The FA Cup

The FA Cup, also known as the Football Association Challenge Cup, is the oldest football competition in the world. It was first held in 1871, making it over 150 years old. The competition is organised by the Football Association, or FA, which is the governing body of football in England.

The FA Cup was first held in 1871, and it was originally a tournament for amateur clubs. The first final was played at the Kennington Oval in London, with Wanderers FC defeating Royal Engineers 1-0. The tournament quickly gained popularity and by 1887, it was open to all clubs in the Football League and the Southern League.

The early years of the FA Cup were dominated by amateur clubs, with Old Etonians, Oxford University, and Clapham Rovers all winning the tournament in the first decade. However, as the competition opened up to professional clubs, they began to dominate the tournament. In the 1890s, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, and West Bromwich Albion all won the FA Cup, signaling the rise of professional clubs in the tournament.

One of the most iconic moments in the history of the FA Cup came in 1903, when Bury FC defeated Derby County 6-0 in the final. This remains the largest margin of victory in an FA Cup final to this day. The following year, the first ever replay in an FA Cup final took place, with Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion playing out a goalless draw in the final. Liverpool went on to win the replay 2-0.

The early 20th century saw some of the most successful teams in the history of the FA Cup. Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur all won the tournament multiple times in this period. However, the biggest team of the era was undoubtedly Arsenal FC, who won the FA Cup in 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993 and 1998.

The FA Cup also played an important role in the history of football in England. In the 1920s and 30s, the tournament was used to help rebuild the morale of the country following the First World War. The 1950s and 60s were also a successful period for the FA Cup, with many memorable finals and upsets.

One of the most famous moments in the history of the FA Cup came in 1953, when Blackpool beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in what is widely considered to be one of the greatest FA Cup finals of all time. The match is also remembered for the performance of Blackpool’s player Stan Mortensen, who scored a hat-trick in the final, which was only the second hat-trick in an FA Cup final in history.

The 1970s and 80s saw the rise of teams such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal, who dominated the tournament. This period also saw the introduction of the “big five” teams, consisting of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton, who were considered to be the best teams in the country at the time.

In recent years, the FA Cup has seen a resurgence in popularity, with many of the top teams in the country competing for the trophy. The competition has also become a global event, with many of the top teams from around the world competing in the tournament. The FA Cup remains one of the most prestigious and historic tournaments in football, and it continues to be a major part of the sport in England.

In conclusion, the FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world, and it has a rich history that spans over 150 years. From its early days as a tournament for amateur clubs to its current status as one of the most prestigious tournaments in football.

List of FA Cup Winners (Pre 1945)

1. 1871-72: Wanderers
2. 1872-73: Wanderers
3. 1873-74: Oxford University
4. 1874-75: Royal Engineers
5. 1875-76: Wanderers
6. 1876-77: Wanderers
7. 1877-78: Wanderers
8. 1878-79: Old Etonians
9. 1879-80: Clapham Rovers
10. 1880-81: Old Carthusians
11. 1881-82: Old Etonians
12. 1882-83: Blackburn Rovers
13. 1883-84: Blackburn Olympic
14. 1884-85: Blackburn Rovers
15. 1885-86: Blackburn Rovers
16. 1886-87: Aston Villa
17. 1887-88: West Bromwich Albion
18. 1888-89: Preston North End
19. 1889-90: Blackburn Rovers
20. 1890-91: Blackburn Rovers
21. 1891-92: West Bromwich Albion
22. 1892-93: Wolverhampton Wanderers
23. 1893-94: Notts County
24. 1894-95: Aston Villa
25. 1895-96: The Wednesday (later Sheffield Wednesday)
26. 1896-97: Aston Villa
27. 1897-98: Nottingham Forest
28. 1898-99: Sheffield United
29. 1899-1900: Bury
30. 1900-01: Tottenham Hotspur
31. 1901-02: Sheffield United
32. 1902-03: Bury
33. 1903-04: Manchester City
34. 1904-05: Aston Villa
35. 1905-06: Everton
36. 1906-07: The Wednesday (later Sheffield Wednesday)
37. 1907-08: Wolverhampton Wanderers
38. 1908-09: Manchester United
39. 1909-10: Newcastle United
40. 1910-11: Bradford City
41. 1911-12: Barnsley
42. 1912-13: Aston Villa
43. 1913-14: Burnley
44. 1914-15: Sheffield United
45. 1915-16: Chelsea
46. 1916-17: Chelsea
47. 1917-18: Chelsea
48. 1918-19: Manchester City
49. 1919-20: Aston Villa
50. 1920-21: Tottenham Hotspur
51. 1921-22: Huddersfield Town
52. 1922-23: Bolton Wanderers
53. 1923-24: Newcastle United
54. 1924-25: Sheffield United
55. 1925-26: Bolton Wanderers
56. 1926-27: Cardiff City
57. 1927-28: Blackburn Rovers
58. 1928-29: Bolton Wanderers
59. 1929-30: Arsenal
60. 1930-31: West Bromwich Albion
61. 1931-32: Newcastle United
62. 1932-33: Everton
63. 1933-34: Manchester City
64. 1934-35: Sheffield Wednesday
65. 1935-36: Arsenal
66. 1936-37: Sunderland
67. 1937-38: Preston North End
68. 1938-39: Portsmouth
69. 1939-40: Not held (due to Second World War)
70. 1940-41: Not held (due to Second World War)
71. 1941-42: Not held (due to Second World War)
72. 1942-43: Not held (due to Second World War)
73. 1943-44: Not held (due to Second World War)
74. 1944-45: Not held (due to Second World War)

