1878 FA Cup final

September 2012 September 2020 1878 FA Cup final 1871 FA Cup.jpg 150 A trophy, silver in colour and topped by a figure of a footballer, on an ebony plinth An illustration of the FA Cup trophy awarded in 1878 1877–78 FA Cup Wanderers 3 Royal Engineers 1 23 March 1878 Kennington Oval London Segar Bastard 4,500 1877 1879 The 1878 FA Cup final was an association football match between Wanderers F.C. and Royal Engineers A.F.C. on 23 March 1878 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the seventh final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (commonly known in the modern era as the FA Cup). Wanderers had won the Cup in the previous two seasons and on four previous occasions in total, including the first FA Cup final in 1872, in which they defeated the Engineers. The Engineers had also won the Cup, having defeated Old Etonians in the 1875 final. The Wanderers, who were considered firm favourites to win the Cup for the third consecutive season, took the lead after only five minutes through Jarvis Kenrick, but the Engineers quickly equalised. The Cup-holders regained their lead before half-time and added a third goal after the half-time interval to secure a 3–1 victory. Under the original rules of the competition, the Cup was retired and presented to the club on a permanent basis to mark their third consecutive win, but the Wanderers returned it to the Football Association on the condition that it never again be won outright by any club. Background The Football Association Challenge Cup (commonly known in the modern era as the FA Cup) was the first formal competition created for the sport of association football, which had first been codified in 1863.Soar Tyler 1983 12Collett 2003 16 The creation of the tournament had been proposed in 1871 by Charles W. Alcock, the secretary of the Football Association (the FA), who wrote that "it is desirable that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association, for which all clubs belonging to the Association should be invited to compete".Soar Tyler 1983 19 His inspiration had been a similar competition between houses during his time as a pupil at Harrow School.Soar Tyler 1983 19Collett 2003 17 The first FA Cup competition took place during the 1871–72 season and 15 clubs entered.Collett 2003 17 Wanderers won the final, defeating Royal Engineers,Soar Tyler 1983 154 and Alcock himself was the winning captain.Warsop 2004 40 In the 1877–78 season, the Wanderers were the reigning Cup-holders, having defeated Oxford University in the 1877 final.Barnes 2009 132Collett 2003 755 In addition to their victory in 1872, the team had also won the Cup in 1873 and 1876.Soar Tyler 1983 154–155Collett 2003 754 No other club had yet won the competition more than once.Soar Tyler 1983 24 The Engineers had won the Cup in 1875.Barnes 2009 132 The members of the Wanderers club were wealthy gentlemen who had attended some of the leading English public schools, including Harrow and Eton College; the Engineers team consisted of officers from the Corps of Royal Engineers, a division of the British Army.Warsop 2004 20 At the time, the sport was strictly amateur and was dominated by teams from the upper classes. It was not until 1882 that a working-class team reached the FA Cup final.Soar Tyler 1983 19 Route to the final thumb|right|alt=View of the Kennington Oval sports ground|Kennington Oval (pictured in 1891) was the venue for the semi-final and final matches. The 1877–78 FA Cup was contested by 43 clubs, all of which entered the competition at the first round stage.Soar Tyler 1983 156 The Wanderers were allocated a home match against Panthers of Sturminster Newton in the first round and easily defeated their opponents 9–1, with Hubert Heron scoring four goals.Collett 2003 630 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142294001 4 Sheffield and Rotherham Independent 28 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription The London Association Football Cup: The first ties 12 November 1877 In the second round they were paired with High Wycombe and again recorded a high-scoring victory, winning 9–0.Soar Tyler 1983 156Collett 2003 630 The Wanderers were considered strong favourites to secure another victory when they faced Barnes in the third round, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142370983 4 Sheffield and Rotherham Independent 29 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription The London Association Football Cup: Wanderers (the holders) v Barnes 14 January 1878 but the match