FA Cup Final 1874
Encyclopedia
The 1874 FA Cup final was a football match between Oxford University
and Royal Engineers
on 14 March 1874 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the third final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era as the FA Cup
). Both teams had previously reached the final but been defeated by Wanderers
. The Engineers had reached the final with comparative ease, scoring sixteen goals and conceding only one in the four previous rounds. Oxford's opponents in the earlier rounds had included two-time former winners Wanderers.
The final was decided by two goals from Oxford in the first twenty minutes. Their opponents had spent two weeks training for the match, an innovative concept at the time, but were repeatedly thwarted by Charles Nepean
, the Oxford goalkeeper. The Engineers were said to have missed their best back
, Lieut. Alfred Goodwyn
, who had been posted overseas.
Oxford University
and the Chatham-based Royal Engineers
were among 28 entrants to the competition in the 1873–74 season. Both teams were ranked among the strongest in the country at the time, especially the Engineers who played 86 games between 1871 and 1875 and lost only three, scoring a total of 240 goals and conceding only 20.
Both teams progressed through the first round of the competition with little difficulty, Oxford defeating Upton Park
4–0 and the Engineers winning 5–0 against Brondesbury. In the second round, the University beat Barnes 2–0 and the "Sappers", as the Engineers were nicknamed, beat Uxbridge
2–1.
The Engineers comprehensively defeated their quarter-final opponents, Maidenhead, winning 7–0, the first time a team had ever scored as many as seven goals in an FA Cup match. Oxford, on the other hand, were paired with Wanderers
, who had won the competition in both its first two seasons and never lost an FA Cup match. They had defeated the Engineers in the 1872 final and Oxford in the 1873 final. The first match finished in a 1–1 draw, necessitating a replay which Oxford won 1–0 to end Wanderers' grip on the competition.
Both semi-final matches were played at Kennington Oval, the home of Surrey County Cricket Club
, as specified by the rules in use at the time. Royal Engineers defeated Swifts
in the first match to be played, and Oxford booked their place in the final a month later with a 1–0 win over Clapham Rovers
.
Oxford were able to call on their first-choice goalkeeper, Charles Nepean
, who had been unable to play in the previous year's final, which Oxford lost. They also selected William Rawson
, whose brother Herbert
was in the Engineers' team. The Engineers, who represented the Corps of Royal Engineers
regiment of the British army, had undertaken two weeks of special training before the match, an innovative concept in an era when little importance was placed on training, but were unable to field Alfred Goodwyn
, considered to be their best back
, as he had been posted to India earlier in the year. Oxford's players were not all students, as the team included Arthur H. Johnson, an ordained clergyman and Fellow of All Souls College
. Around 2,000 spectators were in attendance, a smaller crowd than had attended the previous final.
Oxford won the coin toss
and elected to begin the game defending the Harleyford Road end of the stadium. Charles Mackarness gave Oxford the lead after just ten minutes. Following an Oxford corner kick
, a melee developed in front of the Engineers' goal, and the ball fell to Mackarness, who shot it over the crowd of players and past goalkeeper William Merriman. Frederick Patton doubled the lead ten minutes later after some skillful dribbling
by captain Cuthbert Ottaway
and Robert Vidal
, who was nicknamed the "prince of dribblers" for his skill in that aspect of the game. Oxford could have had a third goal when they managed to get the ball through the Engineers' goalposts, but the players did not appeal for the goal. At the time, as in cricket
, the officials were not permitted to award a goal unless the players appealed for it, thus no goal was given. It is not recorded why the Oxford players never appealed. The best effort for the Engineers came when Henry Renny-Tailyour
's shot struck the goalpost. Late in the game the "Sappers" mounted a series of attacks on the Oxford goal but were unable to score, being repeatedly thwarted by Nepean. Oxford thus won 2–0 and secured the cup.
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
and Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
on 14 March 1874 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the third final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era 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...
). Both teams had previously reached the final but been defeated by Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
. The Engineers had reached the final with comparative ease, scoring sixteen goals and conceding only one in the four previous rounds. Oxford's opponents in the earlier rounds had included two-time former winners Wanderers.
