List of FA Amateur Cup finals

The Football Association Amateur Cup, commonly known as the FA Amateur Cup, was a national knockout cup competition for English amateur football clubs, which was organised by, and named after, the FA (The Football Association). It was staged for the first time in the 1893–94 season, in response to the increasing domination of the sport by professional teams.[1] It was discontinued after the 1973–74 season, when the FA abolished their policy whereby all clubs were officially considered to be either professional or amateur in status.[2] Thereafter, teams which had competed in the Amateur Cup instead either joined the existing FA Trophy or entered the newly created FA Vase.[3]

North Shields celebrating their 1969 FA Amateur Cup win

The competition was staged 71 times and 36 different clubs won the Cup.[4] The first tournament was won by Old Carthusians, who beat Casuals in a match held at the Richmond Athletic Ground.[5] The record for the most wins is held by Bishop Auckland, with ten victories,[4] followed by Clapton and Crook Town with five wins each.[4] The final club to win the tournament was Bishop's Stortford, who defeated Ilford in the 1974 final.[6]

History

The first tournament featured amateur teams from throughout England and was won by Old Carthusians, the team for former pupils of Charterhouse School, who defeated Casuals.[7] The Carthusians had won England's premier national competition, the FA Cup, in 1881,[8] and thus became the first team to win both cups. The only other club to achieve this feat was Wimbledon,[1] who won the Amateur Cup in 1963 and the FA Cup in 1988.[4][8] With the exception of a second win for Carthusians and a victory for Old Malvernians, the competition's first decade was dominated by teams from the north-east of the country, including Middlesbrough, Bishop Auckland and Stockton, who each won the competition twice.[4] Southern clubs were the most successful during the inter-war period, winning the tournament 15 times in 19 seasons.[9]

By the start of the Second World War, Bishop Auckland had won the Amateur Cup seven times, and Clapton five times.[4] Interest in the competition peaked soon after the war, and the final was moved to Wembley Stadium, which attracted crowds of up to 100,000.[7] In 1954, Crook Town defeated Bishop Auckland to win the Amateur Cup for the second time, over fifty years after the club's previous victory. The "Bishops" won the final for the next three seasons, the only hat-trick of wins in the competition's history.[4] This took the club's number of wins to 10, a figure that was never surpassed.[4] Crook Town themselves also went on to win the tournament three more times.[4]

In the 1960s, interest in the Amateur Cup declined and crowds for the final dropped to less than half the level of the early Wembley finals.[10] During the last decade of the tournament's existence, Enfield claimed two wins.[4] The last Amateur Cup final was held on 20 April 1974, and Bishop's Stortford became the last tournament winners, defeating Ilford 4–1.[6] In the same year, the FA abandoned its policy of classifying all clubs as either fully professional or fully amateur, and accordingly the Amateur Cup was abolished.[2]

Finals

If the final finished with the scores level after extra time, the teams would play again in a replay at a later date.[4] Penalty shoot-outs were never used.[4] The competition was not staged during the First or Second World Wars, other than in the 1914–15 season.[4] Where the venue is shown in italics, only the town where the final took place is recorded, rather than the name of the specific stadium.

