In the early days of the tournament, clubs from both Scotland and Ireland played in the FA Cup.
The first competition was in the 1871-72 season and Queen's Park reached the semi-final without playing a match. In the First Round they were drawn against Donnington School, but both clubs were allowed to advance to the second round "because they could not agree on a venue."
In the Second Round, the same two clubs were again drawn together, and this time the school club withdrew from the competition, meaning that Queen's Park progressed to the quarter-final, still without having played a match.
Queens' Park then drew a Bye in the Third Round, thus advancing to the Semi-Final without having played a match. All Semi-Final matches as well as the Final were at Kennington Oval, but after Queen's Park drew 0:0 with Wanderers, they declined the offer from Wanderers to play thirty minutes of extra-time, and later withdrew from the competition as they could not afford to make a second journey from Glasgow.
The second competition in 1872-73 saw Queen's Park again enter, and to save on travel costs, they were given a Bye in each of the First, Second and Third Rounds meaning they reached the Semi-Final where they were drawn to play Oxford University. Queen's Park then withdrew anyway.
Queen's Park took no further part in the FA Cup until the 1876-77 season, but another team from Glasgow, Clydesdale, entered in 1875-76 but their First Round opponents South Norwood were awarded a walkover.
In 1876-77, Queen's Park were again awarded a Bye in the First and Second Rounds, before being drawn once again against Oxford University in the Third Round, and similar to four seasons earlier, Oxford University were awarded a walkover.
The 1879-80 competition marked the first of four consecutive seasons which saw Queen's Park enter the tournament, be drawn as the away side in the First Round, and for the home side to be awarded a walkover. The 1879/80 season saw Queen's Park return but once again they didn't play a match, with Sheffield being awarded a walkover in their First Round tie.
The following season, Queen's Park were drawn at The Wednesday in the First Round, and again the home side were awarded a walkover.
Queen's Park (Glasgow, Scotland) were beaten finalists in 1884 and 1885, winning a semi-final in Edinburgh in 1885, while in an 1886 tie Partick Thistle of Scotland beat Cliftonville of Ireland 11-0.
The last Scottish side to play in the competition proper was Gretna who reached the 1st Round in 1991/92 (when in the Northern League) and 1993/94 (when in the Northern Premier League).
In 1991/92, Gretna hosted Rochdale in the First Round, drawing 0:0 before falling 1:3 in the replay.
Two seasons later, Gretna faced Bolton Wanderers away in the First Round and lost 2:3.
Rochdale and Bolton are the only two league clubs to have eliminated a Scottish team from the FA Cup proper, although several clubs that are now league clubs achieved this prior to the formation of the league in 1888.
Bolton eliminated Third Lanark in the 1886/87 competition, with Blackburn Rovers doing the same against Queen's Park in both 1883/84 and 1884/85 and and Preston North End beating Queen's Park in the First Round in 1886/87 and Renton in the Third Round.
Other current league sides to have achieved this once are The Wednesday (a walkover versus Queen's Park in 1880/81), Grimsby Town (another walkover versus Queen's Park in 1882/83), and Aston Villa (a 3:1 win in the 1886/87 Semi-Final v Rangers).
As for current league clubs eliminated by a Scottish club, Crewe Alexandra have suffered from this misfortune twice (a 0:10 defeat versus Queen's Park in 1883/84 and a much improved 1:2 defeat against the same side a season later), with Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Everton, Lincoln City, Nottingham Forest, Notts County, and Stoke losing once each.
Aston Villa lost 1:6 to Queen's Park in 1883/84 and in 1884/85 Queen's Park walked over Stoke in the First Round before beating both Nottingham clubs in Home replays - Notts County 2:1 in the Quarter Final and Nottingham Forest 3:0 in the Semi-Final.
In 1886/87, the First Round saw several English clubs lose to Scottish opponents. There were home defeats for Blackburn Rovers, who lost 0:2 v Renton, Blackburn Olympic (1:3 v Partick Thistle), and Darwin Old Wanderers (1:4 v Cowlairs).
English clubs losing away were Higher Walton (0:5 at Third Lanark), Accrington (0:1 at Renton) and Everton who forfeited their tie against Rangers.
In the Second Round, Rossendale lost 1:10 to Cowlairs, Fleetwood Rangers lost 0:7 at Partick Thistle, Church loat 1:2 at Rangers and Renton defeated Blackburn Rovers 2:0 in a replay after a 2:2 draw.
In the Fifth Round, Lincoln City lost 0:5 at Rangers who beat Old Westminsters 5:1 in the Quarter-Final.
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