The final was decided by two goals from Oxford in the first twenty minutes. Their opponents had spent two weeks training for the match, an innovative concept at the time, but were repeatedly thwarted by Charles Nepean
Charles Nepean
The Rev. Charles Edward Burroughs Nepean was an English amateur cricketer and footballer who later became a vicar in the Church of England...
, the Oxford goalkeeper. The Engineers were said to have missed their best 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....
, Lieut. Alfred Goodwyn
Alfred Goodwyn
Alfred George Goodwyn was an English Royal Engineer, who represented his regiment at football. He was a member of the Regiment's team that was defeated in the very first FA Cup final. He also represented England in the second international football match against Scotland in 1873.-Career:Goodwyn...
, who had been posted overseas.
Route to the final
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
and the Chatham-based Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
were among 28 entrants to the competition in the 1873–74 season. Both teams were ranked among the strongest in the country at the time, especially the Engineers who played 86 games between 1871 and 1875 and lost only three, scoring a total of 240 goals and conceding only 20.
Both teams progressed through the first round of the competition with little difficulty, Oxford defeating Upton Park
Upton Park F.C.
Upton Park Football Club were an amateur football club from Upton Park, London in the late 19th and early 20th century, now defunct. As well as being one of the fifteen teams that played in the inaugural FA Cup, they also represented Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics football tournament,...
4–0 and the Engineers winning 5–0 against Brondesbury. In the second round, the University beat Barnes 2–0 and the "Sappers", as the Engineers were nicknamed, beat Uxbridge
Uxbridge F.C.
Uxbridge Football Club are a football club representing Uxbridge but now based in West Drayton, in the County of Middlesex England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founder members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have...
2–1.
The Engineers comprehensively defeated their quarter-final opponents, Maidenhead, winning 7–0, the first time a team had ever scored as many as seven goals in an FA Cup match. Oxford, on the other hand, were paired with Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
, who had won the competition in both its first two seasons and never lost an FA Cup match. They had defeated the Engineers in the 1872 final and Oxford in the 1873 final. The first match finished in a 1–1 draw, necessitating a replay which Oxford won 1–0 to end Wanderers' grip on the competition.
Both semi-final matches were played at Kennington Oval, the home of Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
, as specified by the rules in use at the time. Royal Engineers defeated Swifts
Swifts F.C.
Swifts Football Club were a football team based in Slough, England.The club were founded c.1868 and played their home matches on a ground near The Dolphin public house, Slough...
in the first match to be played, and Oxford booked their place in the final a month later with a 1–0 win over Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers F.C.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct...
.
Summary
Charles Nepean
The Rev. Charles Edward Burroughs Nepean was an English amateur cricketer and footballer who later became a vicar in the Church of England...
, who had been unable to play in the previous year's final, which Oxford lost. They also selected William Rawson
William Rawson
William Stepney Rawson was a footballer who played at full back for England, and was also an FA Cup Final referee.-Career:...
, whose brother Herbert
Herbert Rawson
Herbert Edward Rawson was a Mauritius born English footballer who played once for England, and appeared in two FA Cup finals, winning the cup in 1875 as a member of the Royal Engineers.-Career:...
was in the Engineers' team. The Engineers, who represented the Corps of Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
regiment of the British army, had undertaken two weeks of special training before the match, an innovative concept in an era when little importance was placed on training, but were unable to field Alfred Goodwyn
Alfred Goodwyn
Alfred George Goodwyn was an English Royal Engineer, who represented his regiment at football. He was a member of the Regiment's team that was defeated in the very first FA Cup final. He also represented England in the second international football match against Scotland in 1873.-Career:Goodwyn...
, considered to be their best 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....
, as he had been posted to India earlier in the year. Oxford's players were not all students, as the team included Arthur H. Johnson, an ordained clergyman and Fellow of All Souls College
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. Around 2,000 spectators were in attendance, a smaller crowd than had attended the previous final.
Oxford won the coin toss
Coin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
and elected to begin the game defending the Harleyford Road end of the stadium. Charles Mackarness gave Oxford the lead after just ten minutes. Following an Oxford corner kick
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
, a melee developed in front of the Engineers' goal, and the ball fell to Mackarness, who shot it over the crowd of players and past goalkeeper William Merriman. Frederick Patton doubled the lead ten minutes later after some skillful dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
by captain Cuthbert Ottaway
Cuthbert Ottaway
Cuthbert John Ottaway , one of the most talented and versatile sportsmen of the 1870s, was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match....
and Robert Vidal
Robert Vidal
Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal was a prominent 19th century footballer who featured in the first three FA Cup Finals for two different clubs. In March 1870 he played in the first ever international football match, which took place at The Oval, London. He represented England again in 1871-Football...
