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I know it's unusual but don't forget we ARE in the draw tonight.    BBC2   7pm,       BALL NUMBER 32.

Best ties would be Oxford home or away, Rovers,  Coventry, Sunderland, Ipswich or Pompey (subject to replays) at home or any non league team away that's gets us on TV to help with revenue. After that anybody else at home. All would be winnable as well giving us a shot at R3.

Please dont give us any L1 or L2 team away (apart from Oxford)  particularly those far off northern outposts such as Carlisle, Fleetwood, Crewe or Wrexham/Rochdale and especially Rotherham as Yates wouldnt be allowed to play.

Rotherham away it is then!

Don't want Oxford at the moment. As much as it pains me to say it, they seem to be doing well.

We'll end up drawing ball 26. Creating the thrilling draw of;

Grimsby/Newport v Swindon/Cheltenham.

home to... port vale

Home to P Vale  well suppose it could be worse.

Home to Port Vale.

Take that tbh.

Not exciting but should we get to that stage a great chance to progress, all that matters in R2.

Looks to be a pretty shit draw but If we can beat the Numb then that should be a decent chance to progress to round 3.

An uninspiring winnable tie, which is absolutely fine

Lose one of those ties and it shouldn’t derail the season.

Win both of the very winnable home games and we’re in the hat.

No complaints from me.

 As pointed out before there ususally aren't good draws to be had in R2, so anything at home will do. However, not really too much point in getting excited as the very difficult hurdle of Numb to overcome first.

 Interestingly although a regular opponent in league football it would be the first time since 1906 that we've crossed paths with BPV in any cup tournament and that was the only time, but it was in the 5th qualifying round, we lost 2-1

Keeping the theme running, some of you might enjoy a stab at this. Went up on BBC a few hours. I managed 18 of 23 (without cheating). Enjoy  :)

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50331298

Good quiz. I got 17. Not sure many would get 2 of the 23 names, long forgotten clubs.

To be honest Kirky, I got those first. My Dad used to have a pewter tankard with all the FA Cup Winners on (upto about mid 80s) and so those two clubs were literally etched into my memory!

Hang on a minute - We've got to beat Cheltenham first!

That's far from a certainty.

At least it won’t be a non league team on a plastic pitch which is a relief. Watching the 1st round highlights earlier the number of artificial pitches is a shame, I know they have lower maintenance costs and can lead to income but just not the same as grass.

Got 19... got the old ones... missed some obvious ones!

Black balls, from a black bag, chosen by a non ginger disabled lesbian .
Come on BBC . . . think of the minorities.

if you can't dream about port vale in the second round, when can you dream?

Indeed...imagine if we'd been drawn away? Oh the excitement of playing at Wembley.. *











*...of the North.

No non league humiliation this season.

Yet.

Just 8 games until we can  continue our unbeaten streak in Europe

There's always round 3 shag.

Nah...it will be Everton away...i can feel it in my piss!

Hope not, it was shite last time.

Couldn't face that again,  not after the fiasco of almost getting arrested last time.

Currently Cheltenham 3 Newport 7 after 68mins in the pointless trophy. Good grief

All sorts of strange scores in this micky mouse cup tonight,      Scunthorpe beating  Sunderland,  P Vale beating Newcastle,  Gillingham beating Spurs & Walsall 6 Forest Gump 0,    is anyone taking this wonderful tournament seriously ?.

FGR started with 3 youth team players and 3 more on the bench, sounds like Nam have done similar

Actually Cheltenham only made 5 changes, all first team squad members at least if not regulars, whereas it was Newport who went with the youth team, 9 changes in a squad "made up of mainly Academy players". Didn't know you could make that many changes, but fair play to them!

You'd hope Power/Morfuni will be willing to dip into their pockets to pay what is a relatively small amount for the fine for not playing our 1st team. Especially considering we cannot possibly advance in the competition anyway. Losing a key player through injury would be far more damaging.

Regardless, it's good to see other clubs are apparently treating the 'competition' (for want of a better word) with the contempt it deserves.

And also using what is otherwise a pointless exercise as a positive. Those academy lads will have been buzzing and it can only help them. Fair play to Newport

Apart from Ipswich who took over 2500 fans to Colchester last night! Wtf!

Probably around the same number that we will take to Rovers tonight.

I’ll be surprised if it’s 25

Think that's just wishful thinking.   ;D ;D