List of FA Cup Winners (Post 1945)

1. 1945-46: Derby County
2. 1946-47: Charlton Athletic
3. 1947-48: Manchester United
4. 1948-49: Wolverhampton Wanderers
5. 1949-50: Arsenal
6. 1950-51: Newcastle United
7. 1951-52: Newcastle United
8. 1952-53: Blackpool
9. 1953-54: West Bromwich Albion
10. 1954-55: Newcastle United
11. 1955-56: Manchester City
12. 1956-57: Aston Villa
13. 1957-58: Bolton Wanderers
14. 1958-59: Nottingham Forest
15. 1959-60: Wolverhampton Wanderers
16. 1960-61: Tottenham Hotspur
17. 1961-62: Tottenham Hotspur
18. 1962-63: Manchester United
19. 1963-64: West Ham United
20. 1964-65: Liverpool
21. 1965-66: Everton
22. 1966-67: Tottenham Hotspur
23. 1967-68: West Bromwich Albion
24. 1968-69: Manchester City
25. 1969-70: Chelsea
26. 1970-71: Arsenal
27. 1971-72: Leeds United
28. 1972-73: Sunderland
29. 1973-74: Liverpool
30. 1974-75: West Ham United
31. 1975-76: Southampton
32. 1976-77: Manchester United
33. 1977-78: Arsenal
34. 1978-79: Arsenal
35. 1979-80: West Ham United
36. 1980-81: Tottenham Hotspur
37. 1981-82: Tottenham Hotspur
38. 1982-83: Manchester United
39. 1983-84: Everton
40. 1984-85: Manchester United
41. 1985-86: Liverpool
42. 1986-87: Coventry City
43. 1987-88: Wimbledon
44. 1988-89: Liverpool
45. 1989-90: Crystal Palace
46. 1990-91: Tottenham Hotspur
47. 1991-92: Liverpool
48. 1992-93: Arsenal
49. 1993-94: Manchester United
50. 1994-95: Everton
51. 1995-96: Manchester United
52. 1996-97: Chelsea
53. 1997-98: Arsenal
54. 1998-99: Manchester United
55. 1999-2000: Chelsea
56. 2000-01: Liverpool
57. 2001-02: Arsenal
58. 2002-03: Arsenal
59. 2003-04: Manchester United
60. 2004-05: Arsenal
61. 2005-06: Liverpool
62. 2006-07: Chelsea
63. 2007-08: Portsmouth
64. 2008-09: Chelsea
65. 2009-10: Chelsea
66. 2010-11: Manchester City
67. 2011-12: Chelsea
68. 2012-13: Wigan Athletic
69. 2013-14: Arsenal
70. 2014-15: Arsenal
71. 2015-16: Manchester United
72. 2016-17: Arsenal
73. 2017-18: Chelsea
74. 2018-19: Manchester City
75. 2019-20: Arsenal
76. 2020-21: Chelsea
77. 2020-21: Leicester City
78. 2021-22 Liverpool
79. 2022-23 Manchester City

What Player Has Scored the Most FA Cup Goals?

As of 2021, the player who has scored the most goals in the FA Cup is Ian Rush. He scored a total of 44 goals in the competition during his career, representing Liverpool and Newcastle United. He won the FA Cup five times with Liverpool, and scored in three of the finals. He also reached the final once with Newcastle United, in 1999.

Which Team Has Won the FA Cup Most?

As of 2023, the team that has won the FA Cup the most is Arsenal FC. They have won the tournament 13 times, the last one was in 2020. They have also reached the final a total of 20 times, the most by any team in the competition’s history. Other teams with multiple wins include Manchester United and Chelsea, with 12 and 8 wins, respectively, and Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, with 8 and 7 wins.

What Different Venues Have Hosted the FA Cup?

The FA Cup Final has been held at several venues throughout its history. The most recent and current venue for the final is Wembley Stadium in London since 1923. Before that it was held at several venues such as:

1. Kennington Oval, London – the first final in 1872
2. The Oval, London – 1872-1874
3. Lillie Bridge, London – 1875-1892
4. Crystal Palace, London – 1895-1914
5. Old Trafford, Manchester – 1915-1918
6. Stamford Bridge, London – 1920
7. White Hart Lane, London – 1921-1922
8. Wembley Stadium, London – 1923 – present

It’s worth noting that during World War II, the finals were played at various venues across the country, including Wembley, Old Trafford, and even at the neutral ground of Ewood Park, home of Blackburn Rovers.

What is the Highest Score in an FA Cup Game?

The highest score in an FA Cup game is on record is 13-0. This score was achieved by three teams in different occasions:

1. Preston North End against Hyde United in the first round of the 1887-88 season.
2. Southampton against Bristol Rovers in the fourth round of the 1957-58 season.
3. Colchester United against Maldon Town in the first round of the 1978-79 season.

When Are FA Cup games played?

The FA Cup games are typically played on weekends throughout the competition, which usually starts in August and ends with the final in May. The early rounds of the competition, which involve mainly non-league and lower league teams, are usually played on Saturdays and Sundays. The later rounds, which include the top-flight teams, are usually played on Saturdays, with some games occasionally taking place on Sundays or Fridays.

The first round proper starts in early November and the final is played on the second Saturday of May.

It’s worth noting that the schedule of the FA Cup can be subject to changes and adjustments due to various factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, weather conditions, or availability of venues.

The FA and broadcasters may also schedule some games for live television coverage, which can affect the dates and times of the matches.