1872 FA Cup Final | Football Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 1872 FA Cup Final 1 0 1873 → The 1872 FA Cup Final was a football match between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on 16 March 1872 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the final of the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era as the FA Cup ), which became the primary cup competition in English football and the oldest football competition in the world. Fifteen teams entered the competition in its first season and, due to the rules in place at the time, Wanderers reached the final having won only one match in the four preceding rounds. In the semi-finals, they drew with the Scottish club Queen's Park , but reached the final when the Scots withdrew from the competition as they could not afford to return to London for a replay. The final was decided by a single goal, scored after fifteen minutes by Morton Betts of Wanderers, who was playing under the pseudonym "A.H. Chequer".

The Engineers were praised for their innovative use of passing, then referred to as the "Combination Game", at a time when most teams relied almost solely on dribbling tactics. Despite this they could not manage to score a goal. The winning Wanderers team did not receive the trophy until the following month, when it was presented to them at a special reception at the Pall Mall Restaurant. Contents Main article: 1871–72 FA Cup Wanderers and Royal Engineers were among fifteen teams who entered the inaugural FA Cup competition, and both were allocated home matches in the first round. Wanderers were paired with Harrow Chequers, a team consisting of former pupils of Harrow School, and the Engineers were set to face Reigate Priory. Neither match actually took place, however, as in both cases the away team withdrew from the competition, sending the home team through to the next round on a walkover. In the second round, both teams played away matches and emerged victorious. Wanderers defeated Clapham Rovers 3–1 in December and the Engineers beat Hitchin 5–0 the following month.

At the quarter-final stage, Wanderers drew 0–0 with Crystal Palace (a different club to the modern club of the same name ). Rather than be made to replay the match, however, both teams were permitted to go through to the semi-finals under one of the competition's original rules, which stated that in the event of a drawn match the teams would either be made to play again or both progress to the next round, at the organising committee's discretion. The Engineers beat Hampstead Heathens 2–0. In the semi-finals Wanderers took on the leading Scottish club Queen's Park who, due to a combination of walkovers and byes, had reached this stage of the competition without actually playing a match. The rules of the competition stated that all matches from the semi-final stage onwards would take place at Kennington Oval in London and, after being held to a 0–0 draw, the Scottish club could not afford to make the lengthy trip from Glasgow a second time for a replay and withdrew from the competition, sending Wanderers into the final. The Engineers also drew their semi-final at the Oval 0–0, and beat Crystal Palace 3–0 in the replay.

Match Summary As was common at the time, both teams focused mainly on attack rather than defence, the Engineers lining up with seven forwards and Wanderers with eight. Wanderers forward Morton Betts played under the pseudonym "A. H. Chequer", derived from his membership of the Harrow Chequers club. Some sources state that he played under an assumed name to disguise the fact that he was cup-tied , having been a registered player of the Chequers club at the start of the competition and therefore ineligible to play for another club in that season's cup. This, however, is unlikely to be true, as in the early amateur era of football players were not required to be formally registered with clubs. Wanderers captain C. W. Alcock won the coin toss and chose to defend the Harleyford Road end of the ground, meaning that the Engineers, who were considered the favourites at the start of play, initially had the sun and wind in their faces. Early in the game, Edmund Creswell of the Royal Engineers suffered a broken collar bone in a melee. He refused to leave the pitch but due to his injury was forced to spend the remainder of the match as a "passenger" on the wing .

Wanderers' tactics centred on the dribbling skills of individual players, while the Engineers favoured passing the ball, a style then known as the "Combination Game" and considered innovative, of which they were leading exponents. Wanderers took the lead fifteen minutes into the game when Betts opened the scoring from an acute angle after Robert Vidal 's long dribble. Under the rules in use at the time, the teams changed ends after each goal, but the Engineers were unable to take advantage of the fact that the sun and wind were now behind them, and the Wanderers players remained dominant. After twenty minutes Alcock put the ball past the Engineers' goalkeeper, William Merriman , but the goal was disallowed because Charles Wollaston had handled the ball. Wanderers continued to exert further pressure on the Engineers' goal and only Merriman's skill was able to prevent them from increasing their lead. One newspaper later described his performance as "perfect". Despite a late rally from the Engineers, Wanderers were able to hold on to their lead and the game ended in a 1–0 victory.

Newspaper The Field called the final "the fastest and hardest match that has ever been seen at The Oval" and said that the Wanderers displayed "some of the best play, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game". Details 30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion. Replay if scores still level. No substitutes. Post-match The Cup was presented by the President of the Football Association , Mr E. C. Morley , at the annual dinner of the Wanderers at the Pall Mall Restaurant, Charing Cross , on 11 April. The Football Association also gave each player in the winning team a silk badge commemorating the victory and the Wanderers' committee presented each player with an inscribed gold medal. As cup-holders, Wanderers received a bye straight to the final of the following year's FA Cup, in keeping with the original concept of the competition being a "challenge cup". This was the only time this rule was used. In 1938, The Times published an obituary for Thomas Hooman and stated that he had scored the winning goal in the 1872 cup final, citing an interview the player gave shortly before his death.

