1931 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1931 FA Cup Final was a football match between West Bromwich Albion
and Birmingham
, played on 25 April 1931 at the original Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece event was the final match of the 1930–31 staging of English football
's primary cup competition
, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup
). The match was the 56th FA Cup Final
and the ninth to be played at Wembley.
West Bromwich Albion were appearing in their seventh final, having won the cup on two previous occasions, whereas Birmingham were playing in the final for the first time. Albion won the match 2–1, with both of their goals scored by W. G. Richardson
. Joe Bradford
had equalised Richardson's opening goal, before Richardson put the Baggies ahead again sixty seconds later.
Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion were playing in the First Division
and Second Division
respectively, thus both entered the competition at the third round stage.
Albion began their cup campaign by drawing 2–2 at home against Charlton Athletic
, with goals from
Stan Wood
and Teddy Sandford
. The replay at The Valley also ended in a draw (1–1), and with extra time unable to separate the teams, a second replay was required at Villa Park, where goals from Joe Carter
, Stan Wood and W. G. Richardson
gave Albion a 3–1 victory. Wood also scored the only goal of the game in round four against Tottenham Hotspur
to set up a fifth round tie with First Division Portsmouth
, the only top division side that Albion faced en route to Wembley; W. G. Richardson's goal was enough to give Albion a 1–0 victory. The quarter-final stage saw Albion paired with local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers
, whom they had already beaten both home and away during the league season. After a 1–1 draw at The Hawthorns
, Albion won the replay at Molineux
2–1, thanks to goals from W. G. Richardson and Stan Wood.
In the semi-final at Old Trafford
, Albion faced Everton
, who at that time were 13 points clear at the top of the Second Division. Everton dominated the first half but were unable to score from any of the chances they created, and it was Albion who broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half. Albion captain Tommy Glidden
played the ball into the Everton penalty area from near the halfway line, and aided by a gust of wind it sailed past Everton goalkeeper Billy Coggins
and into the net. The match was played in front of 69,241 spectators, setting a new attendance record for Old Trafford.
In the third round, Birmingham "won finely" at Anfield
to defeat First Division opponents Liverpool
2–0, with goals from Ernie Curtis
and Joe Bradford
. In the fourth, they repeated the scoreline at home to Port Vale
of the Second Division
, both goals scored by Bradford, and went one better in the fifth, Bradford scoring once and Curtis, "in magnificent form", twice to eliminate Third Division South
club Watford
.
Chelsea
provided stiffer opposition for the Birmingham team, a number of whose players were still recovering from influenza
, on a St Andrew's pitch treacherous after overnight sleet. The visitors had much the better of the first half. Alex Jackson
gave them the lead, and, in blizzard conditions, George Mills
appeared to have scored in a goalmouth scramble, only for the goal to be disallowed after the Birmingham players drew the referee's attention to his linesman
who had flagged for the ball having gone out of play. Six minutes into the second half, the lead had changed hands. First George Briggs
crossed for a Bradford header, then the same pair combined for Curtis to put Birmingham ahead. Birmingham's defence held out until a misplaced clearance by Bob Gregg
allowed Jackie Crawford
to equalise. The replay at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge
attracted a crowd of 74,365, then a ground record, with 6,000 locked out; spectators broke through the barriers and sat round the edge of the pitch. Briggs, in front of an empty goal, allowed a centre from Curtis to pass between his legs – "an amazing miss" – before Chelsea centre-half John Townrow
sustained an injury which forced him to leave the field. Chelsea reorganised their personnel, but early in the second half, right-half Syd Bishop
was hurt twice in quick succession, leaving him in a worse condition than Townrow and his team short of numbers – no substitute
s were permitted – with players in unaccustomed positions. Though they held out well, a goal from Jack Firth
and two from Bradford, the second of which scored from an offside position, gave Birmingham a 3–0 victory.
Birmingham faced First Division Sunderland
in the semi-final at Elland Road
, Leeds
. The Times
predicted a "hard game" in which "the first goal ... may decide the result". After half an hour Birmingham took the lead via a powerful shot by Curtis. Sunderland's players appealed in vain for the award of a penalty for handling the ball, their forwards failed to take numerous chances, and Birmingham's England international
goalkeeper Harry Hibbs – described by Sunderland's Bobby Gurney
as playing "an absolute blinder" – made some fine saves. With three minutes left, Curtis's shot from a Bradford cross was blocked by Sunderland's goalkeeper, Bradford "rushed in to help his colleague and between them they scored the second goal".
and LMS
routes, or else by road.
