# 1878–79 FA Cup

The 1878–79 Football Association Challenge Cup was the eighth staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. Forty-three teams entered, although five of the forty-three never played a match.
The Quarter final matches between the Old Etonians Association Football Club and Darwen FC are depicted in Julian Fellowes's drama series, The English Game:
    Arthur Kinnaird is captain and star player for the Old Etonians. Their opponents in the 1879 FA Cup Quarter finals are Darwen, a working class factory team. James Walsh, the owner of Darwen FC and the associated mill decides to secretly pay two Scottish players, Fergus "Fergie" Suter and James "Jimmy" Love to join his team in a bid to secure the FA Cup (which at the time is exclusively for amateurs). The Old Etonians, who also happen to be FA Board members, decide that since extra time was not previously agreed to then the Quarter final will be replayed instead. The mill has financial issues and townsfolk pitch in to help pay for the trip. The replay is handily won by Old Etonians who focus more on shutting down Suter and Love rather than playing their own game.

## First round

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 19 October 1878 | Barnes | 1–1 | Maidenhead |
| 28 October 1878 | Sheffield | 1–1 | Grantham |
| 30 October 1878 | Upton Park | 5–0 | Saffron Walden Town |
| 2 November 1878 | Forest School | 7–2 | Rochester |
| 2 November 1878 | Old Harrovians | 8–0 | Southill Park |
| 2 November 1878 | Oxford University | 7–0 | Wednesbury Strollers |
| 2 November 1878 | Romford | 3–1 | Ramblers |
| 9 November 1878 | Cambridge University | 2–0 | Herts Rangers |
| 9 November 1878 | Brentwood | 1–3 | Pilgrims |
| 9 November 1878 | Grey Friars | 2–1 | Marlow |
| 9 November 1878 | Reading | 1–0 | Hendon |
| 9 November 1878 | Royal Engineers | 3–0 | Old Foresters |
| 9 November 1878 | Swifts | 2–1 | Hawks |
| 9 November 1878 | Wanderers | 2–7 | Old Etonians |
| 16 November 1878 | Notts County | 1–3 | Nottingham Forest |
| (date and score unknown) | Runnymede | draw | Panthers |
| | Clapham Rovers | Walkover | Finchley |
| | Darwen | Walkover | Birch |
| | Minerva | Walkover | 105th Regiment |
| | Remnants | Walkover | Unity |
| | South Norwood | Walkover | Leyton |
| | Eagley | Bye | |

### Replays

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 9 November 1878 | Maidenhead | 0–4 | Barnes |
| 16 November 1878 | Grantham | 1–3 | Sheffield |
| | Panthers | Walkover | Runnymede |

## Second round

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 4 December 1878 | Cambridge University | 3–0 | South Norwood |
| 7 December 1878 | Clapham Rovers | 10–1 | Forest School |
| 7 December 1878 | Darwen | 0–0 | Eagley |
| 7 December 1878 | Grey Friars | 0–3 | Minerva |
| 7 December 1878 | Oxford University | 4–0 | Royal Engineers |
| 18 December 1878 | Reading | 0–1 | Old Etonians |
| 21 December 1878 | Nottingham Forest | 2–0 | Sheffield |
| 21 December 1878 | Old Harrovians | 3–0 | Panthers |
| 21 December 1878 | Remnants | 6–2 | Pilgrims |
| 21 December 1878 | Swifts | 3–1 | Romford |
| 4 January 1879 | Barnes | 3–2 | Upton Park |

### Replay

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 21 December 1878 | Darwen | 4–1 | Eagley |

## Third round

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 11 January 1879 | Old Etonians | 5–2 | Minerva |
| 28 January 1879 | Old Harrovians | 0–2 | Nottingham Forest |
| 30 January 1879 | Remnants | 2–3 | Darwen |
| 6 February 1879 | Clapham Rovers | 1–0 | Cambridge University |
| 6 February 1879 | Oxford University | 2–1 | Barnes |
| | Swifts | Bye | |

## Fourth round

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 13 February 1879 | Old Etonians | 5–5 | Darwen |
| 25 February 1879 | Nottingham Forest | 2–1 | Oxford University |
| 8 March 1879 | Clapham Rovers | 8–1 | Swifts |

### Replay

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 8 March 1879 | Old Etonians | 2–2 | Darwen |

### Second replay

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 15 March 1879 | Old Etonians | 6–2 | Darwen |

## Semi finals

| Date | Home Club | Score | Away Club |
| 22 March 1879 | Old Etonians | 2–1 | Nottingham Forest |
| | Clapham Rovers | Bye | |

## Final

| Date | | Score | |
| 29 March 1879 | Old Etonians | 1–0 | Clapham Rovers |