This claim is not backed up by contemporary newspaper reports, all of which list Betts as the goalscorer, and, as other quoted aspects of Hooman's reminiscences about the match were incorrect, it seems that in his old age he was confusing the 1872 final with another match in which he played. In 2010, the only known surviving medal from the final was offered for sale at an auction in London. It had been purchased by a jeweller as part of a house clearance in the 1950s and was expected to sell for up to £50,000, but was ultimately purchased by the Professional Footballers' Association for £70,500. On 7 November 2012, the match was replayed by the reformed Wanderers side and the Royal Engineers team at the original venue, The Oval . The result went in a completely opposite direction to the actual final, as the Royal Engineers won 7–1.

All Funked Up :: First FA Cup Final in 1872 First FA Cup Final in 1872 David Funk , All Funked Up on March 16 GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images On March 16, 1872, the oldest football(soccer in North America) competition in the world had taken place with its final game. It was on this day that the Wanderers Football Club played against the Royal Engineers at Kennington Oval, London, England for the Football Association(FA) Challenge Cup. Wanderers FC was founded in 1859 as the Forest Football Club and were also founding members of the Football Association in 1863. Their home was based in Leytonstone, London and were called Wanderers because of "wandering" to Battersea Park from London. A.G. Guillemard, who was known as the "father" of the Rugby Football Union, was on this team. The rest of the team consisted mainly of ex-school players. Charles(C.W.) Alcock, a key figure in adapting many of the styles of play including passing the ball, was captain for the Wanderers.

Alcock was also secretary for the FA from 1870 until 1895 and was the main person behind the FA Cup that was established in 1872. Furthermore, Alcock was a key proponent of the first international football game in 1870 between England and Scotland. He and his brother John formed the Forest Football Club in 1859. Under Major Marindin, the Royal Engineers were established in 1863. They were known as the Sappers before taking on the name of Engineers. The Engineers had founded a style of play that emphasized teamwork as well as knowing where teammates were at all times. In March 1871, they won a game against the powerful Wanderers team because of being organized. When they played the Wanderers again in November that year, they scored two goals against them by using strategic passing while winning that game, too. The FA Cup is a tournament with no seedings and the draws for home-field advantage are not known until the scheduled dates for the previous round are determined. Teams draw numbered balls out of a bag that determines matchups and who plays at home.

This is such a hugh interest for teams and fans that the draws are broadcasted live on television on English sets around the nation. Traditionally, famous players are there to draw the numbered balls out and this helps increase exposure as well for the tournament. Six qualifying rounds, six further rounds, two semi-finals, and a final game is played for a total of 14 rounds of competition. The qualifying rounds are done by regions to help reduce travel costs and expenses in the early portion of the play especially for lower division teams. The tournament opens up in November and the Final is played in May. When the tournament started in November of 2008, a record 762 teams took part. The lower division teams are referred to as "minnows" and they are also called "giant killers" when beating top clubs. However, lower division teams seldom reach the Final game. If a tie happens between two teams, a replay is done which usually takes place at home of the team who played on the road in the first game. Replays of drawn matchups are now settled with extended time or penalty shots.

The Premier League and Football League automatically qualify to play in the tournament while English football league system on the following six levels can play provided they played the previous season for the FA Cup, FA Trophy, or FA Vase. No other football tournaments were held in 1872 and times were different. The FA Challenge Cup(as it was known then) had only 15 teams take part in 1872. Only 30 teams existed in the FA prior to this competition being held. The road to the Final game for both the Wanderers and Engineers were easy victories early on. The Wanderers beat the Harrow Chequers while Engineers beat Regiate Priory. The two teams drew away games next, but neither were seriously tested as the Wanderers won 3-1 over the Clapham Rovers and the Engineers beat Hitchin 5-0. The Wanderers had a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, and because rules weren't established like they are today, both were allowed to move on. Meanwhile, the Engineers continued on with a 2-0 win over the Hampstead Heathens.

Queen's Park, a Scottish Club, were allowed a bye all the way to the semi-finals if they could get past the Wanderers. This was done to reduce travel costs because of having to go to southeast England all the way from Glasgow, Scotland. The two teams tied 0-0, but Queen's Park decided to return to Scotland as they forfeited the replay to the Wanderers. Coincidentally, the Engineers also tied in their semi-final game against Crystal Park, but beat them easily 3-0 in the replay. So the first Final was set between two teams that were no strangers to one another. About 2,000 attendees watched the first FA Cup Final. In the early going of the 90-minute matchup, Engineer mid-fielder Edmund Cresswell suffered a broken collarbone and was forced out of the game. The game itself continued to be back-and-forth as both teams tried to attack the other with precision passing in the opponent's zone. Alcock appeared to have put the Wanderers on the scoreboard with a shot past Engineer goalkeeper William Merriman. But referee Alfred Stair ruled that Alcock was offside on the kick, and therefore, the goal didn't count.

Wanderers forward Robert Vidal, who would become known as the "prince of dribblers" because of his skill of moving the ball, sparkled and dribbled right by the tough Engineer defense in this game. His long dribble and pass to Morton Betts led to the first goal in FA Cup Final history after an easy tap-in past Merriman. Betts was playing under the pseudonym of A.H. Chequer. Prior to the start of the tournament, Betts had signed to play with the Harrow Chequers who had decided to withdraw from their opening round game. Under the rules of the time, no player could play with another club in the same tournament. Thus, this is why he adopted a pseudonym. As it turned out, Chequer scored the only goal of the game. The Wanderers continued to pressure Merriman, but he kept them from scoring again. The Engineers did get the ball in the Wanderers' zone late in the game, but were unable to tie the score. The Wanderers won the first ever FA Cup with a 1-0 win. They were presented with the FA Challenge Cup on April 11 by President E.C. Morley.

