Saints have been handed a massive South Coast derby at home to bitter rivals Portsmouth in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.

Saints and Pompey were the last two balls out of the bowl, and will meet for the first time since our relegation in 2005.

The draw in full:

Wolverhampton Wanderers or Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Manchester City v Stoke City
Derby County v Birmingham City
Bolton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur or Leeds United
Chelsea v Cardiff City
Fulham v Notts County or Wigan Athletic
Reading v West Bromwich Albion
Southampton v Portsmouth

Saints have been drawn at home against Championship side Ipswich Town in the FA Cup 4th Round.

Roy Keane’s side had a dreadful start to the season, failing to win any of their first 11 games, but have since picked up form and have lifted themselves to 19th place, and will provide a stern test for a Saints side who have struggled a bit through games over the Christmas period.

Having seen League One leaders Leeds United win at Old Trafford this afternoon, though, Alan Pardew will know that an upset is always possible in the FA Cup.

The draw in full:

Southampton v Ipswich Town
Reading or Liverpool v Burnley
Millwall or Derby County v Brentford or Doncaster Rovers
Bristol City or Cardiff City v Leicester City
Stoke City v Arsenal
Notts County or Forest Green Rovers v Wigan Athletic
Scunthorpe United v Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion v Plymouth Argyle or Newcastle United
Everton v Nottingham Forest or Birmingham City
Accrington Stanley or Gillingham v Fulham
Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield United or Queens Park Rangers
Portsmouth or Coventry City v Sunderland
Preston North End v Chelsea
Aston Villa v Brighton and Hove Albion
Tranmere Rovers or Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace
Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United

Ties will be played on the weekend of 23rd January, meaning Saints’ League One game against Swindon Town will be postponed until later in the season.

Saints have been handed a home draw in the third round of the FA Cup against either Rotherham United or Luton Town.

Rotherham have caused us problems in recent years, knocking us out of the 2004 FA Cup at Millmoor and last season’s Carling Cup at their new home, the Don Valley Stadium. Our last tie against Luton was in the 90s when we scraped a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road - with Bruce Grobbelaar saving a late penalty to earn a replay - and then won the replay 6-0.

Rotherham and Luton played out a 2-2 draw at the Don Valley Stadium yesterday and the Blue Square Premier side host the Millers at Kenilworth Road a week on Tuesday in a replay with the winners making the trip to St Mary’s.

The draw in full:

Tottenham Hotspur v Peterborough United
Brentford v Doncaster Rovers
Middlesbrough v Manchester City
Stoke City v York City
Notts County v Forest Green Rovers
Huddersfield Town v West Bromwich Albion
Sheffield United v Queens Park Rangers
Milton Keynes Dons v Burnley
Chelsea v Watford
Nottingham Forest v Birmingham City
Preston North End v Colchester United
West Ham United v Arsenal
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
Portsmouth v Coventry City
Sunderland v Oxford United or Barrow
Wigan Athletic v Hull City
Everton v Carlisle United
Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace
Tranmere Rovers or Aldershot Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Blackpool v Ipswich Town
Fulham v Swindon Town
Stockport County or Torquay United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Scunthorpe United v Barnsley
Southampton v Rotherham United or Luton Town
Bristol City v Cardiff City
Reading v Liverpool
Staines Town or Millwall v Derby County
Plymouth Argyle v Newcastle United
Leicester City v Swansea City
Bolton Wanderers v Lincoln City
Accrington Stanley or Barnet v Gillingham
Manchester United v Kettering Town or Leeds United

Ties will be played on the weekend of 2nd January 2010.

Saints have been handed another home draw in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy with a tie against Norwich City in the Southern semi-final at St Mary’s.

In the other Southern semi-final, League Two side Hereford United have home advantage against MK Dons.

In the Northern section, bookies’ favourites Leeds United were also drawn at home again, this time against Accrington Stanley. Carlisle United host Bradford City in the other Nothern semi-final.

Saints have been handed their fourth cup tie against Northampton Town in the last 5 years after they were drawn away at the Cobblers in the FA Cup second round.

While it’s a decent draw in terms of getting through to the potentially lucrative third round, for those of us who like to visit new grounds wherever possible it’s a bit of a blow to get a trip to a ground most of us will have visited back in the 2004/5 season.

The draw in full:

Northwich Victoria v Lincoln City
Northampton Town v Southampton
Hereford United v Colchester United
Tranmere Rovers or Leyton Orient v Aldershot Town
Kettering Town v Leeds United
Gillingham v Burton Albion or Oxford City
Wrexham v Swindon Town
Wycombe Wanderers or Brighton & Hove Albion v Rushden & Diamonds
Wealdstone or Rotherham United v Luton Town or Rochdale
Milton Keynes Dons v Exeter City
Gateshead or Brentford v Walsall
Carlisle United or Morecambe v Norwich City
Accrington Stanley v Barnet
Oxford United v Barrow
Bournemouth v Notts County
Stockport County v Torquay United
Cambridge United v York City
Bath City v Forest Green Rovers or Mansfield Town
Port Vale or Stevenage Borough v Huddersfield Town
Staines Town v Millwall or AFC Wimbledon

Ties to be played on the weekend of 28th/29th November.

