This Saturday will see all four South West league sides embark on the road that will lead to Wembley in May as they get their 2010-11 FA Cup campaigns under way.
Plymouth Argyle were the only side given a home draw in the first round and they take on Swindon Town at Home Park. who they defeated 3-2 at the County Ground earlier in the season.
The Robins will no doubt be looking for revenge for that defeat but Peter Reid and Paul Mariner, both FA Cup winners during their playing days with Everton and Ipswich respectively, will be keen for the Pilgrims to enjoy a good run in the competition to boost their finances.
Torquay United have enjoyed good runs in the cup in recent years and have got as far as the second round stage in the past three seasons under Paul Buckle. In the 2008-09 campaign, the Gulls memorably beat Blackpool in the third round before narrowly bowing out to Coventry City in the fourth round.
This season, the Gulls travel to their former Conference rivals Mansfield Town, a side who are striving to get back into the Football League under David Holdsworth, who feature former Gulls Adam Murray and Tyrone Thompson in their ranks. It is also worth noting that under Buckle, the Gulls have only ever lost one cup tie against a side in a lower league than themselves ( St Albans City in the Setanta Shield in the 2007-08 season).
Another side tackling one of their former Conference contemporaries is Yeovil Town who face Rushden & Diamonds at Nene Park. Back in the 2000-01, the Diamonds pipped the Glovers to the Conference title, which meant Yeovil would have to wait a further two seasons before they realised their dream of achieving League status.
However, the wait proved to be worthwhile as the Glovers quickly established themselves as a Football League side. Sadly for the Yeovil faithful, their cup form in recent years has been poor and they have been knocked out by non-league sides in three of the last four seasons, including a defeat at the hands of the Diamonds in the 2006-07 campaign. This is a record which Terry Skiverton will be looking to improve on.
Finally Exeter City travel to Greater Manchester to face League Two high flyers Bury. Grecians boss Paul Tisdale will have Jamie Cureton, Richard Logan and Richard Duffy available again after illness.
It is nearly six years since Exeter famously reached the third round and held Manchester United to a goalless draw and Tisdale will be looking to the Grecians side that appeared that day as a great source of inspiration.