The Wanderers defended the FA Cup by winning it again in 1873 as well, and three times in a row from 1876-78. The team officially disbanded in 1883 after many schools had begun to establish their own clubs at the time. Charles Wollaston was the only one on the team for their five FA Cup wins. The Engineers would win their only FA Cup in 1875, and played in three other Finals. They were also noted as being the first team to travel doing so in 1873 by making trips to Nottingham and Sheffield amongst other venues. They’ve maintained their amateur status since the 1890s and have played mostly armed forces teams since that time. The 2014 winners of the FA Cup was Arsenal FC. They won 3-2 over Hull City in the FA Final. The Final game took place after the conclusion of the Premier League’s season. From 1923-2000, Wembley Stadium hosted the FA Cup Final.

Due to reconstruction of the new Wembley Stadium, the Final was held at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff from 2001-06 until it returned to the national stadium in 2007. Many things have changed with the FA Cup since 1872, but this marked the beginning of the oldest football competition in the world that continues every year. And for that, the FA deserves credit where it is due. Personally, I think it is cool how the field is determined because of the uniqueness in which you have zero idea who you will be drawn against. I certainly learned quite a bit about the tradition of this tournament as well as how it started. On This Weekend In Football: The Wanderers Beat Royal Engineers In First Ever FA Cup Final - The Daisy Cutter On This Weekend In Football: The Wanderers Beat Royal Engineers In First Ever FA Cup Final by Ste | Mar 15, 2013 | Losing finalists Royal Engineers.

by Stuart Moriarty-Patten 16 March 1872: The Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers in the first FA Cup Final The very first FA Cup Final took place on 16 March 1872 between Wanderers and Royal Engineers in front of a crowd of around 2000 people at the Kennington Oval in London. The Wanderers were at the time one of the leading clubs in England, particularly in the South, and attracted many of the leading university and public school players. The club had initially been formed in 1859 as the Forest Football Club by a number of ex-public schoolboys, and were one of the founding members of the FA in 1863. They adopted the name Wanderers the following year as it was decided to abandon the idea of having a fixed home ground, possibly because of the expense, and become a ‘wandering side’. Despite the name though they did in fact play a large majority of ‘home’ games at the Kennington Oval. The Royal Engineers, as the name may suggest, was the football side of the Corps of Royal Engineers.

They were founded in 1863, and by the 1870s were one of the strongest sides in England, being particularly noted for their style of play. This, unusually for the time, was built around passing, whereas other times mostly relied on dribbling and scrimmaging. In 1871 the FA was now eight years old and though the original membership of 11 teams had grown to 50, it was only growing slowly. FA secretary and Wanderers’ captain Charles Alcock, who recollected the excitement generated by playing in an inter-house knockout tournament while at Harrow School, felt that the formula could work on a bigger scale and proposed the formation a Challenge Cup, for which all clubs belonging to the FA would be invited to compete. Alcock was hoping that this would provide the stimulus required to help grow the size of the organisation. His proposal was met “with general favour” by the rest of the FA Committee, and the rules of the new competition were agreed three months later. Many clubs did not enter the first competition for financial reasons.

All ties were to be played in London, and the clubs based in football hotbeds such as Nottingham and Sheffield found it difficult to be able to find the money to travel to the capital. Each club also had to contribute one guinea towards the cost of the £20 silver trophy, a substantial amount for a lot of clubs. In the case of Scottish club Queen’s Park, who had been allowed to enter, it was almost a fifth of their total annual income. As it was, just fifteen teams entered, and the draw for the First Round threw up these ties: Wanderers v Harrow Chequers Clapham Rovers v Upton Park Crystal Palace v Hitchin Royal Engineers v Reigate Priory Barnes v Civil Service Queen’s Park (Glasgow) v Donington School (Spalding) With Hampstead Heathens being given a bye. The Royal Engineers and The Wanderers were both given a walkover as both their opponents pulled out. In fact, to reach the final Wanderers had only to win one match in the preceding four rounds.

With their first round game scratched, they managed to defeat an opposing side when they beat Clapham Rovers 3-1 away from home to set up a quarter-final with Crystal Palace (who were a different club to today’s Palace). This game ended 0-0 but under the rules of the competition a committee decided that both teams were to be allowed to progress to the semi-finals rather than face a replay. The Wanderers’ semi-final game was against Glasgow’s Queen’s Park who had reached this stage of the competition without having actually played a game due to a combination of byes and walkovers. It was the furthest South the Scottish club had ever travelled, and when the game ended in another 0-0 draw, they had to forfeit a replay as they could not afford the trip to London a second time, and so Wanderers were granted a bye to the final. The Royal Engineers had defeated Hitchin 5-0 away in the Second Round and Hampstead Heathens 2-0 to reach the semi-finals.