In the days leading up to the final, both teams made use of mid-week games to test players who were doubtful due to injury. Following Birmingham's reserve match against Huddersfield Town
's reserves, George Briggs
and Jimmy Cringan
were pronounced fit to play in the final, but centre forward Joe Bradford
's fitness was not decided until the Thursday morning. An injured knee had kept Bradford out of action since mid-March, and he played with the knee well bandaged during the match, which was played in front of "about 12,000" spectators at St Andrew's. Full back Bert Trentham
was a doubt for Albion, but came through the first half of their friendly against Headingly "quite satisfactorily". The Birmingham team prepared for the final at Bushey
, while the West Bromwich Albion team were based in Harrow
. Both teams visited The Cenotaph in the week before the final, in order to lay wreaths.
The clubs had met in the FA Cup on four previous occasions, with Albion victorious each time. The first meeting of the two teams in the competition was in the 1885–86 semi-final, which was the furthest that Birmingham had progressed prior to their first FA Cup final in 1931. Neither club had played a match at Wembley before, though Albion had experienced success in the FA Cup, having appeared in the final on six previous occasions and having won the cup twice, in 1888
and 1892
. The two goalkeepers for the 1931 final, Harold Pearson
and Harry Hibbs, were cousins. Pearson's father and Hibbs' uncle, Hubert Pearson
, had kept goal for Albion during their last appearance in the final in 1912
. Birmingham outside forward Ernie Curtis
had already gained a cup winners medal with Cardiff City
in 1927, while the club's trainer Archie Taylor
had played in the Barnsley
team that defeated West Bromwich Albion in the 1912 final.
Typical of the era was that the final had little effect on the weekend's Football League
fixtures. Although the scheduled league matches of both finalists had been postponed, there were still nine First Division games and ten Second Division games played on the day of the final, as well as a full programme of matches in the Third Division North
and South
.
Prior to kickoff, T. P. Ratcliff led the crowd in community singing, backed by the band of His Majesty's Welsh Guards
. Songs included "Daisy Bell
", "John Brown's Body
" and "Poor Old Joe".
, comprising one centre-half and two wing-halves, and five forwards, comprising two outside forward
s, two inside forward
s and a centre-forward.
In the sixth minute, Bob Gregg
headed Jimmy Cringan
's free kick past the stranded West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper, but the linesman
flagged Gregg offside and the goal was disallowed; newspaper reports suggest the decision was incorrect. Albion took the lead after 24 minutes when Joe Carter
received the ball from Tommy Glidden
and took it almost to the by-line before crossing it. As W. G. Richardson
attempted a shot he fell, but Birmingham's Ned Barkas
inadvertently touched the ball back to him and away from his goalkeeper, and Richardson was able to recover sufficiently to steer it home. Joe Bradford
and Johnny Crosbie
both missed good chances for Birmingham before half-time.
In the second half, after Albion had failed to take several chances, Birmingham equalised. Bradford controlled a long ball, pivoted and shot past Pearson from 25 yards. But the lead did not last. Straight from the restart, Carter, W. G. Richardson and Teddy Sandford
took the ball directly down the field. George Liddell
sliced his attempted clearance, which left the ball at Richardson's feet, and the forward had an easy task to beat Hibbs from close range.
, which was produced in a special run on blue paper in place of the normal pink. Copies of the newspaper were flown down to the London hotels of both teams after the match.
Birmingham's players, together with their wives, club officials, civic representatives and survivors of the 1886 semi-final, attended a dinner at the Russell Hotel after the match. Speaking afterwards, Archie Taylor admitted that the better side had won, that Albion set out to play the game properly, and that "our boys never settled down; they found the ball red-hot and could not hold it". The following day players and wives took a coach trip to the seaside at Brighton, and on Monday afternoon returned to Birmingham by train, to be met by the Lord Mayor
and by cheering crowds lining the roads from the station up to the Council House
. Albion's players visited Madame Tussauds
, where waxworks of the two captains were on display, and some took their wives shopping, before taking the train home.
