Event | 1885–86 FA Cup | ||||||
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Blackburn Rovers won after a replay | |||||||
Final | |||||||
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Date | 3 April 1886 | ||||||
Venue | Racecourse Ground, Derby | ||||||
Referee | Francis Marindin | ||||||
Attendance | 17,459 | ||||||
Weather | Cloudy 21⁰C | ||||||
Replay | |||||||
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Date | 10 April 1886 | ||||||
Venue | Racecourse Ground, Derby | ||||||
Referee | Francis Marindin | ||||||
Attendance | 22,563 | ||||||
Weather | Sunny 25⁰C | ||||||
The 1886 FA Cup final was a football match between Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 3 April 1886 at Kennington Oval in south London. The result was a goalless draw. Albion wanted to play extra time but Blackburn declined and so a replay was necessary. This took place a week later at the Racecourse Ground in Derby, the first venue outside London to stage an FA Cup final match. Blackburn won 2–0 to win the tournament for the third successive time. Following Wanderers (1876–1878), Blackburn were the second team to win three successive finals and, as of 2023, remain the last to do so. Their goals were scored by Jimmy Brown and Joe Sowerbutts. Both matches were refereed by Major Francis Marindin.
The replay was the final match of the 1885–86 FA Cup, the 15th edition of the world's oldest football knockout competition, and England's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. Blackburn were making their fourth (of eight) appearances in the final; Albion their first (of ten). It was the first final to involve two extant clubs who are still members of either the Premier League or the English Football League.
Following their debut in 1879–80, this was the seventh time Blackburn Rovers played in the FA Cup. Having been runners-up in 1881–82, they had won the competition in both 1883–84 and 1884–85. Blackburn began the 1885–86 tournament with an away tie [note 1] at nearby Clitheroe. They won this 2–0 and then had three successive home ties before being awarded a bye through the fifth round (the last sixteen) to the quarter-finals. They were drawn away to Brentwood at the Essex County Cricket Ground where Blackburn won 3–1 to reach the semi-finals. This match, played on 13 March at the Derbyshire County Cricket Ground, was against Swifts. Blackburn won 2–1 with goals scored by Nat Walton and Thomas Strahan. [1]
Round | Opposition | Score |
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1st | Clitheroe (a) | 2–0 |
2nd | Oswaldtwistle Rovers (h) | 1–0 |
3rd | Darwen Old Wanderers (h) | 6–1 |
4th | Staveley (h) | 7–1 |
5th | bye | |
6th | Brentwood (a) | 3–1 |
Semi-final | Swifts (n) | 2–1 |
West Bromwich Albion made their FA Cup debut in 1883–84 and this was their third season in the competition. They were drawn at home in every round prior to the semi-final. In the first two rounds, they defeated Aston Unity 4–1 and Wednesbury Old Athletic 3–2. They received a bye to the fourth round, where they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1. Old Carthusians were defeated by a single goal in the fifth round. A hat-trick from Jem Bayliss—the first by an Albion player in the FA Cup [2] —contributed to a 6–0 quarter-final victory over Old Westminsters, putting Albion into the FA Cup semi-final for the first time (they had reached the quarter-final in 1884–85). The semi-final took place at Aston Lower Grounds and was against one of Albion's local rivals, Small Heath Alliance. Albion won 4–0—Arthur Loach and George Woodhall each scoring twice—to become the first Midlands club to reach the FA Cup Final. [3] After the game, Small Heath supporters invaded the pitch and then pelted missiles at vehicles bound for West Bromwich, causing several injuries. [4]
Round | Opposition | Score |
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1st | Aston Unity (h) | 4–1 |
2nd | Wednesbury Old Athletic (h) | 3–2 |
3rd | bye | |
4th | Wolverhampton Wanderers (h) | 3–1 |
5th | Old Carthusians (h) | 1–0 |
6th | Old Westminsters (h) | 6–0 |
Semi-final | Small Heath Alliance (n) | 4–0 |
The 1886 final was the first to involve two extant clubs who are still members of either the Premier League or the English Football League. The match took place on the same day as the University Boat Race and, in its Sporting Intelligence section the following Monday, the Daily News reported that the kick-off was delayed until four o'clock so that people attending the Boat Race would be able to see the final too. The newspaper said the crowd was "probably the largest to attend an FA Cup final". [5]
The syndicated match report, published in each of the Daily News, The Morning Post and The Standard , said there was "an immense number of spectators, numbering about 17,000". [5] [6] [7]
According to the Daily News, Blackburn refused to play extra time because they realised that Albion "had the better of them". The FA said the replay would be the following Saturday, 10 April, at either Derby or Kennington. [5] [8] The Standard, however, correctly specified Derby as the replay venue. [7]
The replay in Derby on 10 April was the first FA Cup final match to be played outside London. There were fears that the match would have to be postponed when Derby was hit by a blizzard that morning, but it blew over and the snow had thawed before the kick-off was due. Albion supporters carried cards saying "Play Up Throstles". [9] Nat Walton played for Blackburn instead of Joseph Heys. Albion were unchanged.
