Editing FA Cup (section)

===Non-League giant killings===
Since the expansion of the Football League in 1921, the best performance of a team from outside the Football League was [[National League (division)|National League]] side [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]]'s run to the quarter-finals of the [[2016–17 FA Cup]], during which they defeated Championship side [[2016–17 Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. season|Brighton]] 3–1 in the fourth round and Premier League side [[2016–17 Burnley F.C. season|Burnley]] [[Burnley 0–1 Lincoln City (2017)|1–0 in the fifth]], before falling to ultimate Cup champions [[2016–17 Arsenal F.C. season|Arsenal]] 5–0 at the Emirates. Lincoln's defeat of Burnley was only the third (and most recent) FA Cup victory for a non-league team over a top-flight side since 1989.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21095990 BBC Sport] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126235313/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21095990 |date=26 January 2013 }}, 26 January 2013</ref> Giant-killings can also be applied where the defeated team is from lower down the Football League, particularly where the defeated club is very notable or the winning team particularly obscure. [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], having already won five league titles in their history, were in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] in [[1958–59 Football League#Second Division|1959]] when they [[1958–59 FA Cup|lost 2–1]] to [[Worcester City F.C.|Worcester City]] of the [[1958–59 Southern Football League|Southern League]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Dan |title=FA Cup archive: Liverpool lose to Worcester |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/35174937 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=16 March 2022 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316094638/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/35174937 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The best-known non-league giant-killing came in the [[1971–72 FA Cup]], when non-league [[Hereford United F.C.|Hereford United]] defeated First Division [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jan/28/newsstory.hereford |title=It'll never happen |work=[[The Observer]] |date=28 January 2007 |access-date=14 July 2016 |archive-date=12 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512073733/http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/jan/28/newsstory.hereford |url-status=live }}</ref> Hereford were trailing 1–0 with less than seven minutes left in the [[1971–72 FA Cup#Third round proper|Third round proper replay]], when Hereford's [[Ronnie Radford]] scored the equaliser – a goal still shown regularly when FA Cup fixtures are broadcast.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dirs |first1=Ben |title=Ronnie Radford: The FA Cup goal that made time stand still |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30521200 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=16 March 2022 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316092357/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30521200 |url-status=live }}</ref> Hereford finished the shocking comeback by defeating Newcastle 2–1 in the match. They finished that season as runners-up of the [[1971–72 Southern Football League|Southern League]], behind [[Chelmsford City F.C.|Chelmsford City]], and were [[re-election (Football League)|voted into the Football League]] at the expense of [[Barrow A.F.C.|Barrow]].

Some small clubs gain a reputation for being "cup specialists" after two or more giant killing feats within a few years.<ref name="times analysis" /> [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]] hold the record for the most victories over league opposition as a non-league team, having recorded 20 wins through the years before they achieved [[Promotion and relegation#English example|promotion]] into The Football League in [[2002–03 Football Conference|2003]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/12/FACup_TwentyToTackleAnswers.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20081123025353/http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/12/FACup_TwentyToTackleAnswers.htm|url-status=dead|title=TheFA.com – Twenty to tackle answers|date=23 November 2008|archive-date=23 November 2008}}</ref> The record for a club which has never entered the Football League is held by [[Altrincham F.C.|Altrincham]], with 17 wins against league teams.