Trains arrived from London every quarter-hour until 5 a.m., to be met by buses which ran all night to various parts of the city, to make the journey home as easy as possible for the estimated 28,000 travelling supporters. The Birmingham Mail was impressed by their behaviour: "in a great local clash, in which one set of supporters had necessarily to face disappointment, there appeared to be no frayed tempers and little evidence of over-indulgence." The Mails editorial highlighted the Birmingham players' reaction to the disallowed goal as illustrative of the sportsmanship of both sets of players: "there was no swarming round the official in the clamorous and excited manner so often seen in League games, but just a quiet and philosophic acceptance of the ruling and the position."
In the week following their victory in the final, West Bromwich Albion still had two remaining league fixtures to complete. They beat Stoke City
1–0 away in mid-week before a 3–2 win at home to Charlton Athletic
on the following Saturday confirmed the club's promotion to the First Division. The "double" of winning the FA Cup and promotion in the same season has not been achieved before or since.
This would be the last time the FA Cup was won by a team from outside the top flight of English football until 42 years later when Sunderland beat Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup Final.
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, played on 25 April 1931 at the original Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece event was the final match of the 1930–31 staging of English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
's primary cup competition
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
). The match was the 56th FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
and the ninth to be played at Wembley.
West Bromwich Albion were appearing in their seventh final, having won the cup on two previous occasions, whereas Birmingham were playing in the final for the first time. Albion won the match 2–1, with both of their goals scored by W. G. Richardson
W. G. Richardson
William "Ginger" Richardson often referred to as W.G. Richardson and by the nickname 'Ginger' to avoid confusion with team mate Bill Richardson, was an English professional football player, who played as a centre forward...
. Joe Bradford
Joe Bradford
Joseph "Joe" Bradford was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Peggs Green, near Coalville, Leicestershire, Bradford made nearly 450 appearances for Birmingham in all competitions, scoring 267 goals...
had equalised Richardson's opening goal, before Richardson put the Baggies ahead again sixty seconds later.
West Bromwich Albion
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,... (h) |
2–2 |
| Charlton Athletic (a) | 1–1 | |
| Charlton Athletic (n) | 3–1 | |
| 4th | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... (h) |
1–0 |
| 5th | Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... (a) |
1–0 |
| 6th | Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... (h) |
1–1 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) | 2–1 | |
| Semi-final | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... (n Old Trafford Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:... ) |
1–0 |
Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion were playing in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
respectively, thus both entered the competition at the third round stage.
Albion began their cup campaign by drawing 2–2 at home against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
, with goals from
Stan Wood
Stan Wood
Stanley "Stan" Wood was an English footballer who played as an outside left. During his professional career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Halifax Town.- Career :...
and Teddy Sandford
Teddy Sandford
Edward Albert "Teddy" Sandford was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. During his professional career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United.- Career :...
. The replay at The Valley also ended in a draw (1–1), and with extra time unable to separate the teams, a second replay was required at Villa Park, where goals from Joe Carter
Joe Carter (English footballer)
Joseph Henry Carter was an English footballer who played at inside-forward. He won three England caps, scoring four goals. Carter won an FA Cup winner's medal with West Bromwich Albion in 1931, also helping the team win promotion to Division One in the same season. In September 1931 he became the...
, Stan Wood and W. G. Richardson
W. G. Richardson
William "Ginger" Richardson often referred to as W.G. Richardson and by the nickname 'Ginger' to avoid confusion with team mate Bill Richardson, was an English professional football player, who played as a centre forward...
gave Albion a 3–1 victory. Wood also scored the only goal of the game in round four against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
to set up a fifth round tie with First Division Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, the only top division side that Albion faced en route to Wembley; W. G. Richardson's goal was enough to give Albion a 1–0 victory. The quarter-final stage saw Albion paired with local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, whom they had already beaten both home and away during the league season. After a 1–1 draw at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
, Albion won the replay at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
2–1, thanks to goals from W. G. Richardson and Stan Wood.
