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.