Aldershot Town match preview

• West Ham United and Aldershot Town meet for the first time since The Shots were reformed in 1992. Previously, the two met in the FA Cup third round in 1990/91, when a goalless draw was followed by a 6-1 Hammers victory, with both matches taking place at the Boleyn Ground.

• The tie was originally due to take place on Tuesday 9 August but was postponed after a police request, due to the civil unrest in London.

• This is only the fifth time West Ham United have entered at the first-round stage, with the Hammers having won all four previous first-round ties.

• The winners of the tie will face Carlisle United in the second round. If the Hammers are successful against The Shots, the Carlisle match will be held at 7.45pm on Wednesday 31 August - transfer deadline day - at the Boleyn Ground.

• The third-round draw will be held from 12.15pm this coming Saturday.

• Tonight's tie has to be settled on the night. If the scores are level after 90 minutes, then 30 minutes of extra time will be played. Should the scores still be level, then a penalty shoot-out will take place.

• The Hammers have never won this trophy, having lost the 1966 and 1981 finals. The team were eleven minutes from last season's final before ultimately being eliminated by Birmingham City in the semi-finals.

• The record win in this competition was achieved by the Hammers with a 10-0 success against Bury in the second round, second-leg match on 25 October 1983. Liverpool also won by this margin against Fulham in second round, first-leg match in the same season on 23 September 1983.

• Sam Allardyce reached the 2004 League Cup final with Bolton, with Kevin Nolan in the team. Wanderers lost 2-1 to Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough at the Millennium Stadium. Coincidentally, the two managers will meet again when the Hammers go to Nottingham Forest in the npower Championship this Sunday.

West Ham United

• Sam Allardyce, who may rest some of his established names, is definitely without Abdoulaye Faye (groin) and it is not thought he will return until after the international break.

• Peter Kurucz (knee) and Gary O'Neil (ankle) are both definitely out with long-term injuries.

• New recruits George McCartney and John Carew are pushing hard for their first starts. Jordan Brown has been back in light training after his ankle injury in pre-season.

• Jordan Spence is on a season-long loan at Bristol City while Olly Lee and Cristian Montano are on month-long stays at Dagenham & Redbridge and Notts County respectively.

• Aldershot Town have a full squad to choose from with no injury problems.

Last time out

• The first meeting between West Ham United and Aldershot took place in the wartime London League on 4 October 1941. The Hammers ran out 3-0 winners in front of an estimated 5,500-strong crowd, with Alec George Foreman scoring two goals and Jim Barrett the other.

• There were an amazing 38 goals in the six wartime league fixtures contested by the two clubs between 1941 and 1945. West Ham United scored 3-0, 5-1, 6-3, 3-2 and 8-1 victories, while Aldershot notched a 5-1 success of their own in October 1942.

• West Ham United's biggest-ever win over Aldershot occurred on 20 January 1945, when a 4,000-strong crowd saw the Hammers score an 8-1 home War League South victory. Alec George Foreman netted four times, Len Goulden scored a hat-trick and Richard Dunn was also on target.

• Aldershot's sole victory over West Ham United took place on 17 October 1942. Sam Small scored the Hammers' consolation in a 5-1 War League South success for the Shots in front of a crowd of around 7,500.

• West Ham United travel to Nottingham Forest in the npower Championship on Sunday afternoon looking for a third straight away win. Aldershot will travel to Oxford United on Saturday afternoon.