In the semi-final at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, Albion faced Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, who at that time were 13 points clear at the top of the Second Division. Everton dominated the first half but were unable to score from any of the chances they created, and it was Albion who broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half. Albion captain Tommy Glidden
Tommy Glidden
Thomas William Glidden was an English footballer who played at outside-right. He captained West Bromwich Albion to victory in the 1931 FA Cup Final, with the team also winning promotion to Division One in the same season....
played the ball into the Everton penalty area from near the halfway line, and aided by a gust of wind it sailed past Everton goalkeeper Billy Coggins
Billy Coggins
William Herbert "Billy" Coggins was an English footballer whoplayed as a goalkeeper. He played for Everton in the 1931 FA Cup semi-final.-Playing career:...
and into the net. The match was played in front of 69,241 spectators, setting a new attendance record for Old Trafford.
Birmingham
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... (a) |
2–0 |
| 4th | Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as... (h) |
2–0 |
| 5th | Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... (h) |
3–0 |
| 6th | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... (h) |
2–2 |
| Chelsea (a) | 3–0 | |
| Semi-final | Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... (n Elland Road Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C... ) |
2–0 |
In the third round, Birmingham "won finely" at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
to defeat First Division opponents Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
2–0, with goals from Ernie Curtis
Ernie Curtis
Ernest Robert "Ernie" Curtis was a Welsh professional footballer. During his career he made over 250 appearances in The Football League and was the youngest ever winner of the FA Cup to that date when he played in the 1927 FA Cup Final for Cardiff City aged 19 years and 317 days.-Club career:A...
and Joe Bradford
Joe Bradford
Joseph "Joe" Bradford was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Peggs Green, near Coalville, Leicestershire, Bradford made nearly 450 appearances for Birmingham in all competitions, scoring 267 goals...
. In the fourth, they repeated the scoreline at home to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
of the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, both goals scored by Bradford, and went one better in the fifth, Bradford scoring once and Curtis, "in magnificent form", twice to eliminate Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
club Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
.
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
provided stiffer opposition for the Birmingham team, a number of whose players were still recovering from influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, on a St Andrew's pitch treacherous after overnight sleet. The visitors had much the better of the first half. Alex Jackson
Alex Jackson
Alexander Skinner Jackson was a Scottish footballer.Alex Jackson was born in Renton in 1905. A highly-talented winger, known as the Gay Cavalier, he was particularly adept at dribbling and free kicks. He initially played for Renton Victoria Football Club but was transferred to Dumbarton F.C. in...
gave them the lead, and, in blizzard conditions, George Mills
George Mills (footballer)
George Robert Mills was an English footballer, principally for Chelsea.He signed for Chelsea as an amateur in 1929 from Bromley and stayed at the club for the rest of his career. He was a prolific goal scorer in his time there, notching 125 goals in 239 games...
appeared to have scored in a goalmouth scramble, only for the goal to be disallowed after the Birmingham players drew the referee's attention to his linesman
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
who had flagged for the ball having gone out of play. Six minutes into the second half, the lead had changed hands. First George Briggs
George Briggs (footballer)
George Richard Briggs was an English professional footballer, born in Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, who played as a forward or outside right for Birmingham and Plymouth Argyle....
crossed for a Bradford header, then the same pair combined for Curtis to put Birmingham ahead. Birmingham's defence held out until a misplaced clearance by Bob Gregg
Bob Gregg
Robert Edmond "Bob" Gregg was an English professional footballer born in Ferryhill, County Durham, who played as an inside forward...
allowed Jackie Crawford
Jackie Crawford
John Forsyth 'Jackie' Crawford was an English footballer who played as a winger.Born in Jarrow, Crawford started his first-class career with Hull City, before signing for Chelsea for £3000 in 1923...
to equalise. The replay at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
attracted a crowd of 74,365, then a ground record, with 6,000 locked out; spectators broke through the barriers and sat round the edge of the pitch. Briggs, in front of an empty goal, allowed a centre from Curtis to pass between his legs – "an amazing miss" – before Chelsea centre-half John Townrow
John Townrow
John Ernest Townrow, also known as Jack Townrow, was an English professional footballer who played as a centre-half for Clapton Orient, Chelsea and Bristol Rovers in the Football League and for the England national football team.Townrow was born in West Ham, now part of London, and attended Pelly...
sustained an injury which forced him to leave the field. Chelsea reorganised their personnel, but early in the second half, right-half Syd Bishop
Syd Bishop
Sydney Macdonald Bishop was a footballer whose main position was right-sided half-back, although he was versatile enough to also play many games as an inside-forward. Bishop began his days as a footballer playing for London Schools, as well as playing Air Force Football during the First World War...
was hurt twice in quick succession, leaving him in a worse condition than Townrow and his team short of numbers – no substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
s were permitted – with players in unaccustomed positions. Though they held out well, a goal from Jack Firth
Jack Firth
Jack Firth was an English first-class cricketer, who played eight games for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1949 and 1950, and 223 matches for Leicestershire from 1951 to 1958. He also appeared in two games for the Minor Counties in 1950, and two more for the M.C.C...
and two from Bradford, the second of which scored from an offside position, gave Birmingham a 3–0 victory.