Here they met the Crystal Palace team who had held the Wanderers to a draw in the previous round, and again Palace got a 0-0 draw but this time had to play a replay which they lost 3-0 to set up the final between Royal Engineers and the Wanderers. The day of the final seemed to be something of a society affair with the crowd, who had paid 1 shilling each for admission, being described as gentlemen. Many of them had had arrived in their horse-drawn carriages, and while they watched the game their partners entertained themselves in the various refreshment tents dotted around the ground. The Engineers were being quoted as 7/4 favourites to win the game. They had remained undefeated all season, and had a good recent record over the Wanderers, who seemed unable to cope with the Engineers style of football. The Wanderers however playing in the familiar surroundings of Kennington Oval soon saw things going their way. Wearing their pink, black and cerise hooped shirts against the dark red and navy hoops of the Engineers, the Wanderers gained an early advantage when one of their opponents, Edmund Cresswell broke his collarbone early in the game.

As no substitutes were then allowed he stayed on the pitch, but he was little more than a spectator for the rest of the game. Wanderers soon scored the first goal of the game in the fifteenth minute through Morton Betts after a fine run from Robert Vidal. Vidal, who was known by the nickname of “prince of dribblers”, was, at 18 years of age and still at school, the youngest player on the pitch. The scorer, Betts, was actually playing under the pseudonym of A.H. Chequer, which presumably was referring to the fact that he had also played for Harrow Chequers that season. Betts whose position for this game was full-back would go onto play for England 5 years later against Scotland, but as a goalkeeper. Despite their favourites tag the Engineers were outplayed throughout the whole game and the 1-0 score line flattered them. Wanderers had seen another goal by captain Alcock disallowed for handball, another shot had rebounded off the post, and a series of fine saves from the Engineers’ goalkeeper, William Merriman, helped to keep the score down.

Wanderers were deserved winners, and the correspondent of the Field wrote “It was the fastest and hardest match that has ever been seen at The Oval … some of the best play on their [the Wanderers] part, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game.” The cup was not on hand to present to the winners who received it a month later at a special ceremony at the Wanderers’ Annual Dinner at the Pall Mall Restaurant in Charing Cross. Each player received a silk badge commemorating the victory from the FA, and an inscribed gold medal from the club’s committee. In 2010 the only known surviving medal came up for auction in London. It had been purchased by a jeweler in the 1950s and exceeded expectations by fetching over £70,000 in the winning bid by the PFA. As cup-holders, Wanderers received a bye straight to the final of the following year’s FA Cup. This was in keeping with the original concept of the competition being a “challenge cup”, but was the only time the rule was used.

They beat Oxford University 2-0 in that final and then over the rest of the decade they won five of the first eight FA Cup competitions played, including three in a row between 1876 and 1878. Their dominance was not to last though and as the public schools and universities football teams, that were the traditional source of players for Wanderers, became better organised, they found it increasingly difficult to attract players. Just two years after winning the FA Cup for a fifth time they suffered the humiliation of having to withdraw from a FA Cup first round tie in 1880 as they were unable to raise a side, and by 1881 they were to play just one game a season against Harrow at Christmas for the next few seasons. The Wanderers finally folded in 1887, only to be revived in 2009 by a group of players who gained permission of the descendants of the original founders to use the name. They now ply their trade in Division Four of the Surrey South Eastern Combination, and in November 2012 they, and the Royal Engineers, replayed the 1872 cup final game at the Oval to raise money for charity.

The Engineers this time extracted some belated revenge by inflicting a 7-1 drubbing on the Wanderers. After the game the Engineers were presented with the original trophy that the Wanderers had won way back in 1872 which was being given a rare outing from its home in Manchester’s National Football Museum. The first FA Cup final: A shilling to get in, no nets and seven up front - BBC Sport BBC Sport The first FA Cup final: A shilling to get in, no nets and seven up front By Tom Rostance Read more about sharing. Football in the late 19th Century was a chaotic affair as this illustration of an early England v Scotland game at the Oval shows Saturday's FA Cup final between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Wembley will be watched by half a billion viewers in more than 120 countries. Close to 90,000 fans will be at Wembley for the 134th final of the world's oldest cup competition as two teams of elite, millionaire sportsmen battle it out for glory. But what exactly was the scene at the original final way back in 1872?

An estimated crowd of 2,000 were there to see 22 amateurs play on a cricket pitch, with no nets, as Wanderers beat Royal Engineers 1-0 thanks to a goal from Morton Betts. BBC Sport, with the help of Matthew Taylor, professor of history at De Montfort University, look at the first final 143 years ago... The best 15 teams in the land Prior to the 1872 FA Cup, there were no regular competitive games being played in England. Football Association secretary Charles Alcock drew up plans for the first FA Cup which saw 15 teams enter the first round of November 1871. As this letter from July 1871 shows, an FA committee established the first FA Cup.