ended in a 1–1 draw, necessitating a replay.Soar Tyler 1983 156 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142313335 5 The Observer 28 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football – The Association Challenge Cup 13 January 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142313521 1 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper 28 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football matches 13 January 1878 Two weeks later, the Wanderers won the second match 4–1.Collett 2003 630 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142390431 1 Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper 29 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football matches 27 January 1878 In the quarter-finals the Wanderers defeated Sheffield 3–0 and then, with an uneven number of teams remaining in the competition, they received a bye into the final.Soar Tyler 1983 156 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142390737 4 Sheffield and Rotherham Independent 29 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Sheffield Club v Wanderers 18 February 1878 The Engineers' scheduled first round opponents were Union, but they withdrew from the competition, giving the Engineers a walkover victory.Soar Tyler 1983 156 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142295084 6 Leeds Mercury 28 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football Association Challenge Cup 16 November 1877 The "Sappers", as the Corps of Royal Engineers is traditionally nicknamed, went on to defeat Pilgrims 6–0 and Druids 8–0 in the second and third rounds respectively,Soar Tyler 1983 156 with a hat-trick in both matches from Lieut. Robert Hedley.Warsop 2004 84–85Collett 2003 528 In the quarter-finals their opponents were the previous season's defeated finalists and the 1874 Cup-winners, Oxford University.Collett 2003 528 The initial match finished in a 3–3 draw, and the replay also finished without a victor, ending 2–2. Finally, the Engineers emerged victorious in a second replay, winning 4–2.Soar Tyler 1983 156 This set up a semi-final match against Old Harrovians, the team for former pupils of Harrow School.5 April 1878 https://books.google.com/books?id=WbkOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA11 Football – Review of the football season of 1877–8 The Athletic World 11 3 March 2024 Google Books The match was played at Kennington Oval in south London and the Engineers reached the final by defeating the Harrovians 2–1. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142312763 5 The Observer 28 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football 17 March 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142312926 10 The Times 28 February 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football: Association Challenge Cup: Royal Engineers v Old Harrovians 18 March 1878 Match Summary thumb|right|upright|alt=Footballer Arthur Kinnaird|Hon. Arthur Kinnaird (illustration published in 1912) captained the Wanderers team. Like the semi-final, the final was played at Kennington Oval. The match drew a crowd estimated at 4,500 spectators, the highest yet recorded for an FA Cup final.Warsop 2004 40–48 The referee was Segar Bastard of the Upton Park club. The umpires were C. Warner of Upton Park and B. Jarrett of Old Harrovians.Warsop 2004 48 Hedley was the team captain for the Engineers and Hon. Arthur Kinnaird for the Wanderers.Collett 2003 755 Both teams played with two full-backs, two half-backs and six forwards.Warsop 2004 48 In the previous year's final, Kinnaird had been the Wanderers' goalkeeper, but on this occasion he played as a half-back; at the time the position of goalkeeper was not regarded as a specialised one and players often alternated between goalkeeping and playing in an outfield position.Warsop 2004 10 James Kirkpatrick played in goal for the Wanderers; having turned 37 the previous day he was the oldest player to appear in a Cup final up to that point.Warsop 2004 40–48 The only other change in the team's line-up from the previous year's final saw John Wylie replace Francis Birley.Collett 2003 755 The Engineers' team did not include any players from their Cup-winning team of four years earlier,Collett 2003 754–755 but did include Lieut. Oliver Ruck, whose brother Richard had played in that victory.Collett 2003 754Warsop 2004 122 The Wanderers, who were considered the firm favourites by the book-makers, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142429632 4 Sheffield and Rotherham