Saints have been handed a chance to avenge the disastrous FA Cup defeat at Bristol Rovers in 2008 with a return trip to the Memorial Ground in the first round of this year’s competition.

The Rovers goalscorer in a 1-0 win that day, Rickie Lambert, now plays his football at St Mary’s and it will be his first return to Bristol since his £1m move in August.

Other notable ties include Southern League side Paulton Rovers hosting Norwich City and near neighbours Eastleigh will play their first ever First Round match away at either Barrow or Chester City. Ties will be played on the weekend of November 7th and 8th.

FA Cup First Round Draw in full:

Gillingham v Southend United
Grimsby Town v Bath City
Gateshead v Brentford
Chesterfield v Bournemouth
Blyth Spartans or AFC Telford v Lincoln City
Stockport County v Tooting & Mitcham United or Eastbourne Borough
Burton Albion v Oxford City
Barrow or Chester City v Eastleigh
Oldham Athletic v Leeds United
Cambridge United v Ilkeston Town
York City v Crewe Alexandra
Wycombe Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
Hereford United v Sutton United
Nuneaton Town v Exeter City
Bristol Rovers v Southampton
Carlisle United v Morecambe
Forest Green Rovers v Mansfield Town
Oxford United v Yeovil Town
Paulton Rovers v Norwich City
Swindon Town v Woking
Port Vale v Stevenage Borough
Luton Town v Rochdale
Bromley v Colchester United
Accrington Stanley v Farnborough or Salisbury City
Millwall v Crawley Town or AFC Wimbledon
Stourbridge v Walsall
Shrewsbury Town v Staines Town
Wealdstone v Rotherham United
Torquay United v Cheltenham Town
Barnet v Darlington
Notts County v Bradford City
Huddersfield Town v Dagenham & Redbridge
Milton Keynes Dons v Macclesfield Town
Rushden & Diamonds v Hinckley United
Northwich Victoria v Charlton Athletic
Aldershot Town v Bury
Wrexham v Gloucester City or Lowestoft
Hartlepool United v Kettering Town or Redditch
Tranmere Rovers v Leyton Orient
Northampton Town v Kidderminster Harriers or Fleetwood Town

Saints have been handed a home draw against Premier League new-boys Birmingham City in the second round of the Carling Cup.

It is a repeat of the second round draw from last season, where a below-strength Saints side overcame the Blues 2-0 thanks to goals from Lee Holmes and Adam Lallana.

With the relative disdain shown to the competition these days, it’s likely the club will price the tickets fairly cheaply in order to get a big crowd through the turnstiles. This was done for last night’s match against Northampton Town and had the desired effect with 10,921 in attendance, the highest of the competition so far.

The draw in full:

Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley
Blackpool v Wigan Athletic
Bristol City v Carlisle United
Cardiff City v Bristol Rovers
Crystal Palace v Manchester City
Doncaster Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur
Gillingham v Blackburn Rovers
Hartlepool United v Burnley
Hull City v Southend United
Leeds United v Watford
Leyton Orient v Stoke City
Newcastle United v Huddersfield Town
Norwich City v Sunderland
Nottingham Forest v Middlesbrough
Peterborough United v Ipswich Town
Portsmouth v Hereford United
Port Vale v Sheffield Wednesday
Preston North End v Leicester City
Queens Park Rangers v Accrington Stanley
Southampton v Birmingham City
Swansea City v Scunthorpe United
Tranmere Rovers v Bolton Wanderers
West Bromwich Albion v Rotherham United
West Ham United v Millwall
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Swindon Town

The games will be played in the week commencing 24th August.

Saints have been drawn at home to Northampton Town in the first round of the Carling Cup.

Northampton, managed by former Saints boss Stuart Gray, were relegated from League One on the final day of last season.

The game will be played during the week commencing 10th August, most likely on Tuesday 11th, and will be the first time we have played Northampton at home since September 1964 in the old Third Division South.

The two sides have met just once in the League Cup, back in 2004 when Steve Wigley’s side won 3-0 at Sixfields Stadium thanks to goals from Kevin Phillips, David Prutton and Neil McCann.

The draw in full:

Accrington Stanley v Walsall
Huddersfield Town v Stockport County
Rotherham United v Derby County
Tranmere Rovers v Grimsby Town
Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale
Bury v West Bromwich Albion
Notts County v Doncaster Rovers
Lincoln City v Barnsley
Scunthorpe United v Chesterfield
Coventry City v Hartlepool United
Darlington v Leeds United
Preston North End v Morecambe
Crewe Alexandra v Blackpool
Carlisle United v Oldham Athletic
Nottingham Forest v Bradford City
Macclesfield Town v Leicester City
Sheffield United v Port Vale
Cardiff City v Dagenham & Redbridge
Wycombe Wanderers v Peterborough United
Southampton v Northampton Town
Barnet v Watford
Hereford United v Charlton Athletic
Bristol Rovers v Aldershot Town
Millwall v AFC Bournemouth
Gillingham v Plymouth Argyle
Colchester United v Leyton Orient
Reading v Burton Albion
Exeter City v Queens Park Rangers
Cheltenham Town v Southend United
Brentford v Bristol City
Yeovil Town v Norwich City
Crystal Palace v Torquay United
Milton Keynes Dons v Swindon Town
Swansea City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Shrewsbury Town v Ipswich Town