The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. It is organised by and named after The Football Association. Since 2015, it has been known as Emirates FA Cup after its headline sponsor Emirates. A concurrent Women's FA Cup has been held since 1970.
Sunderland Albion Football Club was an English association football club based in Sunderland, England, formed in 1888. The club played in the Football Alliance, a rival to the Football League, before disbanding in 1892.
The 1871–72 Football Association Challenge Cup was the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known in the modern era as the FA Cup, the oldest association football competition in the world. Fifteen of the association's fifty member clubs entered the first competition, although three withdrew without playing a game. In the final, held at Kennington Oval in London on 16 March 1872, Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers by a single goal, scored by Morton Betts, who was playing under the pseudonym A. H. Chequer.
The 1872 FA Cup final was a football match between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on 16 March 1872 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the final of the first staging of the Football Association Challenge Cup, which became the primary cup competition in English football and the oldest football competition in the world. Fifteen teams entered the competition in its first season and, due to the rules in place at the time, Wanderers reached the final having won only one match in the four preceding rounds. In the semi-finals, they drew with the Scottish club Queen's Park, but reached the final when the Scots withdrew from the competition as they could not afford to return to London for a replay.
The 1872–73 Football Association Challenge Cup was the second staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest national football tournament. Sixteen teams entered, one more than the previous season, although two of the sixteen never actually played a match.
The 1886–87 season was the first season in which Newton Heath LYR F.C. – now known as Manchester United F.C. – took part in a major football competition. The club had previously entered the Lancashire Cup and the Manchester and District Challenge Cup, but this season was the first in which they competed in the FA Cup. However, their cup run was short-lived as they drew with Fleetwood Rangers in the first round, but were disqualified when they refused to play extra time.
Dundee East End Football Club were a football club from Dundee, Scotland. The club were founded in 1877 but merged with Dundee Our Boys in 1893 to form Dundee.
The 1885–86 Football Association Challenge Cup was the 15th edition of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. There were 130 entrants, sixteen more than in the previous season, although six teams did not play a match. Five Scottish clubs entered but one was eliminated in the first round in an all-Scottish tie and travel constraints caused the rest to withdraw.
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.
This was the second season where the FA Cup, or the Football Association Challenge Cup, used a series of qualifying rounds in order to determine qualifiers for the actual Cup competition itself.
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 1894–95 FA Cup was the 24th season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. The cup was won by Aston Villa, who defeated West Bromwich Albion 1–0 in the final of the competition, played at Crystal Palace in London. This was Villa's second victory in the FA Cup.
The 1906–07 FA Cup was the 36th season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. The Wednesday won the competition for the second time, beating holders Everton 2–1 in the final at Crystal Palace.
The 1903–04 FA Cup was the 33rd season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. Manchester City won the competition for the first time, beating Bolton Wanderers 1–0 in the final at Crystal Palace, through a goal scored by Billy Meredith.
The 1874–75 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the second season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Teams from Edinburgh, Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire entered the competition for the first time and with 12 new teams entering the competition, a total of 25 were included in the first round draw. The competition began with the first round match between Rangers and Oxford on 10 October 1874 and concluded with the final on 10 April 1875. After 27 matches and 56 goals scored, defending champions Queen's Park retained the trophy by defeating Dunbartonshire club Renton 3–0 at the original Hampden Park.
The 1875–76 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the third season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The number of entrants nearly doubled from the previous season with 49 teams included in the first round draw. The competition began on 2 October 1875 and concluded with the final replay on 18 March 1876. This was the first season that teams would only change ends at half time, the tradition of changing ends after a goal had been scored came to an end. The cup was won for the third time by Queen's Park who defeated fellow Glasgow club 3rd Lanark RV 2–0 in the replayed final.
Harrow Chequers Football Club was a football club from London, England in the 1860s to early 1890s. It played as the Harrow Chequers from 1865 to 1876, when it was then renamed the Old Harrovians, and continued play until at least 1891. Derived from former pupils of Harrow School, the club was involved in the formation of the FA Cup in 1871. It was slated to play in three of the first six FA Cup competitions in the 1870s, but they forfeited each time, and never contested an FA Cup match as the Chequers. One of their players, however, Morton Betts, is remembered for scoring the first goal in the first ever FA Cup Final in 1872, which is essentially all that is remembered today of the club. However, as the Old Harrovians, the team had some more success, including reaching the semifinals of the 1877–78 FA Cup.
This was the fourth season where the FA Cup, or the Football Association Challenge Cup, used a series of qualifying rounds in order to determine qualifiers for the actual Cup competition itself.
The 2017–18 FA Cup qualifying rounds open the 137th season of competition in England for The Football Association Challenge Cup, the world's oldest association football single knockout competition. A total of 737 teams were accepted for the competition, an increase of 1 from the previous season's 736.
The 2020–21 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 140th season of The Football Association Challenge Cup, the world's oldest association football single knockout competition, organised by The Football Association, the governing body for the sport in England. The 32 winning teams from the fourth qualifying round progressed to the First round proper.
