# 1914–15 FA Cup

The 1914–15 FA Cup was the 44th season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as the FA Cup), and the last to be held before the cancellation of all football competitions due to World War I. Sheffield United won the competition for the third time, beating Chelsea 3–0 in the final at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.

## Calendar

The format of the FA Cup for the season had two preliminary rounds, six qualifying rounds, four proper rounds, and the semi-finals and final.
| Round | Date |
| Extra preliminary round | Saturday 12 September 1914 |
| Preliminary round | Saturday 26 September 1914 |
| First round qualifying | Saturday 10 October 1914 |
| Second round qualifying | Saturday 24 October 1914 |
| Third round qualifying | Saturday 7 November 1914 |
| Fourth round qualifying | Saturday 21 November 1914 |
| Fifth round qualifying | Saturday 5 December 1914 |
| Sixth round qualifying | Saturday 19 December 1914 |
| First round proper | Saturday 9 January 1915 |
| Second round proper | Saturday 30 January 1915 |
| Third round proper | Saturday 20 February 1915 |
| Fourth round proper | Saturday 6 March 1915 |
| Semi-finals | Saturday 27 March 1915 |
| Final | Saturday 24 April 1915 |

## Qualifying rounds

Despite the Football Association re-introducing a sixth qualifying round in this season's competition, the early stages of the tournament were decimated by withdrawals and forfeits caused by wartime travel restrictions and the significant loss of playing personnel to front lines in Europe. In the final wash-up, more than 90 ties across the extra preliminary, preliminary and first qualifying rounds were not contested and recorded as walkovers or forfeits.
Ultimately, the 12 winning teams from the sixth qualifying round were Nottingham Forest, Glossop and Lincoln City from the Football League Second Division, along with non-league sides Swansea Town, Bristol Rovers, Rochdale, Croydon Common, Merthyr Town, South Shields, Luton Town, Goole Town and Darlington. Goole Town was appearing in the competition proper for the first time, while Nottingham Forest was required to participate in the qualifying rounds for the first time. Glossop was competing as a Football League team for the last time, being voted out of the Second Division at the end of the season, while Croydon Common would be the only club from the Football League or the Southern League First Division to be wound up before the resumption of full competitive football in 1919.
A former Football League member in Walsall was the most successful club from the extra preliminary round, defeating Willenhall Pickwick, Cannock Town, Hednesford Town, Cradley Heath St Luke's, Stoke and Wrexham before going out to Shrewsbury Town in the fifth qualifying round.

## First round proper

36 of the 40 clubs from the First and Second divisions joined the 12 clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. The other four sides, Lincoln City, Nottingham Forest, Glossop and Leicester Fosse were entered in the sixth qualifying round, with only Leicester going out at that stage after losing to Swansea Town.
Sixteen Southern League sides were given byes to the First Round to bring the total number of teams up to 64. These were:
* Southampton
* Millwall
* Queens Park Rangers
* Crystal Palace
* Swindon Town
* Plymouth Argyle
* Reading
* Portsmouth
* Gillingham
* Cardiff City
* Norwich City
* Exeter City
* Northampton Town
* Southend United
* West Ham United
* Brighton & Hove Albion
32 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 9 January 1915. Six matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
| 1 | Birmingham | 2–2 | Crystal Palace | 9 January 1915 |
| Replay | Birmingham | 3–0 | Crystal Palace | 13 January 1915 |
| 2 | Blackpool | 1–2 | Sheffield United | 9 January 1915 |
| 3 | Darlington | 0–1 | Bradford City | 9 January 1915 |
| 4 | Bristol City | 2–0 | Cardiff City | 9 January 1915 |
| 5 | Burnley | 3–1 | Huddersfield Town | 9 January 1915 |
| 6 | Bury | 1–1 | Plymouth Argyle | 9 January 1915 |
| Replay | Plymouth Argyle | 1–2 | Bury | 13 January 1915 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 3–0 | Stockport County | 9 January 1915 |
| 8 | Preston North End | 0–0 | Manchester City | 9 January 1915 |
| Replay | Manchester City | 3–0 | Preston North End | 13 January 1915 |
| 9 | Rochdale | 2–0 | Gillingham | 9 January 1915 |
| 10 | South Shields | 1–2 | Fulham | 9 January 1915 |
| 11 | Southampton | 3–0 | Luton Town | 9 January 1915 |
| 12 | Reading | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 9 January 1915 |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 1–4 | Norwich City | 9 January 1915 |
| 14 | Aston Villa | 2–0 | Exeter City | 9 January 1915 |
| 15 | The Wednesday | 1–0 | Manchester United | 9 January 1915 |
| 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 2–1 | Notts County | 9 January 1915 |
| 17 | Grimsby Town | 0–3 | Northampton Town | 9 January 1915 |
| 18 | Middlesbrough | 9–3 | Goole Town | 9 January 1915 |
| 19 | Derby County | 1–2 | Leeds City | 9 January 1915 |
| 20 | Everton | 3–0 | Barnsley | 9 January 1915 |
| 21 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–1 | Sunderland | 9 January 1915 |
| 22 | Queens Park Rangers | 2–1 | Glossop | 9 January 1915 |
| 23 | Bristol Rovers | 0–0 | Southend United | 16 January 1915 |
| Replay | Southend United | 3–0 | Bristol Rovers | 23 January 1915 |
| 24 | West Ham United | 2–2 | Newcastle United | 9 January 1915 |
| Replay | Newcastle United | 3–2 | West Ham United | 13 January 1915 |
| 25 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2–1 | Lincoln City | 9 January 1915 |
| 26 | Millwall | 2–1 | Clapton Orient | 9 January 1915 |
| 27 | Hull City | 1–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 9 January 1915 |
| 28 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Swindon Town | 9 January 1915 |
| Replay | Chelsea | 5–2 | Swindon Town | 13 January 1915 |
| 29 | Croydon Common | 0–3 | Oldham Athletic | 9 January 1915 |
| 30 | Bradford Park Avenue | 1–0 | Portsmouth | 9 January 1915 |
| 31 | Swansea Town | 1–0 | Blackburn Rovers | 9 January 1915 |
| 32 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Merthyr Town | 9 January 1915 |

