The FA Youth Challenge Cup was started and is funded by the FA. Its inaugural year was 1952-53.
There were no round exemptions until 1962/63, after that it was then based on the clubs previous performances.

The Rules of the FA Youth Cup.

MATCH DATES
All ties must be played in the stipulated week, kick-off 7p.m. unless mutually agreed otherwise.
Matches in the F.A. Youth Cup competition take priority over all other matches with the only exception being home first team commitments.

MATCH ARRANGEMENT FORM
Home clubs must ensure that the match arrangement form is completed and received by the F.A. Competitions Department by the date set for each round.

PLAYER QUALIFICATION DATE
The player qualification date is 12 noon on the day previous to the date fixed for playing the match, this includes postponements.

AGE GROUP BRACKETS
Only those players are eligible to take part who have reached the age of 15 years by midnight on 31st August of the current season and not reached the age of 18 years as at midnight on 31st August of the current season.

Exeter City did not always take part, in particular when the youth set up was abandoned. If you have any further information or notice any errors or omissions, please contact us:-
historygroup@ecfc.co.uk

(John Treleven of the non-league forum has been extremely helpful, in the most difficult section to complete)

FA Youth Cup				The FA Youth Challenge Cup was started and funded by the FA. Its inaugural year was 1952-53
Date	Opponents	Venue	Score	Scorers	Att.	Round	Notes
1952/53
11/10/1952	Pinehurst Youth, Swindon	Home ?	4-0	Bond 2 Chittenden 2.	200	R1	Exeter were drawn away?
25/10/1952	Bristol Rovers	Home	1-5			R2
1962/63
17/09/1962	Newton Abbot Spurs	Home	9-0	Alan Riding 4, Barry Redwood 3, Colin Reed 2.	202	QF1
01/10/1962	Bath City	Away	4-0	Barry Redwood 2, Alan Riding, Colin Reed.		QF2	Torquay paper of 26 Oct says three of their Audley Park old boys played in the match "last week"
12/11/1962	Newport County	Home	4-2	Barry Redwood 3, Bryn Jones		R1
11/12/1962	Bristol City	Home	5-1	Alan Riding 3, Barry Redwood, Bruce Stuckey		R2
26/01/1962	Bexleyheath & Welling	Away	3-1	Alan Riding, Barry Redwood 2		R3	Delayed from December due to severe winter.
30/04/1963	Arsenal	Away	0-3		1136	R4	Storey, Sammels, Radford played for Arsenal
1963/64
18/12/1963	Plymouth Argyle	Away	1-3	George Ley		R2	City Exempt to R2
1964/65
	Cardiff City	Home	1-6			R2
1965/66
	Plymouth Argyle	Away	2-4			R1
1966/67
09/11/1966	Torquay United	Away	2-0	John Wingate 2		R1
30/11/1966	Plymouth Argyle	Home	0-6	:		R2
1974/75
14/09/1974	Newport County	Home	0-3	:		QF2
1975/76
19/08/1975	Bath City	Home	2-4	Green, Tomlinson.		QF1	Date check!
1976/77
	Did not enter			:		QF1
1977/78
	Clevedon	Home	8-2			QF 1
18/10/1977	Torquay United	Home	1-2	Harry Hawes		QF 2
1978/79
04/09/1978	Poole Town	Home	1-2	Roy Ireland (pen)		QF1
1979/80
08/09/1979	Swansea City	Away	0-1	:		Prelim. R
1980/81
09/09/1980	Bournemouth Poppies	Away	3-1	Kevin Hains, Paul Clatworthy, Ian Cole		Prelim. R
25/09/1980	Dorchester	Home	5-0	Ian Cole 2, Kevin Hains, Paul Clatworthy, Nick Marker		QF1
03/10/1980	Swansea City	Away	0-3	:		QF2
