This Day In History

16 March: First FA Cup Final played

It was a man named CW Alcock that started it all. Despite the game being more a 'recreation for a few public schoolboys than a truly National sport', the small committee of seven that assembled in the Sportsman Office on July 20th 1871 agreed noting "that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association, for which all Clubs belonging to the Association should compete'.

The FA Cup was born.

Fifteen football clubs in total entered that first season – Donington Grammar School and Queen's Park, Glasgow, the only two from north of Hertfordshire.

The Royal Engineers of Chatham were the top dogs of the period and upon reaching the final they were quoted at 7-4 in their favour to lift the cup. Not for the last time the favourite lost.

Lieutenant Cresswell broke his collarbone after ten minutes play and a single goal from MP Betts gave Wanderers the Cup.

WANDERERS
Welch, Alcock, Betts (1), Bonsor,  Bowen, Crake, Hooman, Lubbock, Thompson, Vidal, Wollaston

ROYAL ENGINEERS
Marindin; Merriman, Addison; Creswell, Mitchell, Renny-Tailyour; Rich, Goodwyn, Muirhead, Cotter,  Bogle

Referee: A Stair (Upton Park)  
Attendance : 2000

Round By Round
First Round
WANDERERS v Harrow Chequers wo; Clapham R v Upton Pk 3-0; Crystal Palace v Hitchin 0-0; Maidenhead v Gt Marlow 2-0; Queen's Pk, Glasgow bye; Donington School (Spalding) bye; ROYAL ENGINEERS v Reigate Priory wo; Hampstead Heathens bye; Barnes v Civil Service 2-0
Second Round
WANDERERS v Clapham R 3-1; Crystal Palace v Maidenhead 3-0; Queen's Pk, Glasgow v Donington School wo; ROYAL ENGINEERS v Hitchin 3-1; Hampstead Heathens v Barnes 2-0
Third Round
WANDERERS v Crystal Palace draw; Queen's Pk, Glasgow bye; ROYAL ENGINEERS v Hampstead Heathens 2-0
Semi-Final
WANDERERS v Queen's Pk, Glasgow wo; ROYAL ENGINEERS v Crystal Palace 3-0

CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES
Three clubs have won consecutive FA Cups on more than one occasion: Wanderers (1872, 1873 and 1876, 1877, 1878), Blackburn Rovers (1884, 1885, 1886 and 1890, 1891), and Tottenham Hotspur (1961, 1962 and 1981, 1982).

THE ROUNDS
Aprart from the experimental season of 1999-2000, the FA Cup has a set pattern for when each round is played. First Round in mid-November, Second Round on one of the first two Saturdays in December, Third Round on the first weekend in January, Fourth Round later in the month, Fifth Round in mid-February, Quarter-Finals in early or mid March, with the semi-finals a month later. The final is normally held the Saturday after the Premier League season finishes in May.