## Second round proper

The 16 Second Round matches were played on Saturday, 30 January 1915. Three matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following weekend fixture. One of these was again drawn, and a second replay was played, again at the following Saturday.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
| 1 | Burnley | 6–0 | Southend United | 30 January 1915 |
| 2 | Bury | 0–1 | Bradford Park Avenue | 30 January 1915 |
| 3 | The Wednesday | 2–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 January 1915 |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 0–0 | Millwall | 30 January 1915 |
| Replay | Millwall | 2–2 | Bolton Wanderers | 6 February 1915 |
| Replay | Bolton Wanderers | 4–1 | Millwall | 13 February 1915 |
| 5 | Everton | 4–0 | Bristol City | 30 January 1915 |
| 6 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Liverpool | 30 January 1915 |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 1–1 | Swansea Town | 30 January 1915 |
| Replay | Swansea Town | 0–2 | Newcastle United | 6 February 1915 |
| 8 | Manchester City | 1–0 | Aston Villa | 30 January 1915 |
| 9 | Queens Park Rangers | 1–0 | Leeds City | 30 January 1915 |
| 10 | Fulham | 2–3 | Southampton | 30 January 1915 |
| 11 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–0 | Birmingham | 30 January 1915 |
| Replay | Birmingham | 3–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 6 February 1915 |
| 12 | Norwich City | 3–2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 30 January 1915 |
| 13 | Bradford City | 1–0 | Middlesbrough | 30 January 1915 |
| 14 | Hull City | 2–1 | Northampton Town | 30 January 1915 |
| 15 | Oldham Athletic | 3–0 | Rochdale | 30 January 1915 |
| 16 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Arsenal | 30 January 1915 |

## Third round proper

The eight Third Round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 20 February 1915. There were two replays, played the following week, of which one went to a second replay in the following midweek fixture.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
| 1 | Birmingham | 2–3 | Oldham Athletic | 20 February 1915 |
| 2 | Southampton | 2–2 | Hull City | 20 February 1915 |
| Replay | Hull City | 4–0 | Southampton | 27 February 1915 |
| 3 | The Wednesday | 1–2 | Newcastle United | 20 February 1915 |
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 2–1 | Burnley | 20 February 1915 |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Bradford Park Avenue | 20 February 1915 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 1–2 | Chelsea | 20 February 1915 |
| 7 | Queens Park Rangers | 1–2 | Everton | 20 February 1915 |
| 8 | Bradford City | 1–1 | Norwich City | 20 February 1915 |
| Replay | Norwich City | 0–0 | Bradford City | 27 February 1915 |
| Replay | Bradford City | 2–0 | Norwich City | 3 March 1915 |

## Fourth round proper

The four Fourth round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 6 March 1915. There were two replays, played a week later.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
| 1 | Bolton Wanderers | 4–2 | Hull City | 6 March 1915 |
| 2 | Bradford City | 0–2 | Everton | 6 March 1915 |
| 3 | Oldham Athletic | 0–0 | Sheffield United | 6 March 1915 |
| Replay | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Oldham Athletic | 13 March 1915 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Newcastle United | 6 March 1915 |
| Replay | Newcastle United | 0–1 | Chelsea | 13 March 1915 |

## Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 27 March 1915. Sheffield United and Chelsea won and went on to meet in the final.

## Final

The final took place on 24 April 1915 and was contested by Sheffield United and Chelsea. It was the last FA Cup final to be staged before competitive football was abandoned in Britain because of the First World War. The match was moved from its pre-war location of Crystal Palace in south London to Old Trafford in Manchester to avoid disruption to travel in and around London.

### Match details

| Sheffield United | Chelsea |