1981/82
24/09/1981	Trowbridge	Home	6-1			QF1
19/10/1981	Bournemouth	Home	3-4	Gary Marshall 3.		QF2
1982/83
01/09/1982	Dorchester Town	Home	0-0	:		QF1
08/09/1982	Dorchester Town	Away	2-1			QF1 replay
04/10/1982	Bournemouth	Away	2-1	Graham Kirkup, og		QF2
26/10/1982	Newport County	Away	1-2	Frank Howarth		R1
1983/84
01/09/1983	Torquay United	Home	0-2	:		Prelim. R
1984/85
30/08/1984	Bournemouth	Away	0-3	:		Prelim. R
1985/86
29/8/1985	Swansea City	Home	3-4	Hiley 3,		QF1
1986/87
22/09/1986	Poole Town	Home	9-2	Robson 3, Hadley 2, Hiley 2, Vinnicombe, Jamie Harris,		QF1
06/10/1986	Torquay United	Home	2-0	Hiley, Hadley		QF2
10/11/1986	Oxford City	Home	5-0	Jamie Harris 2, Hiley, Hadley,Robson		R1
10/12/1986	Orient	Away	1-1	Robson	350	R2
17/12/1986	Orient	Home	4-2			R2 replay
26/01/1987	Charlton Athletic	Away	2-6	Hadley, Robson	1200	R3	Played at Selhurst Park
1987/88
03/11/1987	Bristol City	Away	0-2	:	65	R1
1988/89
16/11/1988	Cardiff City	Home	0-0	:	310	R1
29/11/1988	Cardiff City	Away	1-3		82	R1 replay
1989/90
09/09/1989	Keynsham Town	Away	2-1	Toby Redwood, Lee Annunziata		Prelim R	check date
26/09/1989	Torquay United	Away	1-1	Robert Dodd		QF1
02/10/1989	Torquay United	Home	1-0	Robert Dodd		QF Replay
16/10/1989	Trowbridge	Home	4-0	Lee Annunziata 3, Tony Frankland		QF2
13/11/1989	Bristol Rovers	Home	1-0	Lee Annunziata		R1	Dean Reed 15, made his debut
04/12/1989	Gillingham	Home	1-2	Andy Wright		R2
1990/91
05/09/1990	Bournemouth Poppies	Home	4-1	Lee Annunziata 2, Gareth Plumb 2.		Prelim R
26/09/1990	Romsey	Away	3-0	Toby Redwood 2, Tony Frankland	150	QF1
09/10/1990	Torquay United	Away	1-1	Lee Annunziata		QF2
16/10/1990	Torquay United	Home	2-1	Hung Dang, Toby Redwoood.		QF2 Replay
06/11/1990	Bristol City	Away	2-1	Lee Annunziata, Zac Locke		R1
05/12/1990	Egham Town	Away	0-0	:	158	R2
12/12/1990	Egham Town	Home	2-0	Gareth Plumb, Steve Mullen (og)		R2 Replay	Afterextra time
21/01/1991	Southampton	Away	0-6	:	248	R3	Paul Tisdale played for Southampton!
1991/92
30/10/1991	Cheltenham	Home	2-2	Craig Taylor, Mark Brown		R1
04/11/1991	Cheltenham	Away	1-0			R1 replay
02/12/1991	Chelsea	Home	0-4	:	359	R2	Muzzy Izzet & Terry Skiverton played for Chelsea
1992/93
10/11/1992	Southampton	Home	2-5	Anthony Thirlby, Martin Phillips	59	R1
1993/94
26/10/1993	Swansea City	Home	4-2	Kevin Darch 2, Martin Phillips, Richard Pears.	275	R1
23/11/1993	Brentford	Away	1-5	Matthew Harris.	151	R2
1994/95
25/10/1994	Plymouth Argyle	Home	0-2	:	175	R1
1995/96
06/11/1995	Dulwich Hamlet	Away	0-0	:	88	R1
22/11/1995	Dulwich Hamlet	Home	3-2	Richard Neno, Jamie Littley, Damien Frankland.	110	R1 replay
05/12/1995	Brentford	Away	0-4	:	93	R2
1996/97
13/11/1996	Torquay United	Home	0-7	:	275	R1
1997/98
11/11/1997	Colchester	Home	4-2	Rob Speakman 2, Danny Harris, Rendle.	211	R1
09/12/1997	Arsenal	Home	1-1	Danny Harris	1075	R2	Arsenal equalised in 94 min
16/12/1997	Arsenal	Away	0-1	:	130	R2 replay
1998/99
10/11/1998	Wellingborough	Away	5-2	Waugh, Shaun Watts 2, Michael Cooper, Tom Wainwright	45	R1
25/11/1998	Notts County	Home	0-2	:	125	R2	Jermaine Pennannt played for Notts Cty
1999/00
12/10/1999	Southend	Away	1-1	Ross Casey	171	R1