Blackburn Rovers | 0–0 | West Bromwich Albion |
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[5] [6] [7] |
Blackburn Rovers | West Bromwich Albion |
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Match rules
Notes
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Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | West Bromwich Albion |
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Brown Sowerbutts | [18] |
Blackburn Rovers | West Bromwich Albion |
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Match rules
Notes
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West Bromwich Albion Football Club, commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league. The club was formed in 1878 and has played at its home ground, The Hawthorns, since 1900.
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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. The match was the 56th FA Cup Final, the ninth to be played at Wembley.
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The 1887–88 Football Association Challenge Cup was the 17th staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. One hundred and forty-nine teams entered, twenty-one more than the previous season, although four of the one hundred and forty-nine never played a match.
Robert John Roberts was an English football goalkeeper. He spent the majority of his career at West Bromwich Albion, with whom he won an FA Cup winner's medal, and also played for Sunderland Albion and Aston Villa. He won three caps for England and is the first West Bromwich Albion player to have appeared at international level. He was nicknamed Long Bob and The Prince of Goalkeepers.
Ezra Horton was an English footballer who played at right-half; he had the nickname "Ironsides". He played for West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup final in 1886, 1887 and 1888. His younger brother Jack was also a footballer.
James Henry Forrest was an English footballer whose career spanned the transition from amateurism to professionalism in English football in the 1880s and 1890s. He played most of his club career for Blackburn Rovers, whose early embracing of professionalism enabled them to become one of the major teams in English football, and with whom he appeared on the winning side in five FA Cup finals. He was the first professional player to appear for England for whom he made eleven appearances, as a half-back.
The 1891–92 FA Cup was the 21st staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. West Bromwich Albion won the competition, beating Aston Villa 3–0 in the final at the Kennington Oval, with Wembley Stadium still 30 years away from being built.
George "Spry" Woodhall was an English footballer, who played most of his career with West Bromwich Albion, helping them to reach three consecutive FA Cup finals, including winning the cup in 1888.
The 1885–86 season was the eighth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. In what was their inaugural season as a professional club, Albion moved to the Stoney Lane ground after leaving their previous home at Four Acres. The team also changed the colour of its kit, wearing blue and white striped jerseys for the first time. As league football had not been introduced in England at the time, the team competed solely in cup competitions and friendly matches throughout the season, playing 52 matches in total.
George Bell was an English footballer who played at outside left. He was born in West Bromwich and worked at the local George Salter's Spring Works. Bell was one of the founders of the factory's football team, the West Bromwich Strollers, and played in the team's first recorded match, a 0–0 draw against Hudson's soap factory on 23 November 1878. He continued to play for the team following their change of name to West Bromwich Albion in 1879, playing alongside his cousin Harry Bell on several occasions.
The 1884–1885 season was 7th season of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. It was their third and final season at the Four Acres and their last season as an amateur club. Continuing the trial of various coloured kits during the club's early years, the players wore cardinal red and blue halved shirts. The club reached the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time, played in the semi-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and Birmingham Charity Cup and were eliminated from the Birmingham Senior Cup at the third round stage.
The 1886–87 season was the ninth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. The club reached the FA Cup final for the second successive season, but again finished as runners-up, losing 0–2 to local rivals Aston Villa. Albion also reached the final of two regional cup competitions, winning the Staffordshire Senior Cup and finishing as runners-up in the Birmingham Senior Cup. In addition, they took part in the Walsall Senior Cup and Birmingham Charity Cup, as well as playing a number of friendly matches.
The 1887–88 season was the 10th season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. The club reached the FA Cup final for the third successive season and won the competition for the first time, beating Preston North End 2–1. Albion also competed in four local cup competitions, winning the Walsall Senior Cup and West Bromwich Charity Cup and finishing as runners-up in the Birmingham Senior Cup and Staffordshire Senior Cup. Due to a congested fixture list, the club refused to take part in the Birmingham Charity Cup.