Letter courtesy of the Football Association and the National Football Museum Step forward Barnes, Civil Service, Hitchin, Crystal Palace (confusingly not the present-day Palace but their precursors who were dissolved in 1876), Maidenhead, Marlow, Queen's Park, Donington School, Upton Park, Clapham Rovers, Royal Engineers, Reigate Priory, Wanderers, Harrow Chequers and Hampstead Heathens, who were given a bye. Teething problems and the logistical headaches of scheduling football matches across Britain in the era of steam meant that Scottish side Queen's Park advanced to the semi-finals without actually playing a game. The semi-finals - both goalless draws - were played at the Kennington Oval. The Royal Engineers booked their place in the final with a 3-0 replay win over Crystal Palace, while Wanderers made it through when Queen's Park decided they could not afford another costly trip to London for the replay and withdrew. A (gentle)man's game: The Royal Engineers side of 1872 The historian's view: "The general consensus is that the FA Cup was based on the knockout competitions between 'Houses' at major public schools such as Harrow.

But Alcock may also have taken inspiration from existing competitions in the provinces, such as Sheffield's Youdon Cup, launched in 1867. "Certainly football was equally, if not more, established and popular in Sheffield as it was in London at this time, and the elite ex-public schoolboys based in the capital knew and played against teams from Sheffield, Nottingham and elsewhere." Invented the Cup, ran the FA Alcock - the brains behind the whole idea - played in defence for Wanderers. Formed in 1859 as Forest Football Club, the side mainly consisted of former Harrow public schoolboys and took the name 'Wanderers' because they played their matches at different grounds. But by 1869 the club was based at the Kennington Oval, where Alcock also happened to be the secretary of Surrey cricket club. The Royal Engineers are still playing and still proud of their heritage. The Royal Engineers were founded in 1863 by Major Francis Marindin - an extraordinary man. Having served in the Crimean war, he would go on to play in the 1872 final, become president of the FA in 1874 and then referee eight further FA Cup finals.

'Wanderers attacking from the Vauxhall End' The 1872 final was held at Kennington Oval, also the venue for the first international football match between England and Scotland in 1870. The Oval would go on to host 20 of the next 21 FA Cup finals, with the 1873 final played at Lillie Bridge - close to Chelsea's modern home at Stamford Bridge. The historian's view: "Many football clubs played on cricket grounds in the late 19th century. Football clubs often emerged from existing cricket clubs, as a way of the players keeping fit in the winter. Purpose-built football grounds did not emerge in significant numbers until the 1880s and 1890s." A shilling on the door While fans at this year's final will have to battle through the crowds at Wembley, it was a more sedate affair in 1872. Football had yet to catch on and around 2,000 are said to have been at the Oval. Much has changed beyond recognition in football but the cost of attending remains an issue...

The historian's view: "Attendances for football matches were not large in the early 1870s, with one reason for the relatively low attendance the price of tickets, which at one shilling (five pence in today's money) was higher than for most matches at the time. "The Oval crowd was said to be 'very fashionable', so presumably made up of the well-to-do and the upper middle-class, as well as those connected with the 'old boys' public school network that ran the Football Association at this time." Wanderers will play 2-2-6 The Royal Engineers could lay claim to being the Barcelona of their day, with their revolutionary tactic of 'passing' the ball to a team-mate at odds with the usual approach of chasing the ball into space. The only goal of the final came after 15 minutes when Betts, playing under the pseudonym "A H Chequer", derived from his membership of the Harrow Chequers club, collected the ball after a long dribble from Walpole Vidal and slammed home. Goalkeeper was not yet a specialist position, with keepers regularly playing outfield.

The original rules of the FA Cup stated that the winners could choose where to play the following year's final. Courtesy of the Football Association and The National Football Museum The historian's view: "It was not unusual for teams to line up with six or seven forwards in the early 1870s. Most teams at this time still relied primarily on individual dribbling, with team-mates backing up the dribbler in an effort to move the ball towards the opponents' goal. "Some authorities have claimed that the Royal Engineers were the first team to develop a passing game, and were doing so at around the time of the first FA Cup final." The banker, the vicar and the Crimean War veteran It's fair to say that the footballers of Oscar Wilde's age were a different breed to today's sporting stars. The Wanderers' band of ex-public schoolboys and the aristocratic elite produced some notable sportsmen. As well as the pioneering Alcock the team contained several men who played first-class cricket, a goalkeeper who was capped by England as a defender and a forward who was capped by England in goal.

Forward Edward Bowen was noted for walking the 90 miles between Cambridge and Oxford in 26 hours in between his football and playing cricket for Hampshire; full-back Edgar Lubbock went on to become the deputy governor of the Bank of England and wing-wizard Walpole Vidal - known as the "prince of dribblers" - would later become a vicar. What the players were playing for in 1872. An original medal, courtesy of the Professional Footballers Association and the National Football Museum As you would expect, the Royal Engineers side had all seen military service from across the world, with experiences branching from India to the Crimea, Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Zulu war. Forward Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour played football and rugby union for Scotland as well as cricket for Kent and would still find time to become a managing director of Guinness, while half-back Alfred Goodwyn would suffer the unfortunate fate of being the first international footballer to be killed in a riding accident in India two years after the final. The historian's view: "Most of the players in the first final had learnt the game in elite public schools and at university. The Wanderers was open only to those who had attended leading public schools and Oxbridge.

