The Bluebirds have advanced from the first to the second round of the cup 24 times and if City can get to the third round at Margate's expense, it'll mark the 21th time they've moved on again to the third round. That'd be a second-round success rate of a mere 88%!
City owe a share of this success to wins against non-league clubs like Clapton United, Enfield, and Gloucester City, but the Bluebirds have won some reasonably big second-round matches as well. Back in 1993-94 City beat Division-Two Brentford 3-1 at Griffin Park. Dungeon-dwelling City beat Division-Two Brentford 2-0 at Ninian Park in 1986-87. Three years ago, City drew 0-0 with Division-Two Bury at Gigg Lane, then topped the Shakers 1-0 in a Ninian Park extra-time replay. Last year City whipped Port Vale of Division Two 3-0 at Ninian Park.
Here are some additional facts and figures on City's most impressive second round FA Cup history:
* A win against Margate on Saturday would give City second round triumphs in six consecutive seasons. That would match the string of such successes City ran off in six straight FA Cups from 1919-20 through 1924-25.
* City's all-time mark in second round action stands at a supreme 20 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses. The record since World War II shows 10 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. Before the war, the Bluebirds were invincible, with 10 wins and 3 draws in 13 second-round contests.
* City have played roughly twice as many second-round matches at home as away. The home mark shows 19 played and a record of 15-2-2. The away record stands at 5 wins, 3 draws and a loss.
* City's biggest second round win came in the 1931-32 competition, when the club blasted Leyton Orient 4-0. The Bluebirds have never lost a second round match by more than two goals, falling 2-0 at Swindon in 1995-96 and 2-0 at home to Gillingham the next year in their worst second-round setbacks to date.
* The Bluebirds have netted 47 goals in 28 second round matches, while opponents have scored but 18. Only once has an opponent scored as many as three against City in a second round match. Weymouth managed that back in the 1982-83 competition, beating City 3-2 at Ninian Park. That defeat is notable too in that it marked City's first ever second round loss, snapping an unbeaten string of 14 including 11 wins and three draws.
On Saturday Margate will make their first appearance in the second round of the FA Cup in 30 years. Back in 1972-73, while playing in the Southern League Premier Division, they won a first-round match for the first time in 37 years, beating Swansea City at home 1-0. That set up a second-round contest at Walton & Hersham of the Isthmian League. Margate won that match 1-0 and drew Tottenham Hotspur at home for the third round. Spurs won that 6-0.
* Since that 1972-73 cup run, Margate have got as far as the first round only one other time before this year. In the 1997-98 competition, they reached the first round by rattling off four straight wins in the four qualifying rounds only to lose at home to Fulham 2-1.
* Margate have reached the second round a total of nine times (including this year). They've advanced to the third round twice. Besides getting there in the aforementioned 1972-73 competition, Margate made it to the third round in 1935-36 while playing in the Southern League's Eastern Section. That year they upended QPR 3-1 at home in the first round, then topped Crystal Palace, also 3-1 at home, in the second round. In the third round, Margate lost 3-1 at Blackpool.
* Margate's overall record in the second round shows 2 wins, 2 draws, and 6 losses. Their goals for-and-against mark stands at 8 goals scored, 27 conceded.
John Heyda