Helston Athletic will make their FA Cup debut this season.

The Blues have been accepted into England’s flagship cup competition after being one of eight South West Peninsula League clubs to be pulled out following a random draw.

Their first-ever game in the competition will be on Tuesday, September 1, and they will discover their opponents for the tie on Tuesday, August 18.

In normal circumstances, Steve Massey’s side would have qualified for the FA Cup by virtue of their excellent record of 25 wins from 26 games last season, with entrants at step 6 of the National League System determined by points per game.

But with the 2019/20 season being suspended in March and later declared null and void amid the coronavirus pandemic, the FA announced that the remaining places available to clubs at step six would be determined by a random draw.

It left the Blues facing a nervous wait for the results of Monday’s draw, when it was announced that eight of the ten SWPL clubs to apply had secured their place in this season’s competition.

They will start in the extra preliminary round on alongside fellow Cornish clubs Bodmin Town, Millbrook, Saltash United and St Austell.

Truro City, who enter at the first qualifying round, make it six Cornish clubs in total.

The Devon trio of Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot Spurs and Torrington were also drawn in from the SWPL, while Newquay and Torpoint Athletic were the two teams to miss out.

The 2019/20 FA Cup concluded on Saturday as Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to lift the trophy for a record 14th time.