Key

(R)Replay
(2R)Second replay
*Match went to extra time

Results

SeasonWinnerScoreRunners–upVenueNotes
1893–94Old Carthusians2–1CasualsAthletic Ground, Richmond[5]
1894–95Middlesbrough2–1Old CarthusiansHeadingley Stadium[5]
1895–96Bishop Auckland1–0Royal Artillery PortsmouthWalnut Street, Leicester[11]
1896–97Old Carthusians1–1 *StocktonTufnell Park[A][12]
1896–97 (R)Old Carthusians4–1StocktonFeethams[12]
1897–98Middlesbrough2–1UxbridgeCrystal Palace[12]
1898–99Stockton1–0Harwich & ParkestonLinthorpe Road, Middlesbrough[13]
1899–1900Bishop Auckland5–1Lowestoft TownFilbert Street[14][15]
1900–01Crook Town1–1 *King's LynnDovercourt [A][15]
1900–01 (R)Crook Town3–0King's LynnIpswich[A][15]
1901–02Old Malvernians5–1Bishop AucklandHeadingley Stadium[16]
1902–03Stockton0–0 *Oxford CityReading[A][16]
1902–03 (R)Stockton1–0Oxford CityFeethams[16]
1903–04Sheffield3–1Ealing AssociationValley Parade[17][18]
1904–05West Hartlepool3–2ClaptonShepherd's Bush[A][19]
1905–06Oxford City3–0Bishop AucklandStockton-on-Tees[A][20]
1906–07Clapton2–1StocktonStamford Bridge[20]
1907–08Depot Bn., Royal Engineers2–1StocktonBishop Auckland[A][21]
1908–09Clapton6–0Eston UnitedIlford[A][22]
1909–10RMLI Gosport2–1South BankBishop Auckland[A][23]
1910–11Bromley1–0Bishop Aucklandground of West Norwood F.C., Herne Hill[24][25][26]
1911–12Stockton0–0 *Eston UnitedAyresome Park[27]
1911–12 (R)Stockton1–0Eston UnitedAyresome Park[27]
1912–13South Bank1–1 *Oxford CityElm Park[28][29]
1912–13 (R)South Bank1–0Oxford CityKingsway, Bishop Auckland[30][29]
1913–14Bishop Auckland1–0Northern NomadsElland Road[31][32]
1914–15Clapton1–0Bishop AucklandThe Den[33][34]
1919–20Dulwich Hamlet1–0Tufnell ParkThe Den[35]
1920–21Bishop Auckland4–2Swindon VictoriaAyresome Park[36]
1921–22Bishop Auckland5–2 *South BankAyresome Park[37]
1922–23London Caledonians2–1Evesham TownCrystal Palace[38]
1923–24Clapton3–0Erith & BelvedereThe Den[39]
1924–25Clapton2–1SouthallThe Den[40]
1925–26Northern Nomads7–1StocktonRoker Park[41]
1926–27Leyton3–1Barking TownThe Den[42]
1927–28Leyton3–2CockfieldAyresome Park[43]
1928–29Ilford3–1LeytonArsenal Stadium[44]
1929–30Ilford5–1Bournemouth Gasworks AthleticBoleyn Ground[45]
1930–31Wycombe Wanderers1–0HayesArsenal Stadium[46]
1931–32Dulwich Hamlet7–1MarineBoleyn Ground[47]
1932–33Kingstonian1–1 *StocktonChampion Hill[48]
1932–33 (R)Kingstonian4–1StocktonFeethams[48]
1933–34Dulwich Hamlet2–1LeytonBoleyn Ground[49]
1934–35Bishop Auckland0–0 *WimbledonAyresome Park[50][51]
1934–35 (R)Bishop Auckland2–1WimbledonStamford Bridge[51]
1935–36Casuals1–1 *IlfordSelhurst Park[52]
1935–36 (R)Casuals2–0IlfordBoleyn Ground[52]
1936–37Dulwich Hamlet2–0LeytonBoleyn Ground[53]
1937–38Bromley1–0Erith & BelvedereThe Den[54]
1938–39Bishop Auckland3–0WillingtonRoker Park[55]
1945–46Barnet3–2Bishop AucklandStamford Bridge[56]
1946–47Leytonstone2–1WimbledonArsenal Stadium[57]
1947–48Leytonstone1–0BarnetStamford Bridge[58]
1948–49Bromley1–0RomfordWembley Stadium[59]
1949–50Willington4–0Bishop AucklandWembley Stadium[60]
1950–51Pegasus2–1Bishop AucklandWembley Stadium[61]
1951–52Walthamstow Avenue2–1LeytonWembley Stadium[62]
1952–53Pegasus6–0Harwich & ParkestonWembley Stadium[63]
1953–54Crook Town2–2 *Bishop AucklandWembley Stadium[64]
1953–54 (R)Crook Town2–2 *Bishop AucklandSt James' Park[64]
1953–54 (2R)Crook Town1–0Bishop AucklandAyresome Park[64]
1954–55Bishop Auckland2–0HendonWembley Stadium[65]
1955–56Bishop Auckland1–1 *Corinthian-CasualsWembley Stadium[66]
1955–56 (R)Bishop Auckland4–1Corinthian-CasualsAyresome Park[66]
1956–57Bishop Auckland3–1Wycombe WanderersWembley Stadium[67]
1957–58Woking3–0IlfordWembley Stadium[68]
1958–59Crook Town3–2BarnetWembley Stadium[69]
1959–60Hendon2–1KingstonianWembley Stadium[70]
1960–61Walthamstow Avenue2–1West Auckland TownWembley Stadium[71]
1961–62Crook Town1–1 *Hounslow TownWembley Stadium[72]
1961–62 (R)Crook Town4–0Hounslow TownAyresome Park[72]
1962–63Wimbledon4–2Sutton UnitedWembley Stadium[73]
1963–64Crook Town2–1EnfieldWembley Stadium[74]
1964–65Hendon3–1Whitby TownWembley Stadium[75]
1965–66Wealdstone3–1HendonWembley Stadium[76]
1966–67Enfield0–0 *Skelmersdale UnitedWembley Stadium[77]
1966–67 (R)Enfield3–0Skelmersdale UnitedMaine Road[77]
1967–68Leytonstone1–0Chesham UnitedWembley Stadium[78]
1968–69North Shields2–1Sutton UnitedWembley Stadium[79]
1969–70Enfield5–1DagenhamWembley Stadium[80]
1970–71Skelmersdale United4–1DagenhamWembley Stadium[81]
1971–72Hendon2–0EnfieldWembley Stadium[82]
1972–73Walton & Hersham1–0Slough TownWembley Stadium[83]
1973–74Bishop's Stortford4–1IlfordWembley Stadium[6]
  • A. ^ Only the town where the final was held is recorded, not the specific stadium name.

Wins by team

ClubWinsYears
Bishop Auckland101896, 1900, 1914, 1921, 1922, 1935, 1939, 1955, 1956, 1957
Clapton51907, 1909, 1915, 1924, 1925
Crook Town51901, 1954, 1959, 1962, 1964
Dulwich Hamlet41920, 1932, 1934, 1937
Bromley31911, 1938, 1949
Hendon31960, 1965, 1972
Leytonstone31947, 1948, 1968
Stockton31899, 1903, 1912
Enfield21967, 1970
Ilford21929, 1930
Leyton21927, 1928
Middlesbrough21895, 1898
Old Carthusians21894, 1897
Pegasus21951, 1953
Walthamstow Avenue21952, 1961
Barnet11946
Bishop's Stortford11974
Casuals11936
Depot Bn., Royal Engineers11908
Kingstonian11933
London Caledonians11923
North Shields11969
Northern Nomads11926
Old Malvernians11902
Oxford City11906
RMLI Gosport11910
Sheffield11904
Skelmersdale United11971
South Bank11913
Walton & Hersham11973
Wealdstone11966
West Hartlepool11905
Willington11950
Wimbledon11963
Woking11958
Wycombe Wanderers11931

References

General
  • Samuel, Richard (2003). The Complete F.A. Amateur Cup Results Book. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-066-8.
Specific