Three of the Cup final line-up had attended Eton and four had gone to Harrow." 'Our ball ref!' 'Did that cross the line?' The early rules were very different. In a nod to cricket, players had to appeal for a goal and changed ends after each goal, not at half-time. This once allowed Walpole Vidal to score three times without the opposition touching the ball. The historian's view: "Modern fans would be surprised by some of the features of football in 1872. Rather than a crossbar, a tape was pitched between two posts eight feet above the ground. "Throw-ins were not determined by the team whose player had kicked the ball off the pitch but by the first player to reach the ball. But these rules were not consistent across the country. Variations existed in different areas and it was not until 10 years later, in 1882, that a uniform set of rules was established by the FA." Death, taxes, and referees from Whitehall The 2015 final will be refereed by Jon Moss, who can expect some grief from the stands. It was a different story for civil servant Alfred Stair, the referee chosen for the first three FA Cup finals.

Stair was the head of the Inland Revenue - presumably seen as a trustworthy gentleman of his day - and also played football for Upton Park. The historian's view: "In the earliest days of football, referees were literally peripheral figures. They stood outside the playing area and were only called upon to adjudicate if the umpires (who were appointed by each club and stood in either half of the pitch) could not reach agreement." What happened next? For winners Wanderers it was the start of a golden - if brief - era of success. They retained the trophy in 1873 by beating Oxford University 2-0 and added three more trophies before the end of the decade. Their haul of five FA Cups has only been bettered by Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal. But by 1881 Wanderers could not field a side as players left to play for some of the newer clubs springing up across the country and the team folded in 1887. A reformed side was founded in 2009 and the club currently play in the Surrey South Eastern Combination.

In fact they are looking for a new manager to get the club back in the FA Cup by 2022. The Engineers reached four finals and won the Cup in 1875. They continue to play on and are currently managed by Capt Simon Mayers, who has a 25-man squad to select from around 8,000 men based around the world. Wanderers in 1872, Leeds United in 1972 - who will win the FA Cup in 2072? The historian's view: "Football became increasingly popular over the next decade or so, as it became embedded in British working-class culture. Its popularity was helped by entrepreneurs who realised the opportunities that existed in enclosing playing fields and charging the public for entry. "The next step from this, as teams began to act as representatives of their localities, was for ambitious club committees to 'poach' the best players and pay for them to play for their teams.

Within less than a decade of the first FA Cup final, professional football had emerged in England, though it was not legalised by the FA until 1885." Share this page Wanderers and Royal Engineers set for 1872 FA Cup final remake | Daily Mail Online comments The very first FA Cup final was contested 140 years ago – but the two teams involved will rekindle a rivalry in their first match for more than a century in a replay of that tie on Wednesday. On March 16, 1872 at the Kennington Oval, now more commonly associated with cricket and known as the Kia Oval, Wanderers and the Royal Engineers contested the Challenge Cup final – the original FA Cup. Wanderers won by a single goal from Morton Betts. That was after one of the Royal Engineers players broke his collarbone but insisted on staying on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes. In black and white: The Royal Engineers lost 1-0 to the Wanderers in 1872 The two clubs still exist but have not faced each other for 120 years until when they meet at The Oval again on Wednesday.

Wanderers disbanded in the 1880s but were reformed back in 2009 and the Engineers, founded in 1863 and made up of serving soldiers of the British Army, have been playing all these 140 years. Bobby Gould, who is one of only four people to win the FA Cup as a player and manager, will take charge of Wanderers for the day. Watching on: Bernstein (left) will be present at Wednesday's game And the winners will lift the original FA Cup that is now owned by co-chairman of West Ham David Gold who is allowing it to be taken from its home at the National Football Museum in Manchester. He will be in attendance with FA chairman David Bernstein. The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers and help to perform Abide With Me before the teams line up to sing the national anthem. But it will not all be entirely true to that day 140 years ago – that day Wanderers lined up with eight strikers and the Engineers started with seven. And the rules of the game have changed significantly. Throw-ins used to be taken by the first team to get the ball, teams changed ends after every goal and there were no nets in the goals.

The game back in 1872 was contested in front of a 2,000-strong crowd and the organisers are confident they will surpass that number. 1872 fa cup final : definition of 1872 fa cup final and synonyms of 1872 fa cup final (English) 1873 → The 1872 FA Cup Final was a football match between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on 16 March 1872 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the final of the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era as the FA Cup ), which became the primary cup competition in English football and the oldest football competition in the world. Fifteen teams entered the competition in its first season and, due to the rules in place at the time, Wanderers reached the final having won only one match in the four preceding rounds. In the semi-finals, they drew with the Scottish club Queen's Park , but reached the final when the Scots withdrew from the competition as they could not afford to return to London for a replay.

The final was decided by a single goal, scored after fifteen minutes by Morton Betts of Wanderers, who was playing under the pseudonym "A.H. Chequer". The Engineers were praised for their innovative use of passing, then referred to as the " Combination Game ", at a time when most teams relied almost solely on dribbling tactics. Despite this they could not manage to score a goal. The winning Wanderers team did not receive the trophy until the following month, when it was presented to them at a special reception at the Pall Mall Restaurant. Contents Main article: 1871–72 FA Cup The Royal Engineers team of 1871. Eight of these players played in the first FA Cup Final. Wanderers and Royal Engineers were among fifteen teams who entered the inaugural FA Cup competition, and both were allocated home matches in the first round. [1] Wanderers were paired with Harrow Chequers, a team consisting of former pupils of Harrow School , and the Engineers were set to face Reigate Priory. Neither match actually took place, however, as in both cases the away team withdrew from the competition, sending the home team through to the next round on a walkover .

