1990–91 FA Cup

1990–91 FA Cup EnglandWales Tottenham Hotspur (8th title) Nottingham Forest Paul Gascoigne (6) 1989–90 1991–92 The 1990–91 FA Cup was the 110th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. Tottenham Hotspur won the competition after coming from 1–0 behind in the final against Nottingham Forest to win 2–1 and take the trophy. It gave Tottenham their eighth victory in nine FA Cup Finals and their first since their wins in 1981 and 1982. Qualifying rounds Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 28 places available in the first round. The winners from the fourth qualifying round were Fleetwood Town, Stafford Rangers, Witton Albion, Altrincham, Chorley, Spennymoor United, Bishop Auckland, Whitley Bay, Runcorn, Aylesbury United, Tamworth, Halesowen Town, Telford United, Barnet, Atherstone United, Chelmsford City, Boston United, Kidderminster Harriers, Yeovil Town, Farnborough Town, Littlehampton Town, Tiverton Town, Woking, Hayes, Wycombe Wanderers, Merthyr Tydfil, Welling United and Cheltenham Town. Appearing in the competition proper for the first time were Littlehampton Town and Tiverton Town, while Fleetwood Town had not featured in the first round since 1980–81 and Witton Albion had not done so since 1966-67. All other successful qualifiers had participated in the main draw of the Cup on at least one occasion in the previous five seasons. Curiously, this would be the last time (as of 2025) that Wycombe Wanderers featured in the FA Cup qualifying rounds. Awarded byes to the first round in the next two seasons, the club would be promoted into the Football League in 1993. Again as of 2025, they are the only club to have joined the League via promotion in the 20th century and enjoyed continuous membership since. all qualifying round results 1990–91 FA Cup qualifying rounds First round proper The 48 teams from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions entered in this round along with the 28 non-league clubs from the qualifying rounds and Barrow, Leek Town, Colchester United and Sutton United who were given byes. The first round of games were played over the weekend 17–18 November 1990, with replays being played on 20–21 November. The round included three clubs from the various competitions at Step 8 of the English football system: Spennymoor United from the Northern Counties East League, Tiverton Town from the Western League, and Littlehampton Town from the Sussex County League. Spennymoor's transfer to the Northern Counties East League during the previous summer meant that this was the first Cup competition since 1970-71 in which no clubs from the Northern League qualified for the first round. Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Blackpool2–0Grimsby Town17/11/19902Chester City2–2Doncaster Rovers17/11/1990ReplayDoncaster Rovers1–2Chester City20/11/19903Chesterfield3–2Spennymoor United (8)17/11/19904Darlington1–1York City17/11/1990ReplayYork City1–0Darlington19/11/19905AFC Bournemouth2–1Gillingham17/11/19906Barnet (5)2–2Chelmsford City (6)17/11/1990ReplayChelmsford City0–2Barnet21/11/19907Preston North End0–1Mansfield Town17/11/19908Rochdale1–1Scunthorpe United17/11/1990ReplayScunthorpe United2–1Rochdale20/11/19909Woking (6)0–0Kidderminster Harriers (5)17/11/1990ReplayKidderminster Harriers1–1Woking21/11/1990ReplayKidderminster Harriers1–2Woking26/11/199010Lincoln City1–4Crewe Alexandra17/11/199011Stafford Rangers (5)1–3Burnley17/11/199012Scarborough0–2Leek Town (6)17/11/199013Bishop Auckland (6)0–1Barrow (5)17/11/199014Chorley (6)2–1Bury17/11/199015Fulham2–1Farnborough Town (6)17/11/199016Aylesbury United (6)0–1Walsall17/11/199017Brentford5–0Yeovil Town (5)17/11/199018Maidstone United4–1Torquay United17/11/199019Bradford City0–0Shrewsbury