The Pitmen go close to a second as Dan Trickett-Smith fires a 20-yard free-kick just past the target.

Where will the magic of the cup strike this afternoon?

Let's find out... we're off!

Up and down the land the players have emerged from dressing rooms to a cauldron of noise and expectation... balloons, face paint, tin foil cups... everything you could hope for on FA Cup first round day...

Kick-off is moments away...

Adam Cottier
BBC Sport at the SMH Group Stadium

Some 500 Horsham fans have made the journey up to Derbyshire from West Sussex and their mood is one of optimism given how well they performed at Barnsley in the first round last season.

Many of that squad remain and the Horsham boss Dominic Di Paola believes his team won’t freeze here given it’s a third first round tie in four years for the side from the seventh tier.

But then they are up against a Chesterfield side unbeaten since mid-September, going well after promotion back to the EFL in May.

Image source, Getty Images

Not long until kick-off - just enough time to test your FA Cup knowledge.

How well do you know the FA Cup first round?

Click here to take our quiz, and let us know how you got on using the hashtag #bbcfootball on X.

BBC Sounds

You can also listen to live BBC local radio commentary from 28 of the 15:00 fixtures.

Simply click on the match you want to follow, and hit the 'listen live' button to follow local commentary.

Image source, Rex Features

On paper at least, the meeting of the Pitmen and the Trinity at Keys Park is the least glamorous of all the 40 first round ties.

Eighth-tier side Hednesford, are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, sat 14th in the Northern Premier League Division One West, and take on seventh-tier Gainsborough, 18 places higher in the football pyramid, sitting 20th In the Northern Premier.

Town made waves on the eve of the game as they chose to part ways with manager Steve King. An interim management team of Martin Hunter, Junior Lewis and Andy Turner will take charge this afternoon.

Trinity have decent pedigree. The Lincolnshire side were early members of the Football League from 1893 to 1912 and it was also the club where legendary chiropodist-turned-soccer boss Neil Warnock began his managerial career 44 years ago.

Hednesford have more recent memories to look back on - their run to the fourth round in 1996-97, when they beat Telford United, Southport and two league clubs, former FA Cup winners Blackpool and York City.

They still have the proud memory of Joe O'Connor netting twice at the Riverside, before being beaten 3-2 by Bryan Robson's star-studded Middlesbrough in the fourth round, thanks to two late goals from Jan-Age Fjortoft and Fabrizio Ravanelli.

Image source, Getty Images

There's only question we could possibly ask on FA Cup first round weekend... what are your favourite memories of the grand old competition?

Ronnie Radford, Sutton United, Mickey Thomas, Ricky Villa (pictured), Tim Buzaglo... even the words on a screen are enough to make the hairs on your neck stand up.

Get in touch via the usual channels or join the conversation on X using the hashtag #bbcfootball

If you want to show off your knowledge and tip us any giant-slayings then that would be fine too. We'll publish the best ones right here...

Image source, Getty Images

There's no better time for an in-form Worthing team to cause an upset this afternoon.

Morecambe are sat at foot of the table in League Two with just one win from their previous 14 games. The Rebels on the other hand, are just two points from the top of the table in the National League South - winning five out of their previous six games.

Worthing boss Chris Agutter views this tie as a "good opportunity," with Morecambe conceding 11 goals in their past three games.

The Shrimps fans who are making the 320-mile trip down south will no doubt be hoping for their team to bounce back from a recent poor run of results.

Image source, Rex Features

This will be the first time these two sides have faced each other in a competitive match with 74 places in the football ladder separating them.

Chesterfield, who are sitting in the play-off places in League Two are unbeaten in their last eight games winning three and drawing five.

Paul Cook’s side have drawn seven of their eight games so far this campaign.

The Spireites, who reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1997 have progressed from nine of their last 10 FA Cup first round ties, losing the other 2-0 to Bradford City in 2017-18.

As for Horsham, it was only last season that the Hornets went all the way to round two, albeit in bizarre circumstances after losing a first round replay 3-0 against Barnsley but going through because the Tykes fielded an ineligible player.

The Isthmian League Premier Division side eventually crashed out away at Sutton United following a 3-0 defeat.

Manager Dominic Di Paola says his side's recent experience of big FA Cup ties means they won’t be fazed when they visit Chesterfield.

