1888 FA Cup final

March 2015 March 2015 1888 FA Cup final West Bromwich Albion team 1888.jpg 250 West Bromwich Albion, winning side 1887–88 FA Cup West BromwichAlbion 2 PrestonNorth End 1 24 March 1888 Kennington Oval London George Woodhall Francis Marindin 24,452 Overcast 20⁰C 1887 1889 The 1888 FA Cup final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End at the Kennington Oval. Preston were strong favourites for the Cup, having set a record which still stands today by beating Hyde 26–0 in the first round, and were so confident of overcoming West Bromwich Albion in the final that they asked to be photographed with the trophy before the game. The FA president Major Francis Marindin turned them down and said: "Hadn't you better win it first?" They did not get their photo after the game either.May 2008 So lacking in confidence were their West Bromwich opponents that when offered bets on the outcome of the game by the Preston players, they all refused, no matter how great the odds.Beastly Fury: The strange birth of British Football: Richard Sanders: page 137 West Brom won 2–1, with their goals scored by George Woodhall and Jem Bayliss. Fred Dewhurst scored Preston's effort. Overview thumb|left|Preston North End team of 1888 John Goodall recalled many years later how, at the final whistle, he stood motionless in the centre circle for many minutes unable to comprehend the result. The refereeing of the game by Major Francis Marindin was also questioned privately by many observers who felt that he had potentially shown bias towards Albion's all-English eleven (Preston's team contained a majority of Scots). At one point during the game he stopped play just as Preston were about to score to award a free kick to Albion, despite no Albion player having made an appeal as was required by the rules of the game at that time. Cambridge University captain Tinsley Lindley later commented to defeated Preston player Jack RossRoss Preston players of the name Ross were Nick and Jimmy. John Gordon and John Goodall were both known as Jack at times. February 2022 "Well Jack, you cannot expect to win when playing against eleven men and the devil."Beastly Fury: The strange birth of British Football: Richard Sanders: page 138 The Preston players, however, cited their own pre match routine for their defeat: Bob Holmes recalled "We got starved to death on the Thames bank {While watching the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race} and could not get warm again. The invincibles entered the Kennington Oval field that day in a pitiful state. We were daft." At this time The Boat Race was considered a greater sporting event than the cup final. By contrast, Albion captain Billy Bassett stated "Jack RossRoss February 2022 lost his cool that day. that was the key. I managed to keep my cool and the cooler I kept, the rasher Ross got." Bassett also recalled that it was Ross' rashness that cost his side the winning goal as he charged at Bassett and ended up somersaulting clean over him. As he picked himself up he watched as Bassett was able to set up the clinching goal. Bassett however was complimentary of his opponents when, years later he stated "I have seen all the best sides in Football but I have never seen a side that compared to Preston North End at their best. We beat them but I do not pretend for a moment that we deserved to beat them."Beastly Fury: The strange birth of British Football: Richard Sanders: page 139 Match details 24 March 1888 15:00 GMT 1887–88 FA Cup Final West Bromwich Albion 2–1 Preston North End George Woodhall Jem Bayliss Fred Dewhurst Kennington Oval, London 19,000 Francis Marindin _blue_stripes4 _bluestripes4 _blue_stripes4 ffffff ffffff ffffff FFFFFF 000066 W.B. Albion _collar buttons ffffff fffffff ffffff 000066 000066 Preston N.E. GK Bob Roberts DF Albert Aldridge DF Harry GreenMF Ezra HortonMF Charlie PerryMF George TimminsFW George Woodhall FW Billy BassettFW Jem Bayliss (c) FW Joe WilsonFW Tom Pearson GK RH Mills-RobertsDF Bob HowarthDF Nick RossMF Bob HolmesMF David RussellMF Johnny GrahamFW Jack GordonFW Jimmy RossFW John Goodall FW Fred Dewhurst (c) FW George Drummond MATCH RULES 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Replay if scores still level. Legacy thumb|right|A copy of the game's programme was auctioned in 2015 In 2015 what was believed to be one of a small number of surviving copies of the programme from the Final, which originally sold for a penny, was put up for auction. The programme had at one time been owned by West Bromwich Albion director Harold Ely.West Brom programme worth £20k Express & Star Wolverhampton 2 May 2015 17 At auction it achieved a sale price of £20,000.1p Albion cup programme sells for £20k Express & Star Wolverhampton 22 May 2015 13 References Line-ups Match report at www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk 1888 Final Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. matches Category:Preston North End F.C. matches Category:March 1888 in the United Kingdom Category:1888 in sport in London