1873–74 FA Cup

The 1873–74 Football Association Challenge Cup was the third edition of the annual FA Cup, the oldest national football tournament in the world. Entrants increased to 28 teams, 12 more than the previous season; six would never contest a match. It began on 9 October 1873 and ended at the final on 14 March 1874.

1873–74 FA Cup

Tournament details
Country	England
Dates	9 October 1873 – 14 March 1874
Teams	28
Defending champions	Wanderers
Final positions
Champions	Oxford University (1st title)
Runners-up	Royal Engineers
Tournament statistics
Matches played	26
Goals scored	58 (2.23 per match)
← 1872–73 1874–75 →

Wanderers unsuccessfully defended its second 1873 title at a Replay on 31 January 1874, losing to Oxford University, 1–0.

Oxford University successfully pursued its first FA Cup in the Final on 14 March 1874 in Kennington Oval against the Royal Engineers. 2–0. 2,000 attended.^[1]

Format

First round: 28 teams played. The winners moved on.
Second round: 14 teams played. The winner moved on.
Third round: 6 teams, with Swifts getting a bye, played.
Semi-final: 4 teams played.
Final: 2 teams played. Oxford University were the champions.

Calendar

Round	Date	Fixtures				Clubs	New entries this round
		Original	Replays	Walkovers	Byes
First round	9 October - 17 November 1873	14	2	5	0	28 → 14	28
Second round	15 November - 20 December 1873	7	2	1	0	14 → 7	none
Third round	6 December 1873 - 17 January 1874	3	1	0	1	7 → 4	none
Semi-finals	January 28 - February 28, 1874	2	0	0	0	4 → 2	none
Final	March 14, 1874	1	0	0	0	2 → 1	none

First round

Oxford University's F.A. Cup winning side of 1874.

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Pilgrims	1–0	Great Marlow[2]		9 October 1873
Royal Engineers	5–0	Brondesbury		11 October 1873
Woodford Wells	3–2	Reigate Priory		11 October 1873
Swifts	1–0	Crystal Palace		18 October 1873
1st Surrey Rifles	0–0	Barnes		25 October 1873
Cambridge University	1–0	South Norwood		25 October 1873
Uxbridge	3–0	Gitanos		28 October 1873
Upton Park	0–4	Oxford University		29 October 1873
Shropshire Wanderers	0–0	Sheffield		30 October 1873
Clapham Rovers	Walkover	Amateur Athletic Club
High Wycombe	Walkover	Old Etonians
Maidenhead	Walkover	Civil Service
Trojans	Walkover	Farningham
Wanderers	Walkover	Southall

Replays

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Barnes	1–0	1st Surrey Rifles		8 November 1873
Sheffield	0–0 Sheffield won on coin toss[3]	Shropshire Wanderers		17 November 1873

Second round

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Clapham Rovers	1–1	Cambridge University		15 November 1873
Maidenhead	1–0	High Wycombe		22 November 1873
Oxford University	2–0	Barnes		22 November 1873
Sheffield	1–0	Pilgrims		22 November 1873
Swifts	2–1	Woodford Wells		22 November 1873
Royal Engineers	2–1	Uxbridge		26 November 1873
Wanderers	Walkover	Trojans

Replays

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Clapham Rovers	1–1	Cambridge University		29 November 1873
Clapham Rovers	4–1	Cambridge University		20 December 1873

Third round

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Wanderers	1–1	Oxford University		6 December 1873
Royal Engineers	7–0	Maidenhead		10 December 1873
Clapham Rovers	2–1	Sheffield	Matched played at Peterborough[4]	17 January 1874
Swifts	Bye

Replay

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Oxford University	1–0	Wanderers		31 January 1874

Semi-finals

Home Club	Score	Away Club	Attendance	Date
Royal Engineers	2–0	Swifts		28 January 1874
Oxford University	1–0	Clapham Rovers		28 February 1874

Both semi-finals were played at Kennington Oval, London.

Final

Main article: 1874 FA Cup Final

14 March 1874

Oxford University	2–0	Royal Engineers
Mackarness 10' Patton 20'	Report

Kennington Oval

Attendance: 2,000

Referee: Alfred Stair (Upton Park F.C.)