Birmingham faced First Division Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in the semi-final at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
predicted a "hard game" in which "the first goal ... may decide the result". After half an hour Birmingham took the lead via a powerful shot by Curtis. Sunderland's players appealed in vain for the award of a penalty for handling the ball, their forwards failed to take numerous chances, and Birmingham's England international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
goalkeeper Harry Hibbs – described by Sunderland's Bobby Gurney
Bobby Gurney
Bobby Gurney was a football forward who is the highest goal scorer in the history of his only senior club as a player, Sunderland.-Early years:...
as playing "an absolute blinder" – made some fine saves. With three minutes left, Curtis's shot from a Bradford cross was blocked by Sunderland's goalkeeper, Bradford "rushed in to help his colleague and between them they scored the second goal".
Build-up
Demand for cup final tickets far exceeded supply. West Bromwich Albion received 80,000 ticket applications from supporters but their allocation was only 7,500. Those who were successful travelled to Wembley on one of several excursion trains along the GWRGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
routes, or else by road.
In the days leading up to the final, both teams made use of mid-week games to test players who were doubtful due to injury. Following Birmingham's reserve match against Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
's reserves, George Briggs
George Briggs (footballer)
George Richard Briggs was an English professional footballer, born in Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, who played as a forward or outside right for Birmingham and Plymouth Argyle....
and Jimmy Cringan
Jimmy Cringan
James Anderson "Jimmy" Cringan was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a wing half. He played 285 games in all competitions for Birmingham, including 261 top flight League games and an appearance at Wembley in the 1931 FA Cup Final, before trying his hand at management...
were pronounced fit to play in the final, but centre forward Joe Bradford
Joe Bradford
Joseph "Joe" Bradford was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Peggs Green, near Coalville, Leicestershire, Bradford made nearly 450 appearances for Birmingham in all competitions, scoring 267 goals...
's fitness was not decided until the Thursday morning. An injured knee had kept Bradford out of action since mid-March, and he played with the knee well bandaged during the match, which was played in front of "about 12,000" spectators at St Andrew's. Full back Bert Trentham
Bert Trentham
Herbert Francis "Bert" Trentham was an English footballer whoplayed as a full back. He was nicknamed "Corker".- Biography :...
was a doubt for Albion, but came through the first half of their friendly against Headingly "quite satisfactorily". The Birmingham team prepared for the final at Bushey
Bushey
Bushey is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire in the East of England. Bushey Heath is situated to the south east of Bushey on the boundary with the London Borough of Harrow.-History:...
, while the West Bromwich Albion team were based in Harrow
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
. Both teams visited The Cenotaph in the week before the final, in order to lay wreaths.
The clubs had met in the FA Cup on four previous occasions, with Albion victorious each time. The first meeting of the two teams in the competition was in the 1885–86 semi-final, which was the furthest that Birmingham had progressed prior to their first FA Cup final in 1931. Neither club had played a match at Wembley before, though Albion had experienced success in the FA Cup, having appeared in the final on six previous occasions and having won the cup twice, in 1888
1888 FA Cup Final
The 1888 FA Cup Final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End at the Kennington Oval. Preston were strong favourites for the Cup, having set a record which still stands today by beating Hyde 26-0 in the first round, and were so confident of overcoming West Bromwich Albion in the...
and 1892
1892 FA Cup Final
The 1892 FA Cup Final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa at the Kennington Oval. West Bromwich Albion won 3–0, with goals by Jasper Geddes, Sammy Nicholls and Jack Reynolds...
. The two goalkeepers for the 1931 final, Harold Pearson
Harold Pearson
Harold Frederick Pearson was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.- Biography :Pearson was born in Tamworth. As a youngster he played football for Glascote United, Glascote Methodists, Belgrave YMCA, Belgrave United, Two Gates F.C., Nuneaton Town and Tamworth Castle...
and Harry Hibbs, were cousins. Pearson's father and Hibbs' uncle, Hubert Pearson
Hubert Pearson
Hubert Pearson was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for West Bromwich Albion.-International career:...