Town17/11/1990ReplayShrewsbury Town2–1Bradford City21/11/199020Altrincham (5)1–2Huddersfield Town18/11/199021Witton Albion (6)1–2Bolton Wanderers17/11/199022Exeter City1–2Cambridge United17/11/199023Cardiff City0–0Hayes (6)17/11/1990ReplayHayes1–0Cardiff City21/11/199024Halifax Town3–2Wrexham17/11/199025Halesowen Town (6)1–2Tranmere Rovers17/11/199026Runcorn (5)0–3Hartlepool United17/11/199027Hereford United1–1Peterborough United17/11/1990ReplayPeterborough United2–1Hereford United20/11/199028Rotherham United1–0Stockport County17/11/199029Aldershot6–2Tiverton Town (8)17/11/199030Wigan Athletic5–0Carlisle United17/11/199031Tamworth (7)4–6Whitley Bay (7)17/11/199032Boston United (5)1–1Wycombe Wanderers (5)17/11/1990ReplayWycombe Wanderers4–0Boston United21/11/199033Colchester United (5)2–1Reading17/11/199034Birmingham City1–0Cheltenham Town (5)17/11/199035Leyton Orient3–2Southend United17/11/199036Merthyr Tydfil (5)1–1Sutton United (5)17/11/1990ReplaySutton United0–1Merthyr Tydfil21/11/199037Littlehampton Town (8)0–4Northampton Town17/11/199038Telford United (5)0–0Stoke City17/11/1990ReplayStoke City1–0Telford United21/11/199039Swansea City5–2Welling United (5)17/11/199040Atherstone United (6)3–1Fleetwood Town (6)17/11/1990 Second round proper The second round of games were played either over the weekend 7–8 December 1990, with replays being played on 11–12 December; or they were played in the midweek, from 10 to 12 December, with replays being played on 17 December. Whitley Bay, from the Northern Premier League First Division at Step 7 of English football, was the lowest-ranked team in the round. Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Chesterfield3–4Bolton Wanderers11/12/19902AFC Bournemouth1–0Hayes (6)08/12/19903Barnet (5)0–0Northampton Town08/12/1990ReplayNorthampton Town0–1Barnet12/12/19904Burnley2–0Stoke City12/12/19905Woking (6)5–1Merthyr Tydfil (5)08/12/19906Crewe Alexandra1–0Atherstone United (6)12/12/19907Shrewsbury Town1–0Chorley (6)11/12/19908Wycombe Wanderers (5)1–1Peterborough United12/12/1990ReplayPeterborough United2–0Wycombe Wanderers17/12/19909Fulham0–0Cambridge United07/12/1990ReplayCambridge United2–1Fulham11/12/199010Whitley Bay (7)0–1Barrow (5)12/12/199011Scunthorpe United3–2Tranmere Rovers08/12/199012Huddersfield Town0–2Blackpool10/12/199013Mansfield Town2–1York City17/12/199014Rotherham United1–1Halifax Town11/12/1990ReplayHalifax Town1–2Rotherham United17/12/199015Aldershot2–1Maidstone United08/12/199016Wigan Athletic2–0Hartlepool United08/12/199017Colchester United (5)0–0Leyton Orient12/12/1990ReplayLeyton Orient4–1Colchester United17/12/199018Birmingham City1–3Brentford12/12/199019Leek Town (6)1–1Chester City12/12/1990ReplayChester City4–0Leek Town17/12/199020Swansea City2–1Walsall08/12/1990 Third round proper Teams from the Football League First and Second Division entered in this round. The third round of games in the FA Cup were played over the weekend 5–7 January 1991, with replays being played on 8, 9, 16, 21 and 28 January. The lowest-ranked team in the draw, Woking from the Isthmian League Premier Division at Step 6, defeated Second Division opponents West Bromwich Albion 4–2 at The Hawthorns. Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Blackpool (4)0–1Tottenham Hotspur (1)05/01/19912Chester City (3)2–3AFC Bournemouth (3)05/01/19913Barnet (5)0–5Portsmouth (2)05/01/19914Burnley (4)0–1Manchester City (1)06/01/19915Southampton (1)3–2Ipswich Town (2)05/01/19916Blackburn Rovers (2)1–1Liverpool (1)05/01/1991ReplayLiverpool3–0Blackburn Rovers08/01/19917Aston Villa (1)1–1Wimbledon (1)05/01/1991ReplayWimbledon1–0Aston Villa09/01/19918Bolton Wanderers (3)1–0Barrow (5)05/01/19919Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)0–1Cambridge United (3)05/01/199110Middlesbrough (2)0–0Plymouth Argyle (2)05/01/1991ReplayPlymouth Argyle1–2Middlesbrough14/01/199111West Bromwich Albion (2)2–4Woking (6)05/01/199112Shrewsbury Town (3)4–1Watford (2)05/01/199113Sheffield United (1)1–3Luton Town (1)05/01/199114Newcastle United (2)2–0Derby County (1)05/01/199115Barnsley (2)1–1Leeds United (1)06/01/1991ReplayLeeds United4–0Barnsley09/01/199116Bristol Rovers (2)0–2Crewe Alexandra (3)05/01/199117Coventry City (1)1–1Wigan Athletic (3)05/01/1991ReplayWigan Athletic0–1Coventry City09/01/199118West Ham United (2)0–0Aldershot (4)05/01/1991ReplayWest Ham United6–1Aldershot16/01/199119Brighton & Hove Albion (2)3–2Scunthorpe United (4)05/01/199120Manchester United (1)2–1Queens Park Rangers (1)07/01/199121Norwich City (1)2–1Bristol City (2)05/01/199122Millwall (2)2–1Leicester City (2)05/01/199123Hull City (2)2–5Notts County (2)05/01/199124Oldham Athletic (2)3–1Brentford (3)05/01/199125Crystal Palace (1)0–0Nottingham Forest (1)06/01/1991ReplayNottingham Forest2–2Crystal Palace21/01/1991ReplayNottingham Forest3–0Crystal Palace28/01/199126Chelsea (1)1–3Oxford United (2)05/01/199127Mansfield Town (3)0–2Sheffield Wednesday (2)05/01/199128Port Vale (2)2–1Peterborough United (4)05/01/199129Charlton Athletic (2)1–2Everton (1)05/01/199130Arsenal (1)2–1Sunderland (1)05/01/199131Leyton Orient (3)1–1Swindon Town (2)05/01/1991ReplaySwindon Town1–0Leyton Orient21/01/199132Swansea City (3)0–0Rotherham United (3)05/01/1991ReplayRotherham United4–0Swansea City21/01/1991 Fourth round proper The fourth round of games were mainly played over the weekend 26–27 January 1991, with replays being played on 29–30 January. The Arsenal-Leeds United game ended in a draw three times, with the two extra replays being played on 13 and 16 February. Because Nottingham Forest did not finish their third-round tie until 28 January, their fourth round match was not played until 13 February with a replay on 18 February. Woking was again the lowest-ranked team in the draw and, by this stage, was the last non-league club left in the competition. Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Liverpool2–2Brighton & Hove Albion26/01/1991ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion2–3Liverpool30/01/19912Notts County2–0Oldham Athletic26/01/19913Crewe Alexandra1–0Rotherham United26/01/19914Luton Town1–1West Ham United26/01/1991ReplayWest Ham United5–0Luton Town30/01/19915Woking (6)0–1Everton27/01/19916Shrewsbury Town1–0Wimbledon26/01/19917Newcastle United2–2Nottingham Forest13/02/1991ReplayNottingham Forest3–0Newcastle United18/02/19918Tottenham Hotspur4–2Oxford United26/01/19919Coventry City1–1Southampton26/01/1991ReplaySouthampton2–0Coventry City29/01/199110Portsmouth5–1AFC Bournemouth26/01/199111Manchester United1–0Bolton Wanderers26/01/199112Norwich City3–1Swindon Town26/01/199113Millwall4–4Sheffield Wednesday26/01/1991ReplaySheffield Wednesday2–0Millwall30/01/199114Port Vale1–2Manchester City26/01/199115Arsenal0–0Leeds United27/01/1991ReplayLeeds United1–1Arsenal30/01/1991ReplayArsenal0–0Leeds United13/02/1991ReplayLeeds United1–2Arsenal16/02/199116Cambridge United2–0Middlesbrough26/01/1991 Fifth round proper The fifth set of games were mainly played over the weekend 16–18 February 1991, with replays being played on 20 February. The Merseyside derby went to an extra replay played on 27 February, the last FA Cup tie to go to multiple replays before a rule change the following season limited ties to one replay. Kenny Dalglish resigned as Liverpool's manager between the two replays.