1876–77 Sheffield Challenge Cup

Last updated

1876-77 Sheffield Senior Cup
Tournament details
CountryEngland
Venue(s)Yorkshire
Dates28 October 1876 - 10 March 1877
Teams25
Final positions
Champions The Wednesday
Runner-up Heeley

The 1876-77 Sheffield Senior Cup was the first edition of the tournament, played to Sheffield rules. It was the biggest tournament played to the Sheffield code and the equivalent of the FA Cup, which at the time was mostly confined to the south of England.

Contents

Announcement of the Sheffield Association Challenge Cup, Sheffield Independent, 25 March 1876 Annnouncement of the Sheffield Association Challenge Cup, Sheffield Independent, 25 March 1876.png
Announcement of the Sheffield Association Challenge Cup, Sheffield Independent, 25 March 1876

Background

The Sheffield Football Association was founded in 1867 and took a subscription of 5 shillings from its member clubs in order to entitle them to entry. [1] Sheffield F.C. did not enter, as the club was concentrating on national matches.

The Sheffield rules in force at the time had four main differences to the Association laws:

At the time, neither the Association nor Sheffield codes prescribed the number of players per side, and the size of the teams was a matter for negotiation between the captains or the relevant tournament rules. By 1876, most matches were 11 per side, and this was the rule in the FA Cup. For this tournament, the Sheffield FA mandated 12 men per side, as did the Birmingham Senior Cup the same year.

Participating teams

Participating clubs [2]
TeamFoundationNo. of membersHome groundColours
Albion187250Ecclesall RoadBlue & white hoops [3]
Attercliffe 1870120Shirland Lane [4] Blue & white
Brincliffe186880Hunter's BarBlack & white [5]
Broomhall1868150Ecclesall Road (south)Black & white
Crookes1870140Crookes (3 miles from Sheffield Stn)White & red
Endcliffe187360 [6] Ecclesall RoadNavy blue
Exchange 1863200Quibell's Field [7] Scarlet & white
Exchange Brewery1871100Fox StreetAmber & black
Fir Vale1862135Pyper Lane, PitsmoorWhite & scarlet trimmings
Gleadless187098Gleadless, 3 miles from Midland StnWhite
Hallam 1860 [8] 200SandygateBlue & white
Heeley 186270Meersbrook ParkGrey & white stripes
Kimberworth187170Queen's Grounds [9] Blue & white
Millhouses1871130Millhouses, close to Ecclesall StnScarlet & black
Norfolk1861200Norfolk ParkScarlet & white
Norfolk Works187250Brightside [10] Blue & white hoops
Owlerton 1873140Rawson's MeadowsScarlet & black hoops
Oxford1869140Hunter's BarBlue & yellow
Parkwood Springs1870150Parkwood Springs, 1.5 mi from Victoria StnWhite, with amber and black caps
Philadelphia187370HillsboroughBlue caps
Providence 187480Sharf RoadRed & white
Rotherham 1870100Clinton LaneScarlet & white
Thursday Wanderers 187080Hunter's BarScarlet & navy blue
Walkley 1870110HillsbroughRed & white
The Wednesday 1867250Myrtle RoadBlue & white hoops

Format

The competition was organized as a straight knockout tournament, with replays to a conclusion. The captains would toss for choice of venue, the captain who lost the toss could choose the venue for a replay, and second replays were to be at the first captain's choice again.

Results

First round

DateHomeScoreAway
21 October 1876Wednesday3–1Parkwood Springs
28 October 1876Philadelphia1–0Norfolk
28 October 1876Exchange3–0Rotherham
2 November 1876Thursday W4–5Heeley
4 November 1876Fir Vale5–1Oxford
4 November 1876Brincliffe7–1Exchange Brewery
4 November 1876Attercliffe2–2Albion
4 November 1876Broomhall0–1Millhouses
4 November 1876Hallam2–1Owlerton
4 November 1876Kimberworth2–0Walkley
4 November 1876Norfolk Works3–1Gleadless
4 November 1876Providemce0–0 [11] Crookes
Endcliffebye

Replays

DateHomeScoreAway
11 November 1876Crookes1-4Providence
13 November 1876Albion2-2Attercliffe
28 November 1876Attercliffe2-0Albion

Second round

DateHomeScoreAway
2 December 1876Brincliffe2-1Millhouses
2 December 1876Kimberworth0-1Wednesday
2 December 1876Providence0-0Norfolk Works
2 December 1876Hallam2-1Fir Vale
2 December 1876Heeley1-0Endcliffe
4 December 1876Exchange3-0 [12] Philadelphia
Attercliffebye

Replay

DateHomeScoreAway
9 December 1876Norfolk Works0-2Providence

Third round

The ties in the third round and semi-finals were due to be played at Bramall Lane, but the third round ties were all played according to the captain's toss rule. Curiously, all three ties went the way of the away side.

DateHomeScoreAway
26 December 1876Hallam3-7Heeley
1 January 1877Attercliffe0-1Wednesday
6 January 1877Brincliffe0-2Exchange
Providencebye

Semi-finals

The semi-finals were played at Bramall Lane, one after the other, before a crowd of six or seven thousand. [13]

DateHomeScoreAway
3 February 1877Heeley3-2Providence
3 February 1877Wednesday3-1Exchange

Final

The final was a thriller, with Heeley taking a three-goal lead by half-time, but Wednesday fighting back to take the game to half-an-hour extra-time. [14]

Wednesday4-3 a.e.t. Heeley
  • F.M. ButlerSoccerball shade.svg
  • T.M.ButlerSoccerball shade.svg
  • W.E.Clegg Soccerball shade.svg
  • W.E.Skinner 115' Soccerball shade.svg
  • R.MartinSoccerball shade.svg
  • J.Hunter Soccerball shade.svg
  • W.H. Stacey (own goal) Soccerball shade.svg
Bramall Lane
Attendance: 7-8,000
Referee: J.C. Shaw
Kit left arm blue hoops.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body bluehoops.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm blue hoops.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
The Wednesday
Kit left arm white hoops.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body shadow hoops 25p.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm white hoops.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Heeley

Notes

    References

    1. Westby, Martin (2017). A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889. Sheffield: England's Oldest Football Clubs. p. 62.
    2. Unless otherwise stated, all details taken from the Charles Alcock annual of 1877
    3. Erroneously given as "white and white hoops", later editions confirming the colours to be blue and white
    4. "Attercliffe v Albion". Sheffield Independent: 4. 6 November 1876.
    5. Club played in amber & black in 1876
    6. Reduced from 120 the year before.
    7. "Exchange v Rotherham". Sheffield Independent: 4. 30 October 1876.
    8. Erroneously given as 1857
    9. "Kimberworth v Walkley". Sheffield Independent: 4. 6 November 1876.
    10. "Norfolk Works v Providence". Sheffield Independent: 7. 12 December 1876.
    11. After 10 minutes' each way extra-time
    12. Match ended at 75 minutes due to weather conditions (Sheffield Independent 5 December 1876 p. 7)
    13. "Football". Sheffield Independent: 4. 5 February 1877.
    14. "Football". Sheffield Independent: 4. 12 March 1877.