Di Paola has led the seventh-tier club into the first round of the FA Cup three times in four seasons. This season will be the sixth first round tie in their history.

Image source, Getty Images

Harborough Town had never made it to the first round of the FA Cup before, so they will be making history when they travel to face National League South side Tonbridge Angels this afternoon.

The seventh-tier Bees (pictured), who play in the Southern League Premier Central Division, booked their place thanks to a 1-0 win at home to Bury two weeks ago.

"It's the FA Cup, it doesn't have to be a blockbuster, you just have to get in the next round and little old Harborough are there," said manager Mitch Austin.

Click here to learn more about the Leicestershire side, whose message this afternoon is one word... believe!

Tonbridge manager Jay Saunders led Kent rivals Maidstone United into the second round with a win over Stevenage in 2014 but Angels have fallen at the first round hurdle on all seven previous appearances at this stage.

The last time they lost 7-0 against Bradford at Longmead four years ago. Is this the year the streak is broken?

A bit of FA Cup history will be made at the Memorial Stadium today as Bristol Rovers face Weston-Super-Mare for their first ever meeting in the competition.

To add to that, there is plenty more to play for as well as south-west honour as Luke Thomas of Rovers will be coming up against his older brother Keiran.

Two of Bristol Rovers’ last three FA Cup games against non-league teams have seen them score six or more goals (6-0 vs Darlington in 2020-21, 7-2 vs Whitby Town in 2023-24) but their other was a 2-0 loss to Boreham Wood in 2022-23.

National League South leaders Weston go into this unbeaten in last 11 league games, winning eight of them.

Their only win in the FA Cup proper was in 2003 when they won 1-0 at Farnborough in the first round.

The Seagulls are looking to reach the FA Cup second round for only the second time in the club’s history.

Image source, Rex Features

Rushall Olympic admit they are "essentially a village club" after reaching round one of the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

The Pics, who are based just outside Walsall, beat fellow National League North side Peterborough Sports 5-4 on penalties to earn a home tie against League Two Accrington on the 3G pitch at Dales Lane this afternoon.

"We just hope the legacy from this is we get the crowds to come in and help us stay at the (current tier six) level - without getting more through the gate, it's impossible," vice-chairman Nick Allen told BBC WM Sport. Click here to read more from Allen.

More than 50 places separate the Pics, 23rd in the sixth tier, from Stanley, 20th in League Two, who actually drew 0-0 at home to Walsall, two miles down the road from Rushall, last Saturday.

Stanley have made the fourth round in four of the past five seasons while injury-hit Rushall have lost 10 of their 14 league games, but, in the FA Cup you just never know, do you?

Marc Webber
Final Score

Image source, BBC Sport

The Guiseley players are getting themselves used to the Stevenage surface.

I’ve just heard one steward say to another here “just to warn you, this could go all the way to extra time and penalties”.

Doesn’t sound like they’re too confident.

Guiseley bring with them a St Kitts & Nevis international and FA Trophy winners in their side.

But Stevenage are not averse to a headline-grabbing result in their history, including when they were a non-league team.

Guiseley haven't been dealt the kindest draw as they travel south to take on League One side Stevenage.

Although, The Lions have reached this round five times in the last 14 years, most recently in 2021-22 when they lost 1-0 away at AFC Wimbledon.

Stevenage go into the tie with three losses out of their last three games, with the most recent being a 4-1 loss at home to Bolton. The Boro currently sit 15th in League One.

A win for the away side would see them match their best ever FA Cup campaign. They previously reached the second round in consecutive seasons in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

Image source, Rex Features

Tamworth, from step five, might have been the underdogs as they overcame Huddersfield last night but compared to some of the sides in the first round this weekend, they are the giants.

Click here to learn all about the footballing minnows who are swimming with some big fish this weekend.

Image source, Rex Features

There will be plenty of fans of EFL clubs that might just have that pang of dread in the pit of their stomach this afternoon - what if it's us?

Nobody wants to be the giant that is slain by a non-league opponent, but it seems to happen every year, and it's partly why we love the competition, right?

Click here to check out the ties which we think might be the best chance of a 'Cupset' this weekend.

Oh, and hands up, no, we didn't put Tamworth on there...