, had kept goal for Albion during their last appearance in the final in 1912
1912 FA Cup Final
The 1912 FA Cup Final was the 41st FA Cup final. It was contested by Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion. It took two matches to determine a winner...
. Birmingham outside forward Ernie Curtis
Ernie Curtis
Ernest Robert "Ernie" Curtis was a Welsh professional footballer. During his career he made over 250 appearances in The Football League and was the youngest ever winner of the FA Cup to that date when he played in the 1927 FA Cup Final for Cardiff City aged 19 years and 317 days.-Club career:A...
had already gained a cup winners medal with Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in 1927, while the club's trainer Archie Taylor
Archie Taylor (footballer born 1882)
Archibald "Archie" Taylor Born in Dundee in Scotland, he was a professional footballer, who played North and South of the border for Falkirk, West Ham United, Huddersfield Town and Barnsley.-Club career:...
had played in the Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
team that defeated West Bromwich Albion in the 1912 final.
Typical of the era was that the final had little effect on the weekend's Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
fixtures. Although the scheduled league matches of both finalists had been postponed, there were still nine First Division games and ten Second Division games played on the day of the final, as well as a full programme of matches in the Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
and South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
.
Prior to kickoff, T. P. Ratcliff led the crowd in community singing, backed by the band of His Majesty's Welsh Guards
Welsh Guards
The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
. Songs included "Daisy Bell
Daisy Bell
"Daisy Bell" is a popular song with the well-known chorus "Daisy, Daisy/Give me your answer do/I'm half crazy/all for the love of you" as well as the line "...a bicycle built for two".-History:"Daisy Bell" was composed by Harry Dacre in 1892...
", "John Brown's Body
John Brown's Body
"John Brown's Body" is an American marching song about the abolitionist John Brown. The song was popular in the Union during the American Civil War. The tune arose out of the folk hymn tradition of the American camp meeting movement of the 19th century...
" and "Poor Old Joe".
Summary
Both teams employed the formation typical of the era: two full-backs, three half-backsMidfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, comprising one centre-half and two wing-halves, and five forwards, comprising two outside forward
Outside forward
Outside forward is a position in association football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside left. Typically as part of a 2-3-5 formation or one of its variants...
s, two inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
s and a centre-forward.
In the sixth minute, Bob Gregg
Bob Gregg
Robert Edmond "Bob" Gregg was an English professional footballer born in Ferryhill, County Durham, who played as an inside forward...
headed Jimmy Cringan
Jimmy Cringan
James Anderson "Jimmy" Cringan was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a wing half. He played 285 games in all competitions for Birmingham, including 261 top flight League games and an appearance at Wembley in the 1931 FA Cup Final, before trying his hand at management...
's free kick past the stranded West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper, but the linesman
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
flagged Gregg offside and the goal was disallowed; newspaper reports suggest the decision was incorrect. Albion took the lead after 24 minutes when Joe Carter
Joe Carter (English footballer)
Joseph Henry Carter was an English footballer who played at inside-forward. He won three England caps, scoring four goals. Carter won an FA Cup winner's medal with West Bromwich Albion in 1931, also helping the team win promotion to Division One in the same season. In September 1931 he became the...
received the ball from Tommy Glidden
Tommy Glidden
Thomas William Glidden was an English footballer who played at outside-right. He captained West Bromwich Albion to victory in the 1931 FA Cup Final, with the team also winning promotion to Division One in the same season....
and took it almost to the by-line before crossing it. As W. G. Richardson
W. G. Richardson
William "Ginger" Richardson often referred to as W.G. Richardson and by the nickname 'Ginger' to avoid confusion with team mate Bill Richardson, was an English professional football player, who played as a centre forward...
attempted a shot he fell, but Birmingham's Ned Barkas
Ned Barkas
Edward "Ned" Barkas was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back. He played in the Football League First Division for Huddersfield Town, Birmingham and Chelsea.Barkas was born in Wardley, Gateshead...
inadvertently touched the ball back to him and away from his goalkeeper, and Richardson was able to recover sufficiently to steer it home. Joe Bradford
Joe Bradford
Joseph "Joe" Bradford was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Peggs Green, near Coalville, Leicestershire, Bradford made nearly 450 appearances for Birmingham in all competitions, scoring 267 goals...
and Johnny Crosbie
Johnny Crosbie
John Anderson "Johnny" Crosbie was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish Football League for Ayr United and made more than 400 appearances in the Football League for Birmingham. He was capped twice for the Scotland national football team. He played as an inside...
both missed good chances for Birmingham before half-time.