[1] In the second round, both teams played away matches and emerged victorious. Wanderers defeated Clapham Rovers 3–1 in December and the Engineers beat Hitchin 5–0 the following month. [1] At the quarter-final stage, Wanderers drew 0–0 with Crystal Palace (a different club to the modern club of the same name ). [1] Rather than be made to replay the match, however, both teams were permitted to go through to the semi-finals under one of the competition's original rules, which stated that in the event of a drawn match the teams would either be made to play again or both progress to the next round, at the organising committee's discretion. [2] The Engineers beat Hampstead Heathens 2–0. In the semi-finals Wanderers took on the leading Scottish club Queen's Park who, due to a combination of walkovers and byes, had reached this stage of the competition without actually playing a match.

[1] The rules of the competition stated that all matches from the semi-final stage onwards would take place at Kennington Oval in London and, after being held to a 0–0 draw, the Scottish club could not afford to make the lengthy trip from Glasgow a second time for a replay and withdrew from the competition, sending Wanderers into the final. [3] The Engineers also drew their semi-final at the Oval 0–0, and beat Crystal Palace 3–0 in the replay. [1] Match Summary Morton Betts scored the game's only goal. As was common at the time, both teams focused mainly on attack rather than defence, the Engineers lining up with seven forwards and Wanderers with eight. [4] Wanderers forward Morton Betts played under the pseudonym "A. H. Chequer", derived from his membership of the Harrow Chequers club. [5] Some sources state that he played under an assumed name to disguise the fact that he was cup-tied , having been a registered player of the Chequers club at the start of the competition and therefore ineligible to play for another club in that season's cup.

This, however, is unlikely to be true, as in the early amateur era of football players were not required to be formally registered with clubs. [6] Cuthbert Ottaway , a future captain of the England national team , played for two different clubs in consecutive rounds of the 1871–72 FA Cup without incident. [7] Wanderers captain C. W. Alcock won the coin toss and chose to defend the Harleyford Road end of the ground, meaning that the Engineers, who were considered the favourites at the start of play, initially had the sun and wind in their faces. [4] Early in the game, Edmund Creswell of the Royal Engineers suffered a broken collar bone in a melee. He refused to leave the pitch but due to his injury was forced to spend the remainder of the match as a "passenger" on the wing . [8] Wanderers' tactics centred on the dribbling skills of individual players, while the Engineers favoured passing the ball, a style then known as the " Combination Game " and considered innovative, of which they were leading exponents.

[9] Wanderers took the lead fifteen minutes into the game when Betts opened the scoring from an acute angle after Robert Vidal 's long dribble. Under the rules in use at the time, the teams changed ends after each goal, but the Engineers were unable to take advantage of the fact that the sun and wind were now behind them, and the Wanderers players remained dominant. [8] After twenty minutes Alcock put the ball past the Engineers' goalkeeper, William Merriman , but the goal was disallowed because Charles Wollaston had handled the ball . [4] Wanderers continued to exert further pressure on the Engineers' goal and only Merriman's skill was able to prevent them from increasing their lead. One newspaper later described his performance as "perfect". [10] Despite a late rally from the Engineers, Wanderers were able to hold on to their lead and the game ended in a 1–0 victory. [11] Newspaper The Field called the final "the fastest and hardest match that has ever been seen at The Oval" and said that the Wanderers displayed "some of the best play, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game".

[8] Details 30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion. Replay if scores still level. No substitutes. Post-match The Cup was presented by the President of the Football Association , Mr E. C. Morley , at the annual dinner of the Wanderers at the Pall Mall Restaurant, Charing Cross , on 11 April. [12] The Football Association also gave each player in the winning team a silk badge commemorating the victory and the Wanderers' committee presented each player with an inscribed gold medal. [4] As cup-holders, Wanderers received a bye straight to the final of the following year's FA Cup, in keeping with the original concept of the competition being a "challenge cup". [13] This was the only time this rule was used. [14] In 1938, The Times published an obituary for Thomas Hooman and stated that he had scored the winning goal in the 1872 cup final, citing an interview the player gave shortly before his death.

This claim is not backed up by contemporary newspaper reports, all of which list Betts as the goalscorer, and, as other quoted aspects of Hooman's reminiscences about the match were incorrect, it seems that in his old age he was confusing the 1872 final with another match in which he played. [15] In 2010, the only known surviving medal from the final was offered for sale at an auction in London. It had been purchased by a jeweller as part of a house clearance in the 1950s and was expected to sell for up to £50,000, [16] but was ultimately purchased by the Professional Footballers' Association for £70,500. [17] References Football Club History Database - F.A. Cup 1871-72 F.A. Cup 1871-72 The Football Association Challenge Cup was created in 1871, the first organised Association Football competition in the world. Thirteen clubs entered that first competition, although three withdrew without playing a game.