26/10/1999	Southend	Home	0-1	:	146	R1 replay
2000/01
No replays after this season
15/11/2000	AFC Lewisham	Home	4-2	Mudge 2, Goff, Og	99	R1
29/11/2000	Newport County	Away	1-4		191	R2
2001/02
16/10/2001	Brentford	Away	1-4		204	R1
2002/03
16/10/2002	Plymouth Argyle	Home	2-1		216	R1
06/11/2002	Bournemouth	Home	3-2	Danny Clay 2, Jonathon Harris.	205	R2
04/12/2002	Watford	Away	2-0	Lee Parker, Lewis Reed	308	R3
14/01/2003	Blackburn Rovers	Away	0-6	:	649	R4	Equalled Exeter's best FAYCup run.
2003/04
03/09/2003	Brislington	Home	4-0	Jimmy Alexander, Dave O'Connor, Jak Martin, Steve Hunt	136	QF1	Check score 4-1
16/09/2003	Bridgwater	Away	5-0		141	QF2
01/10/2003	Newport County	Home	1-1		128	QF3	Won 5-4 on pens
23/10/2003	Cirencester	Away	1-2		75	R1
2004/05
28/09/2004	Salisbury City	Away	3-1	Blatchford, Wright 2	97	QF1
16/10/2004	Witney United	Home	5-0	Wright 3, Hunt, LelIgua	149	QF2
26/10/2004	Weston Super Mare	Home	11-0	Wright 4, Stamp 3, Ghiglia 2, Ellis 2.	225	QF3
09/11/2004	Cheltenham Town	Home	3-4	Ellis, Hunt, Wright	421	R1
2005/06
28/09/2005	Tiverton Town	Away	2-2	Ghiglia 2.	337	R1	Lost 9-8 on penalties after 11 pens.
2006/07
26/09/2006	Tiverton	Home	5-0	Stamp 3, Wanell, Sercombe	348	Q1
11/10/2006	Brislington	Away	5-2	Martin, Sercombe, Allanson, Davies, Stamp	130	Q2	AET
24/10/2006	Gloucester City	Home	7-0	Stamp 3, Bye, Sercombe, Davies, Shephard	415	Q3
07/11/2006	Bournemouth	Home	4-1	Stamp 3, Sercombe	466	R1
21/11/2006	Woking	Away	1-0	Stamp	155	R2
02/12/2006	Newcastle United	Home	0-4	:	1453	R3
2007/08
11/09/2007	Gloucester City	Home	0-3	:	153	Prelim R
2008/09
05/11/2008	Woking	Away	2-1	Osman, Frear	147	R1
18/11/2008	Swindon Town	Away	0-3	:	175	R2	An FA circular reported 350 attending
2009/10
27/10/2009	Cheltenham	Home	0-4	:	461	R1
2010/11
03/11/2010	Bournemouth	Away	1-1	Tom Nichols (pen)	269	R1	Won 3-2 on pens AET
17/11/2010	Cambridge United	Away	2-1	Tom Nichols, Jake Gosling	119	R2
15/12/2010	Blackpool	Away	1-5	Tom Nichols (pen)	204	R3
2011/12
03/11/2011	AFC Totton	Away	2-3	Lewis Morana, Matt Grimes	111	R1
2012/13
24/10/2012	Plymouth Argyle	Away	0-3	:	748	R1
2013/14
08/11/2013	Swindon Town	Home	3-4	Jason Byrne, Jay 2.	208	R1
2014/15
28/10/2014	Newport County	Home	1-2	Archie Collins	252	R1
2015/16
03/11/2015	Bournemouth Poppies	Away	6-1	Seymour 2, Rehemi. Rosenwald, Richards, Smallcombe	350	R1
18/11/2015	Oxford United	Home	2-1	Seymour 2	209	R2
08/12/2015	Bolton Wanderers	Home	4-3	Down, Seymour, Rehemi, Merrett	259	R3
13/01/2016	Preston North End	Home	1-2	Rosenwald	295	R4	Equalled Highest round reached
2016/17
01/11/2016	Radstock	Away	8-0	Smallcombe 2, Seymour 2, Kirk, Collins, Sparkes, Key	350	R1
18/11/2016	Milton Keynes	Home	3-1	Sparkes, Smallcombe, Collins	173	R2
14/12/2016	Wigan	Home	1-2	Sparkes	630	R3
2017/18
31/10/2017	Yeovil Town	Away	2-0	Randell 2	250	R1
13/11/2017	Charlton Athletic	Home	1-2	Randell	483	R2
2018/19
31/10/2018	Plymouth Argyle	Home	3-2	Lewis Wilson 3	446	R1
10/11/2018	Stevenage	Away	0-4	:	240	R2
2019/20
25/10/2019	Plymouth Argyle	Away	1-0	Harry Ford	252	R1
16/11/2019	Ipswich Town	Away	1-2	Louis Morrison	311	R2

Paul Farley

Steve Stentiford
John Treleven