If Blackburn Rovers are to get past Wrexham AFC in Monday 29th January’s FA Cup Fourth Round tie, then they will face Newcastle United at Ewood Park, in Round Five.
The draw for the Fifth Round occurred live on ITV1, by Seema Jaswal & former Chelsea, Liverpool and England international defender, Glen Johnson, during half-time of Liverpool’s clash with Norwich City, as the 16 remaining teams were pulled out of the hat, despite there still being some replays remaining to settle.
Rovers – and Wrexham AFC – who both have to wait until tomorrow evening to learn of whether their time in the competition will continue into Round Five are both ball #2 in the draw.
The winner will host moneybags Newcastle United, who got past Fulham in the Fourth Round, in order to get to this stage. The clash is set to take place at Ewood Park or the Racecourse Ground, across the week commencing Monday 26th February, with a confirmed date and ticket information, to be set in the near future.
Whilst Rovers are six times winners of the FA Cup, Wrexham have never gotten past the Quarter Final stage in their existence, with them bowing out in the Sixth Round, back in 1996-97, to Chesterfield, courtesy of a 1-0 defeat. Newcastle United, who will face the winners of Monday night’s tie, haven’t won an FA Cup since 1954-55, despite losing in back-to-back finals between 1997-1999.
Rovers – who beat Cambridge United, 5-2 in the Third Round – do have a lot of history in this competition against Newcastle, having faced the Magpies twice in 2018-19. After a Bradley Dack header was cancelled out by a Matt Richie penalty in January 2019 for a 1-1 draw, the Toon, then managed by Rafa Benítez came to Ewood Park for a replay and advanced into the Fourth Round following a 4-2 AET victory, in controversial circumstances.
Wrexham and Newcastle United haven’t met since the 1980s, with the head-to-head record seeing the Welsh side ahead, with four victories and three draws from the ten fixtures they have faced each other in. The sides have met in the FA Cup twice, all the way back in 1978 as they drew 2-2 before Wrexham won the replay, 4-1.