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/feb/23/newsstory.sport12 22.02.1991 Kenny Dalglish resigns as Liverpool manager 23 February 2008 The Guardian 17 June 2011 Because Nottingham Forest did not win their fourth round tie until 18 February, their fifth round match was not played until 25 February with a replay on 4 March. Similarly, Arsenal were late beating Leeds United in the previous round and so played Shrewsbury Town on 27 February. Shrewsbury, Crewe Alexandra and Cambridge United, from the Third Division, were the lowest-ranked teams in the draw, with Cambridge defeating Second Division Sheffield Wednesday to progress to the Sixth Round for the second consecutive season. Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Liverpool0–0Everton17/02/1991ReplayEverton4–4Liverpool20/02/1991ReplayEverton1–0Liverpool27/02/19912Southampton1–1Nottingham Forest25/02/1991ReplayNottingham Forest3–1Southampton04/03/19913Notts County1–0Manchester City16/02/19914Shrewsbury Town0–1Arsenal27/02/19915Portsmouth1–2Tottenham Hotspur16/02/19916West Ham United1–0Crewe Alexandra16/02/19917Norwich City2–1Manchester United18/02/19918Cambridge United4–0Sheffield Wednesday16/02/1991 Sixth round proper 9 March 1991 Arsenal 2 – 1 Cambridge United Campbell 19Adams 61 Dublin 52 Highbury, London Ron Groves (Weston-Super-Mare) 9 March 1991 Norwich City 0 – 1 Nottingham Forest Keane 61 Carrow Road, Norwich Allan Gunn (Burgess Hill) 10 March 1991 Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 1 Notts County Craig Short 52 o.g.Gascoigne 83 O'Riordan 41 White Hart Lane, London Peter Foakes (Clacton-on-Sea) 11 March 1991 West Ham United 2 – 1 Everton Foster 33Slater 60 Watson 86 Upton Park, London 28,162 Mike Reed (Birmingham) Semi-finals Tottenham's 3–1 triumph over Arsenal, marked by a Paul Gascoigne goal from 35 yards, ended their opposition's chances of the double.http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/archive/1991-FA-Cup-semi-final-Tottenham-3-1-Arsenal-special-Unseen-pictures-of-Paul-Gascoigne-Gary-Lineker-David-Seaman-and-co-plus-original-Daily-Mirror-match-reports-and-features-from-our-archive-article365529.html Spurs 3 Arsenal 1 Daily Mirror 17 June 2011 Nottingham Forest beat Second Division West Ham United 4–0 to reach their first FA Cup final for 32 years and give Brian Clough the chance of winning his first FA Cup to add to the two European Cups, one league title and four League Cups that he had already won with them. 14 April 1991 Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Report Arsenal Gascoigne 5 Lineker 10 78 Smith 45 Wembley, London 77,893 Ray Lewis (Great Bookham) 14 April 1991 Nottingham Forest 4 – 0 Report West Ham United Crosby 50 Keane 60 Pearce 72 Charles 83 0 26 Gale Villa Park, Birmingham Keith Hackett (South Yorkshire) Final 1991 FA Cup final An own goal by Des Walker in extra time gave Tottenham Hotspur their eighth FA Cup triumph, a record at the time. Paul Gascoigne went off with a knee injury in the opening 15 minutes, and Gary Lineker had a first-half penalty saved by Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Mark Crossley. 18 May 1991 15:00 BST Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 yes Nottingham Forest Stewart 55Walker 94 o.g. Pearce 16 Wembley, London 80,000 Roger Milford (Bristol) Media coverage May 2026 For the third consecutive season in the United Kingdom, the BBC were the free to air broadcasters while Sky Sports (formerly The Sports Channel on BSB), were the subscription broadcasters. The live matches on the BBC were: Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest (R3); Arsenal vs Leeds United (R4); Liverpool vs Everton (R5); Tottenham Hotspur vs Notts County (QF); both Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal and Nottingham Forest vs West Ham United (SF); and Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest (Final). References External links The FA Cup at TheFA.com FA Cup at BBC.co.uk FA Cup news at Reuters.co.uk Category:FA Cup seasons FA Cup