FA Cup 1895–96
Encyclopedia
The 1895–1896 FA Cup was the 25th season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as the FA Cup
). The cup was won by The Wednesday
, who defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers
2–1 in the final of the competition, played at Crystal Palace
in London
. This was Wednesday's first victory in the FA Cup.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.
, Burton Wanderers, Liverpool
, Newton Heath and Woolwich Arsenal
from the Second Division. The other Second Division sides were entered into the First Qualifying Round. Of those sides, only Grimsby Town, Newcastle United, Crewe Alexandra and Burton Swifts qualified to the FA Cup Proper. Six non-league sides also qualified.
The matches were played on Saturday, 1 February 1896. Two matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek fixture.
.
Replay
----
. Less than 50,000 supporters attended the match. The match finished 2–1 to The Wednesday, through two early goals from Fred Spiksley
. Between the two goals, David Black had equalised for Wolves.
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 cup was won by The Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, who defeated 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...
2–1 in the final of the competition, played at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. This was Wednesday's first victory in the FA Cup.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.
Calendar
The format of the FA Cup for the season had a preliminary round, four qualifying rounds, three proper rounds, and the semi finals and final.| Round | Start Date |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Round | Saturday 5 October 1895 |
| First Round Qualifying | Saturday 12 October 1895 |
| Second Round Qualifying | Saturday 2 November 1895 |
| Third Round Qualifying | Saturday 23 November 1895 |
| Fourth Round Qualifying | Saturday 14 December 1895 |
| First Round Proper | Saturday 1 February 1896 |
| Second Round Proper | Saturday 15 February 1896 |
| Third Round Proper | Saturday 29 February 1896 |
| Semi-Finals | Saturday 21 March 1896 |
| Final | Saturday 18 April 1896 |
First round proper
The First Round Proper contained sixteen ties between 32 teams. The 16 First Division sides were given a bye to this round, as were Notts County, DarwenDarwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
, Burton Wanderers, 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...
, Newton Heath and Woolwich Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
from the Second Division. The other Second Division sides were entered into the First Qualifying Round. Of those sides, only Grimsby Town, Newcastle United, Crewe Alexandra and Burton Swifts qualified to the FA Cup Proper. Six non-league sides also qualified.
The matches were played on Saturday, 1 February 1896. Two matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek fixture.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
4–1 | Burton Swifts | 1 February 1896 |
| 2 | Chesterfield Chesterfield F.C. Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower... |
0–4 | Newcastle United | 1 February 1896 |
| 3 | Darwen Darwen F.C. A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:... |
0–2 | Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
1 February 1896 |
| 4 | Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
6–1 | Woolwich Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
1 February 1896 |
| 5 | 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... |
4–1 | Millwall Athletic Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
1 February 1896 |
| 6 | Stoke | 5–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1 February 1896 |
| 7 | Nottingham Forest | 0–2 | 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... |
1 February 1896 |
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–2 | West Bromwich Albion | 1 February 1896 |
| 9 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–2 | Notts County | 1 February 1896 |
| Replay | Notts County | 3–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 February 1896 |
| 10 | Crewe Alexandra | 0–4 | Bolton Wanderers | 1 February 1896 |
| 11 | 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... |
4–1 | Preston North End | 1 February 1896 |
| 12 | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
4–2 | Aston Villa | 1 February 1896 |
| 13 | Burton Wanderers | 1–1 | Sheffield United | 1 February 1896 |
| Replay | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Burton Wanderers | 6 February 1896 |
| 14 | Newton Heath | 2–1 | Kettering Kettering Town F.C. Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08... |
1 February 1896 |
| 15 | Small Heath 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... |
1–4 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
1 February 1896 |
| 16 | Southampton St Mary's | 2–3 | The Wednesday | 1 February 1896 |
Second Round Proper
The eight Second Round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 15 February 1896. There were three replays, played in the following midweek fixture.| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
0–2 | Bolton Wanderers | 15 February 1896 |
| 2 | Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
1–1 | Stoke | 15 February 1896 |
| Replay | Stoke | 7–1 | Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
20 February 1896 |
| 3 | The Wednesday | 2–1 | 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... |
15 February 1896 |
| 4 | Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
1–1 | West Bromwich Albion | 15 February 1896 |
| Replay | West Bromwich Albion | 3–0 | Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
20 February 1896 |
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–0 | 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... |
15 February 1896 |
| 6 | 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... |
3–0 | Sheffield United | 15 February 1896 |
| 7 | Newton Heath | 1–1 | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
15 February 1896 |
| Replay | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
5–1 | Newton Heath | 19 February 1896 |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 1–3 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
15 February 1896 |
Third round proper
The four Third Round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 29 February 1896. There were no replays.| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Wednesday | 4–0 | 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... |
29 February 1896 |
| 2 | Bolton Wanderers | 2–0 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
29 February 1896 |
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–0 | Stoke | 29 February 1896 |
| 4 | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
1–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 29 February 1896 |
Semi-Finals
The semi-final matches were both played on Saturday, 21 March 1896. The Wednesday and Wolverhampton Wanderers went on to meet in the final at Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
.
Replay
----
Final
The final took place on Saturday, 18 April 1896 at Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
. Less than 50,000 supporters attended the match. The match finished 2–1 to The Wednesday, through two early goals from Fred Spiksley
Fred Spiksley
Fred Spiksley was an English footballer and coach, who played as a forward for Sheffield Wednesday F.C. and England. He also played for Gainsborough Trinity, Glossop North End, Leeds City, Watford and in 1907 became the only professional footballer to play for the Corinthians...
. Between the two goals, David Black had equalised for Wolves.