In the second half, after Albion had failed to take several chances, Birmingham equalised. Bradford controlled a long ball, pivoted and shot past Pearson from 25 yards. But the lead did not last. Straight from the restart, Carter, W. G. Richardson and Teddy Sandford
Teddy Sandford
Edward Albert "Teddy" Sandford was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. During his professional career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United.- Career :...
took the ball directly down the field. George Liddell
George Liddell
George M. Liddell was an English professional association football player and manager.-Biography:...
sliced his attempted clearance, which left the ball at Richardson's feet, and the forward had an easy task to beat Hibbs from close range.
Details
| West Bromwich Albion: | Birmingham: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Harold Pearson Harold Pearson Harold Frederick Pearson was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.- Biography :Pearson was born in Tamworth. As a youngster he played football for Glascote United, Glascote Methodists, Belgrave YMCA, Belgrave United, Two Gates F.C., Nuneaton Town and Tamworth Castle... |
Goalkeeper | Harry Hibbs | |||
| Full-back Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
George Shaw George Shaw (footballer) George Edward Shaw was an English professional footballer who played for Doncaster Rovers, Gillingham, Huddersfield Town, West Bromwich Albion, Stalybridge Celtic, Worcester City and Floriana.-Honours:... |
Full-back Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
George Liddell George Liddell George M. Liddell was an English professional association football player and manager.-Biography:... |
|||
| Full-back | Bert Trentham Bert Trentham Herbert Francis "Bert" Trentham was an English footballer whoplayed as a full back. He was nicknamed "Corker".- Biography :... |
Full-back | Ned Barkas Ned Barkas Edward "Ned" Barkas was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back. He played in the Football League First Division for Huddersfield Town, Birmingham and Chelsea.Barkas was born in Wardley, Gateshead... (c) |
|||
| Half-back Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Tommy Magee Tommy Magee Thomas Patrick "Tommy" Magee was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half. He made more than 400 appearances during his 15 years at West Bromwich Albion. He also won five England caps.- Career :... |
Half-back Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
Jimmy Cringan Jimmy Cringan James Anderson "Jimmy" Cringan was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a wing half. He played 285 games in all competitions for Birmingham, including 261 top flight League games and an appearance at Wembley in the 1931 FA Cup Final, before trying his hand at management... |
|||
| Half-back | Bill Richardson Bill Richardson (footballer) William "Bill" Richardson was an English footballer whoplayed as a centre half.- Biography :Richardson was born in Great Bridge, Tipton and as a youngster played football for Greets Green Boys, Greets Green Prims and Great Bridge Celtic... |
Half-back | George Morrall | |||
| Half-back | Jimmy Edwards Jimmy Edwards (English footballer) James "Jimmy" Edwards was an English footballer who played as a left half or inside left.-Career:Edwards was born in Tipton, Staffordshire. He joined West Bromwich Albion for a £350 fee in May 1926 and made his league debut for the club in March 1928 against Hull City. In May 1937 he moved to... |
Half-back | Alec Leslie Alec Leslie Alfred J. "Alec" Leslie was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a left half. Born in Greenock, Leslie was an influential defensive midfielder who played 143 games for Birmingham, including 132 top flight League games and an appearance at Wembley in the 1931 FA Cup Final... |
|||
| Forward | Forward | George Briggs George Briggs (footballer) George Richard Briggs was an English professional footballer, born in Wombwell, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, who played as a forward or outside right for Birmingham and Plymouth Argyle.... |
||||
| Forward | Joe Carter Joe Carter (English footballer) Joseph Henry Carter was an English footballer who played at inside-forward. He won three England caps, scoring four goals. Carter won an FA Cup winner's medal with West Bromwich Albion in 1931, also helping the team win promotion to Division One in the same season. In September 1931 he became the... |
Match rules: | Forward | Johnny Crosbie Johnny Crosbie John Anderson "Johnny" Crosbie was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish Football League for Ayr United and made more than 400 appearances in the Football League for Birmingham. He was capped twice for the Scotland national football team. He played as an inside... |
||
| Forward | W. G. Richardson W. G. Richardson William "Ginger" Richardson often referred to as W.G. Richardson and by the nickname 'Ginger' to avoid confusion with team mate Bill Richardson, was an English professional football player, who played as a centre forward... |
