1. SOUTHALL 3 SWINDON TOWN 1 (1935)

Town’s first FA Cup defeat as a Football League club, by a non-League one, came at west London based Southall. Harry Bowl scored but Town were otherwise stumped in their efforts to overcome the Athenian Leaguers.

Swindon Advertiser:

George Hunt scored an own goal at Hastings

2. HASTINGS UNITED 4 SWINDON TOWN 1 (1953)

Town landed at the Pilot Field, but were soon blown off course as the Southern League side went a goal up inside three minutes, George Hunt putting into his own net. This proved to be no battle of Hastings as there seemed little fight in the visitors who were three down in 20. It was one in the eye for boss Maurice Lindley who presided over two bottom-five finishes at the County Ground before losing his job.

3. SWINDON TOWN 1 DAGENHAM 2 (1984)

The first ever defeat by a non-League club at the County Ground came on Lou Macari’s watch, during his first campaign in charge. Fourth Division Town had scraped a goalless draw in east London and should have capitalised on a 20th-minute goal from Alan Mayes. But after equalising on the hour, the visitors grabbed a winner in the final minute of extra-time.

Swindon Advertiser:

Former Town midfielder Ronnie Howell came back to haunt his old employers with Tooting & Mitcham

4. TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED 2 SWINDON TOWN 1 (1976)

Having thrown away a two-goal lead in the opening six minutes of the first game at Swindon, Danny Williams’ men lost out to the Isthmian Leaguers who included former Town midfielder Ronnie Howell. Their winner came just seven minutes from the end in the Sandy Lane replay.

5. GREEN WAVES 2 SWINDON TOWN 1 (1904)

After ramming home 15 goals without reply in their previous two qualifying ties, Town must have been confident against a collection of fisherman who played in Plymouth local league football. But the hosts found the net twice before half-time and never let their opponents off the hook. The Swindon Advertiser claimed it to be ‘the greatest shock in the six years since Warmley’...

6. WARMLEY 1 SWINDON TOWN 0 (1898)

...but Warmley was, in those days, one of the leading clubs in Bristol - along with the likes of Bedminster and St George. However, they had been soundly beaten 5-0 at the County Ground earlier in the season and were not expected to pose too much of a threat to Town’s chances of progressing. But Swindon were without their dashing ten-goal leading scorer Grenville Morris and a crowd of just 1,600 witnessed their exit.

7. BARNET 1 SWINDON TOWN 1 - lost 0-2 on penalties (2008)

A home draw against the Bees was not exactly the big third round draw that Town had hoped for. Barnet forced a replay five minutes from time and then went through at Underhill - where Billy Paynter scored at both ends. Although a man short for 37 minutes, the hosts progressed courtesy of a shocking sequence of spot kicks which saw one saved, one hit the woodwork and two miss the target altogether!

8. HISTON 1 SWINDON TOWN 0 (2008)

One Cup shock in a year is enough, but ten months after the Barnet debacle, Town suffered another dent to their pride at Conference side Histon. The fact that the Cambridgeshire club, coached by John Beck, went on to dish out similar treatment to Leeds in the next round was of little consolation to Town boss Maurice Malpas. He had by then lost his job on the back of a second defeat - in the JPT - within a few days.

9. SWINDON TOWN 1 STEVENAGE BOROUGH 2 (1998)

Town had not won for a month when Boro came to the County Ground. Mark Walters put his side into a fifth-minute lead but the former England man departed through injury not long afterwards and the Conference side replied almost immediately. Guiliano Grazioli, who would sign for Swindon 18 months later, grabbed a winner midway through the second period.

Swindon Advertiser:

Goalkeeper Sam Burton conceded a penalty in the 1961 loss at Kettering

10. KETTERING TOWN 3 SWINDON TOWN 0 (1961)

Bert Head’s young charges were much in evidence when Kettering came to town, but it was two of the ‘old hands’ - Ken McPherson and Ralph Hunt - who gave them a two goal advantage at home. That lead was squandered as two in three minutes from Kettering took the tie back to Rockingham Road. It was all square until just after the hour when the Poppies took the lead, veteran keeper Sam Burton conceding a penalty. Unfortunately, that proved to be his 509th and final senior appearance for the club he had joined in 1945.

Swindon Advertiser:

Charlie Williams had a busy outing at Uxbridge 1895

11. UXBRIDGE 5 SWINDON TOWN 0 (1895)

Uxbridge were only one division below Swindon, but a five-goal defeat was considered an outrage by the committee of the club which had recently embraced professionalism. After surviving unscathed until the interval, man-mountain Charlie Williams was bombarded in the Town goal as the hosts ran riot.

12. BOSTON UNITED 4 SWINDON TOWN 1 (2005)

Trailing at the break in the original tie at the County Ground, Town forced a trip to York Street with a late equaliser from Charlie Comyn-Platt. But there they had an uphill task when loanee keeper Tom Heaton conceded a penalty and was red-carded with barely 18 minutes on the clock. Rookie Matty Bulman replaced him and saved the spot kick, but all to no avail.

Swindon Advertiser:

A bitter night against Crawley, in every respect

13. SWINDON TOWN 2 CRAWLEY TOWN 3 (2010)

In a replayed Second Round tie that swung like a pendulum, Town had come from behind to lead at the break through Charlie Austin’s second goal of the contest. But following the dismissal of skipper Jonathan Douglas shortly afterwards, the advantage went in favour of the Conference club. Midfielder Ben Smith sealed it for the Sussex side with his second of the night.

Swindon Advertiser:

Tyrell Belford does his best to limit the humiliation at Macclesfield earlier this season

14. SWINDON TOWN 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 2 (2012) & 15. MACCLESFIELD TOWN 4 SWINDON TOWN 0 (2013) 

An unwanted double for Town, if ever there was one. Having rarely threatened in the first encounter, a long range strike from a centre-back and an own goal settled the issue for the visitors. At Moss Rose, Swindon were definitely second best as the hosts built on a first half lead to net three more in the final 20 minutes.