In the final held at Kennington Oval on March 16th, 1872, Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers by a single goal, scored by Morton Betts under the pseudonym A H Chequer, as he was formerly a member of the Harrow Chequers Club. Of the 13 original entrants, Queen's Park (from Glasgow) are now members of the Scottish League (Scottish teams entered the F.A. Cup until 1887). Marlow and Maidenhead (now Maidenhead United) are still around, and each have only missed a single season in the history of the Competition. The football team of the Civil Service now play in the Amateur Football Alliance. The Crystal Palace team from 1871-1872 is not connected to the modern day Crystal Palace. There were several occurences in this first competition that would be considered bizzare today. Drawn matches resulted in both teams being allowed through to the next round, although for some reason the second round match between Hampstead Heathens and Barnes did go to a replay.

Queen's Park and Donnington School could not agree a date for their first round match, so both teams were allowed through to the second round where they were drawn together again - this time the School side scratched.

Finally, Queen's Park could not afford to travel back to London for a semi-final replay, so their opponents Wanderers were given a walk-over to the final First Round Hitchin 0-0 Crystal Palace (both teams allowed through) Maidenhead 2-0 Marlow Queen's Park v Donnington School (Could not agree date, both teams allowed through) Royal Engineers w/o-scr Reigate Priory Upton Park 0-3 Clapham Rovers Wanderers w/o-scr Harrow Chequers Queen's Park w/o-scr Donnington School Wanderers 3-1 Clapham Rovers Royal Engineers 3-0 Hampstead Heathens Wanderers 0-0 Crystal Palace (both teams allowed through) Semi-Finals Royal Engineers 0-0 Crystal Palace (@ Kennington Oval) Wanderers 0-0 Queen's Park (@ Kennington Oval) Semi-Final Replays Royal Engineers 3-0 Crystal Palace (@ Kennington Oval) Wanderers w/o-scr Queen's Park Spurs - FA Cup History Spurs - FA Cup History yid4eva Forum IT Guru ( Geek ) ;) Joined: Ratings: +842 / 0 / -0 FA Cup History for our beloved SP

URS.

Had some time on my hands and did some searching.. 1872 Above The first ever FA Challenge Cup trophy was won by Battersea-based club Wanderers, who edged past Royal Engineers of Chatham 1-0 in the 1872 final at Kennington Oval. It was the first of five victories for Wanderers in the Cup's first seven years. Known as the 'Little Tin Idol', the trophy was used every year until 1895 when it was stolen. 1901 Above The first final featuring a big-name London club, even though Spurs were a non-League club at the time, drew an incredible 110,000 fans to Crystal Palace. Spurs faced previous winners Sheffield United. The match was drawn 2-2 thanks to a contentious goal, which the linesman felt was a corner but the ref decided was a goal. The replay took place at Burnden Park in Bolton, with Spurs triumphing 3-1. 1921 Above Stamford Bridge was the venue of the 1921 final featuring two previous winners, Spurs and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A heavy shower turned the pitch into a mud-bath, preventing any constructive play and Spurs won by a single goal in the 55th minute scored by Jimmy Dimmock. 1961 Above Spurs secured the first League and Cup double since 1897 with a 2-0 win over Leicester City. Again, Leicester suffered an early injury to full-back Len Chalmers and Spurs capitalised with goals from Bobby Smith and Terry Dyson, who beat Gordon Banks in the Leicester goal. 1962 Above The 'Super Spurs' side led by Bill Nicholson and featuring legends such as Jimmy Greaves, Danny Blanchflower and Dave Mackay won the 'Chessboard Final' against Burnley 3-1, so-called because patient play rather than blistering action were on display at Wembley. Bobby Smith, who scored in the 1961 Final, scored again, a feat that wouldn't be repeated until 2001. 1967 Above The 'Cockney Cup Final' as it became known was the first to be contested between two London sides, with Spurs taking on Chelsea.

Bill Nicholson's Spurs featured several of the Cup winners from the early 1960s including Jimmy Greaves and Dave Mackay plus new talent like Pat Jennings and Terry Venables. Spurs took the lead through Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul, with Bobby Tambling scoring Chelsea's consolation goal. 1981 Above The 100th Cup Final to be contested went to a replay with both matches being played at Wembley. Manchester City's Tommy Hutchison managed to score at both ends to ensure a rematch. The second game was a more explosive affair with early goals from Ricardo Villa and Steve Mackenzie making honours even. A penalty put City ahead but Spurs equalised through Garth Crooks. The winner is considered one of the finest FA Cup goals ever, with Ricky Villa dribbling through the City defence to score. 1982 Above It was Spurs again in 1982 and another replay after underdogs Queen's Park Rangers, under manager Terry Venables, held the holders to a 1-1 draw at Wembley, with Glenn Hoddle and Terry Fenwick scoring in extra time. The replay saw only one goal, a penalty scored by Hoddle early on.

1991 Above It should have been Paul Gascoine's final. The Spurs player had performed incredibly all season and had been a major factor in the London side appearing in the final at all. But the occasion seemed to get to Gazza, who unleashed a couple of rash tackles early on, one which led to Nottingham Forest's opening goal from a fee-kick and to his own injury. Gascoine was stretchered off after 17 minutes. Spurs went on to miss a penalty and have a valid goal disallowed, but still won in extra time thanks to Paul Stewart and a Des Walker own goal. And alot more history here:

Question: At the Kennington Oval in 1872, who did Wanderers beat in the very first FA Cup final?
Answer: Royal Engineers