90 minutes normal time. | Forward | Joe Bradford Joe Bradford Joseph "Joe" Bradford was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Peggs Green, near Coalville, Leicestershire, Bradford made nearly 450 appearances for Birmingham in all competitions, scoring 267 goals... |
||
| Forward | Teddy Sandford Teddy Sandford Edward Albert "Teddy" Sandford was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. During his professional career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United.- Career :... |
30 minutes extra-time if scores are level. | Forward | Bob Gregg Bob Gregg Robert Edmond "Bob" Gregg was an English professional footballer born in Ferryhill, County Durham, who played as an inside forward... |
||
| Forward | Stan Wood Stan Wood Stanley "Stan" Wood was an English footballer who played as an outside left. During his professional career he represented West Bromwich Albion and Halifax Town.- Career :... |
Replay if scores still level. | Forward | Ernie Curtis Ernie Curtis Ernest Robert "Ernie" Curtis was a Welsh professional footballer. During his career he made over 250 appearances in The Football League and was the youngest ever winner of the FA Cup to that date when he played in the 1927 FA Cup Final for Cardiff City aged 19 years and 317 days.-Club career:A... |
||
| No substitutes. | ||||||
| Secretary-manager | Fred Everiss Fred Everiss Fred Everiss was secretary-manager of the English football club West Bromwich Albion and also served the club as assistant secretary and later as a director.... |
Manager | Leslie Knighton Leslie Knighton Albert Leslie Knighton was an English football manager.Knighton was born in Church Gresley, Derbyshire. His own playing career was cut short by injury, after which he moved into coaching and management... |
|||
Post-match
The match was reported in that evening's Sports ArgusSports Argus
The Sports Argus was a Saturday sports paper printed on distinctive pink paper and published in Birmingham, England between 1897 and 2006....
, which was produced in a special run on blue paper in place of the normal pink. Copies of the newspaper were flown down to the London hotels of both teams after the match.
Birmingham's players, together with their wives, club officials, civic representatives and survivors of the 1886 semi-final, attended a dinner at the Russell Hotel after the match. Speaking afterwards, Archie Taylor admitted that the better side had won, that Albion set out to play the game properly, and that "our boys never settled down; they found the ball red-hot and could not hold it". The following day players and wives took a coach trip to the seaside at Brighton, and on Monday afternoon returned to Birmingham by train, to be met by the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
and by cheering crowds lining the roads from the station up to the Council House
Council House, Birmingham
Birmingham City Council House in Birmingham, England is the home of Birmingham City Council. It provides office accommodation for both employed council officers, including the Chief Executive, and elected council members, plus the council chamber, Lord Mayor's Suite, committee rooms and a large and...
. Albion's players visited Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used...
, where waxworks of the two captains were on display, and some took their wives shopping, before taking the train home.
Trains arrived from London every quarter-hour until 5 a.m., to be met by buses which ran all night to various parts of the city, to make the journey home as easy as possible for the estimated 28,000 travelling supporters. The Birmingham Mail was impressed by their behaviour: "in a great local clash, in which one set of supporters had necessarily to face disappointment, there appeared to be no frayed tempers and little evidence of over-indulgence." The Mails editorial highlighted the Birmingham players' reaction to the disallowed goal as illustrative of the sportsmanship of both sets of players: "there was no swarming round the official in the clamorous and excited manner so often seen in League games, but just a quiet and philosophic acceptance of the ruling and the position."
In the week following their victory in the final, West Bromwich Albion still had two remaining league fixtures to complete. They beat Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
1–0 away in mid-week before a 3–2 win at home to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on the following Saturday confirmed the club's promotion to the First Division. The "double" of winning the FA Cup and promotion in the same season has not been achieved before or since.
This would be the last time the FA Cup was won by a team from outside the top flight of English football until 42 years later when Sunderland beat Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup Final.