Football League Premier Division in the 2025-26 season.

Guernsey FC participated in the FA Cup for the first time in the 2013-14 season and was the first Channel Islands team to participate in the FA Cup. Since then, in the 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, they have participated in the qualifying round for three consecutive times, but failed (the most recent competition was in August 2016). They have missed several consecutive sessions and did not rejoin the event until the 2025-26 season..

For teams that have participated in the FA Cup in Scotland and Ireland, please see our "Non-English Teams in the FA Cup" released in May 2023.

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Appendix

English FA Cup 2025-26 season calendar

Preliminary play-offs Extra Preliminary Round: Saturday 2 August 2025

Preliminary Round: Saturday 16 August 2025

First Round Qualifying: Saturday 30 August 2025

Second Round Qualifying: Saturday 13 September 2025

The third round qualifying third Round Qualifying: Saturday 27 September 2025

The fourth round qualifying fourth Round Qualifying: Saturday 11 October 2025

The first round qualifying first Round Proper: Saturday 1 November 2025

The second round qualifying second Round Proper: Saturday 6 December 2025

The third round qualifying third Round Proper: Saturday 10 January 2026

Fourth Round Proper: Saturday 14 February 2026

Fifth Round Proper: Saturday 7 March 2026

Quarter Final: Saturday 4 April 2026

Semi-Final: Saturday 25 April 2026

The Final: Saturday 16 May 2026