Independent 1 March 2024 Newspapers.com subscription The final tie between the Wanderers and the Royal Engineers 25 March 1878 won the pre-match coin toss and chose to defend the Harleyford Road end of the ground in the first half.Warsop 2004 48 The Cup-holders immediately dominated the game and Kinnaird quickly had a shot on goal which was kept out by Lieut. William Morris with his head.Warsop 2004 35 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142652869 3 The Daily Telegraph 4 March 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Football: Wanderers v Royal Engineers 25 March 1878 After only five minutes Henry Wace crossed the ball from a wide position and Jarvis Kenrick kicked the ball past the Engineers' goalkeeper Lieut. Lovick Friend to give the Wanderers the lead.Warsop 2004 35 Immediately after falling behind, according to a report published in the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, the Engineers "charged desperately on the opening goal" and their opponents "had rather a rough time of it". Approximately ten minutes after the opening goal, Kirkpatrick suffered a broken arm during a tussle on the goal-line, but he managed to keep the ball out of the goal and went on to play the remainder of the match despite his injury.Warsop 2004 48 Had he left the game, his team would not have been able to replace him as the concept of substitutes did not yet exist.https://www.theguardian.com/football/when-saturday-comes-blog/2015/sep/18/fifty-years-substitutions-football-sport Fifty years of substitutions in football: from necessary novelties to tactical tools The Guardian Peter Bateman 18 September 2015 22 October 2023 In the 20th minute of the game, the Engineers' pressure paid off as they scored an equalising goal. Some modern sources state that Morris scored the goal,Barnes 2009 132Gibbons 2001 51 but contemporary newspaper reports state that Morris took a throw-in which led to a "scrimmage" (a contemporary term for a group of players all struggling to gain possession of the ball, now usually referred to as a "goalmouth scramble") in front of the Wanderers' goal, out of which the ball was forced over the goal-line, making the actual scorer of the goal unclear. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002446/18780323/211/0039 39 The Field 1 March 2024 British Newspaper Archive subscription The Association Challenge Cup 23 March 1878 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142652657 3 The Standard 4 March 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Association Challenge Cup: Wanderers vs Royal Engineers 25 March 1878 Towards the end of the first half, the Wanderers were awarded a free kick after a handball offence by the Engineers. Kinnaird took the kick, which led to a second goal for the Cup-holders. Modern sources list Kinnaird as the goalscorer,Barnes 2009 132 but some contemporary reports suggest that, following his free kick, another goalmouth scramble ensued in front of the Engineers' goal before the ball was forced over the line, again making the actual scorer unclear.Warsop 2004 36 Shortly before half-time, Charles Wollaston took a shot for the Wanderers but it went wide of the goal; at the break his team held a 2–1 lead. Shortly after the half-time interval, Hedley appeared to have brought the scores level once again, but the goal was disallowed due to an infringement of the offside rule. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142429532 10 The Times 1 March 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Association Challenge Cup: Wanderers v Royal Engineers 25 March 1878 After around twenty minutes of the second period, Heron of Wanderers made a run down the left side of the pitch and crossed the ball into the centre; Morris missed the ball and Heron regained control of it and passed it to Kenrick, who scored his second goal of the game, giving the Wanderers a 3–1 lead. The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent report praised Heron for his performance in the second half, stating that his dribbling was "excellent". During the remainder of the game, the Engineers again made a number of attacks on the Wanderers' goal but their opponents were able to deal with them. The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent report stated that during the latter stages of the game "the only chance seemed to be of the Wanderers increasing their lead". Despite this, no further goals were scored and the final result was a 3–1 victory for Wanderers. Details 23 March 1878 Wanderers 3–1 Royal