# 1873–74 FA Cup

The 1873–74 Football Association Challenge Cup was the third edition of the annual FA Cup, the oldest national football tournament in the world. Entrants increased to 28 teams, 12 more than the previous season; six would never contest a match. It began on 9 October 1873 and ended at the final on 14 March 1874.
Wanderers unsuccessfully defended its second 1873 title at a Replay on 31 January 1874, losing to Oxford University, 1–0.
Oxford University successfully pursued its first FA Cup in the Final on 14 March 1874 in Kennington Oval against the Royal Engineers. 2–0. 2,000 attended.

## Format

First round: 28 teams played. The winners moved on. Second round: 14 teams played. The winner moved on. Third round: 6 teams, with Swifts getting a bye, played. Semi-final: 4 teams played. Final: 2 teams played. Oxford University were the champions.

## Calendar

| Round | Date | Fixtures | Fixtures | Fixtures | Fixtures | Clubs | New entries this round |
| Round | Date | Original | Replays | Walkovers | Byes | Clubs | New entries this round |
| First round | 9 October - 17 November 1873 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 28 → 14 | 28 |
| Second round | 15 November - 20 December 1873 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 → 7 | none |
| Third round | 6 December 1873 - 17 January 1874 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 → 4 | none |
| Semi-finals | January 28 - February 28, 1874 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 → 2 | none |
| Final | March 14, 1874 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 → 1 | none |

## First round

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
| Pilgrims | 1–0 | Great Marlow | 9 October 1873 |
| Royal Engineers | 5–0 | Brondesbury | 11 October 1873 |
| Woodford Wells | 3–2 | Reigate Priory | 11 October 1873 |
| Swifts | 1–0 | Crystal Palace | 18 October 1873 |
| 1st Surrey Rifles | 0–0 | Barnes | 25 October 1873 |
| Cambridge University | 1–0 | South Norwood | 25 October 1873 |
| Uxbridge | 3–0 | Gitanos | 28 October 1873 |
| Upton Park | 0–4 | Oxford University | 29 October 1873 |
| Shropshire Wanderers | 0–0 | Sheffield | 30 October 1873 |
| Clapham Rovers | Walkover | Amateur Athletic Club | |
| High Wycombe | Walkover | Old Etonians | |
| Maidenhead | Walkover | Civil Service | |
| Trojans | Walkover | Farningham | |
| Wanderers | Walkover | Southall | |

### Replays

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
| Barnes | 1–0 | 1st Surrey Rifles | | 8 November 1873 |
| Sheffield | 0–0 Sheffield won on coin toss | Shropshire Wanderers | | 17 November 1873 |

## Second round

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
| Clapham Rovers | 1–1 | Cambridge University | 15 November 1873 |
| Maidenhead | 1–0 | High Wycombe | 22 November 1873 |
| Oxford University | 2–0 | Barnes | 22 November 1873 |
| Sheffield | 1–0 | Pilgrims | 22 November 1873 |
| Swifts | 2–1 | Woodford Wells | 22 November 1873 |
| Royal Engineers | 2–1 | Uxbridge | 26 November 1873 |
| Wanderers | Walkover | Trojans | |

### Replays

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
| Clapham Rovers | 1–1 | Cambridge University | | 29 November 1873 |
| Clapham Rovers | 4–1 | Cambridge University | | 20 December 1873 |

## Third round

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
| Wanderers | 1–1 | Oxford University | | 6 December 1873 |
| Royal Engineers | 7–0 | Maidenhead | | 10 December 1873 |
| Clapham Rovers | 2–1 | Sheffield | Matched played at Peterborough | 17 January 1874 |
| Swifts | Bye | | | |

### Replay

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
| Oxford University | 1–0 | Wanderers | | 31 January 1874 |

## Semi-finals

| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
| Royal Engineers | 2–0 | Swifts | | 28 January 1874 |
| Oxford University | 1–0 | Clapham Rovers | | 28 February 1874 |
Both semi-finals were played at Kennington Oval, London.