, who was nicknamed the "prince of dribblers" for his skill in that aspect of the game. Oxford could have had a third goal when they managed to get the ball through the Engineers' goalposts, but the players did not appeal for the goal. At the time, as in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, the officials were not permitted to award a goal unless the players appealed for it, thus no goal was given. It is not recorded why the Oxford players never appealed. The best effort for the Engineers came when Henry Renny-Tailyour
Henry Renny-Tailyour
Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour was an amateur all-round sportsman who appeared for Scotland in some of the earliest international football and rugby union matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes...
's shot struck the goalpost. Late in the game the "Sappers" mounted a series of attacks on the Oxford goal but were unable to score, being repeatedly thwarted by Nepean. Oxford thus won 2–0 and secured the cup.
Details
| Oxford University | Royal Engineers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Charles Nepean Charles Nepean The Rev. Charles Edward Burroughs Nepean was an English amateur cricketer and footballer who later became a vicar in the Church of England... |
Goalkeeper | Capt. William Merriman | ||||
| 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.... |
Charles Mackarness | 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.... |
Maj. Francis Marindin Francis Marindin Colonel Sir Francis Arthur Marindin, KCMG served with the Royal Engineers and was a key figure in the early development of association football. He was later knighted for his work in public services.... |
||||
| 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... |
Francis Birley Francis Birley Francis Hornby Birley was an English footballer who played as a half back. He won the FA Cup three times in the 1870s and made two appearances for England in 1874 and 1875.-Winchester College:... |
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... |
Lieut. George Addison | ||||
| Half-back | Frederick Green Frederick Green (footballer) Frederick Thomas Green was an English footballer who won the FA Cup with Oxford University in 1874 and with Wanderers in 1877 and 1878. He also made one appearance for England in 1876.-Honours:Oxford University... |
Half-back | Lieut. Gerald Onslow | ||||
| Forward | Robert Benson | Forward | Lieut. Pelham von Donop Pelham von Donop Lieutenant-Colonel Pelham George von Donop was an officer in the Royal Engineers and later Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways... |
||||
| Forward | Frederick Maddison Frederick Maddison (footballer) Frederick Brunning Maddison was an English footballer who played for England as a midfielder in the first international match against Scotland, as well as winning two FA Cup medals with Oxford University in 1874 and with The Wanderers in 1876.Later he was a music publisher and, together with his... |
Forward | Lieut. John Blackburn | ||||
| Forward | William Rawson William Rawson William Stepney Rawson was a footballer who played at full back for England, and was also an FA Cup Final referee.-Career:... |
Forward | Lieut. Herbert Rawson Herbert Rawson Herbert Edward Rawson was a Mauritius born English footballer who played once for England, and appeared in two FA Cup finals, winning the cup in 1875 as a member of the Royal Engineers.-Career:... |
||||
| Forward | Cuthbert Ottaway Cuthbert Ottaway Cuthbert John Ottaway , one of the most talented and versatile sportsmen of the 1870s, was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match.... |
Match rules: | Forward | Lieut. Henry Renny-Tailyour Henry Renny-Tailyour Henry Waugh Renny-Tailyour was an amateur all-round sportsman who appeared for Scotland in some of the earliest international football and rugby union matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes... |
|||
| Forward | Rev. Arthur H. Johnson | 90 minutes normal time. | Forward | Lieut. Henry Olivier | |||
| Forward | Robert Vidal Robert Vidal Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal was a prominent 19th century footballer who featured in the first three FA Cup Finals for two different clubs. In March 1870 he played in the first ever international football match, which took place at The Oval, London. He represented England again in 1871-Football... |
30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion. | Forward | Lieut. Charles Wood | |||
| Forward | Frederick Patton | Replay if scores still level. | Forward | Lieut. Thomas Digby | |||
| No substitutes. | |||||||