Engineers Kenrick 5 65Kinnaird (unconfirmed) 35 Morris (unconfirmed) 20 Kennington Oval, LondonWarsop 2004 48 4,500Warsop 2004 48 Segar Bastard (Upton Park)Warsop 2004 48 _wanderers FC _wanderers FC _wanderers FC 000000 WanderersWarsop 2004 20_thinnavyhoops _thinnavyhoops _thinnavyhoops _hoops_navy E41B17 E41B17 E41B17 00006B E41B17 Royal EngineersWarsop 2004 20 Wanderers:Warsop 2004 48 GK James KirkpatrickFB Alfred StratfordFB William LindsayHB Hon. Arthur Kinnaird (Captain)HB Frederick GreenFW Charles WollastonFW Hubert HeronFW John WylieFW Henry WaceFW Charles Denton FW Jarvis KenrickRoyal Engineers:Warsop 2004 48 GK Lieut. Lovick FriendFB Lieut. James CowanFB Lieut. William MorrisHB Lieut. Charles MayneHB Lieut. Frederick HeathFW Lieut. Charles HaynesFW Lieut. Morgan LindsayFW Lieut. Robert Hedley (Captain)FW Lieut. Francis BondFW Lieut. Horace BarnetFW Lieut. Oliver Ruck Post-match As was the norm until 1882, the winning team were not presented with the trophy at the stadium on the day of the match, but later in the year at their annual club dinner.Warsop 2004 53 Under the original rules of the competition, if a team won the Cup three times in succession, it would be retired and become their "absolute property". The Wanderers' committee, however, returned the Cup to the FA on the condition that the rule be removed and no other team permitted to win the Cup outright.Soar Tyler 1983 20 2024, the only other team to win the Cup in three successive seasons is Blackburn Rovers, who won it in 1884, 1885, and 1886.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/0/fa-cup-winners-list-full-record-finals-results-first-team-last/ FA Cup winners list: The results and teams from every final The Daily Telegraph 15 May 2022 1 March 2024 subscriptionhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65785637 Manchester City 2–1 Manchester United BBC Sport 3 June 2023 19 April 2024 On that occasion the club was presented with a commemorative shield.Soar Tyler 1983 160 The trophy which the Wanderers won in 1878 continued to be used until 1895, when it was stolen and never recovered; a new trophy of identical design was made to replace it.Soar Tyler 1983 20 Three weeks after the Cup final, the Wanderers played the winners of the 1877–78 Scottish Cup, Vale of Leven, at Kennington Oval. The match between the winners of England and Scotland's national football competitions generated significant interest, but the size of the crowd was impacted by very bad weather. In a game played in very poor conditions, the Wanderers were defeated 3–1. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/142441621 12 Nottinghamshire Guardian 1 March 2024 Newspapers.com subscription Wanderers v Vale of Leven 19 April 1878 Neither the Wanderers or the Royal Engineers would appear in the final of the FA Cup again after 1878.Soar Tyler 1983 24 Wanderers' fortunes declined rapidly, partly because many of the team's leading players opted to play instead for the clubs set up specifically for the former pupils of individual schools. The team last took part in the FA Cup in the 1879–80 season,Collett 2003 19 and by the mid-1880s the Wanderers club had ceased to play matches altogether.Warsop 2004 20https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/oct/29/fa-cup-the-wanderers-unicef The forgotten story of ... the first ever FA Cup winners Will Buckley The Guardian 30 October 2009 22 February 2024 4 April 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220404105225/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/oct/29/fa-cup-the-wanderers-unicef live The officers of the Royal Engineers continued to enter the FA Cup until 1883, after which the focus was instead placed on teams open to all ranks representing individual battalions within the corps; these teams took part in the FA Amateur Cup and army-specific competitions.Warsop 2004 20Collett 2003 528 References Works cited Nationwide Football Annual 2009–2010 Barnes Stuart 2009 SportsBooks Limited 978-1-89980-781-9 The Complete Record of the FA Cup Collett Mike 2003 SportsBooks Limited 1-89980-719-5 Gibbons Philip Association Football in Victorian England – A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900 2001 Upfront Publishing 1-84426-035-6 Soar Phil Tyler Martin Encyclopedia of British Football 1983 Willow Books 0-002-18049-9 Martin Tyler Warsop Keith The Early FA Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs 2004 SoccerData 1-89946-878-1 1878 Final Category:1878 in sport in London Category:March 1878 in the United Kingdom 1878