1886 FA Cup final

1886 FA Cup Final
Event	1885–86 FA Cup
	Blackburn Rovers won after a replay
Final
Date	3 April 1886
Venue	Kennington Oval, London
Referee	Francis Marindin
Attendance	15,000
Replay
Date	10 April 1886
Venue	Racecourse Ground, Derby
Referee	Francis Marindin
Attendance	12,000
	← 1885 1887 →

The 1886 FA Cup Final was a football match between Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 3 April 1886 at Kennington Oval in south London. The result was a goalless draw. West Bromwich Albion wanted to play extra time but Blackburn Rovers declined and so a replay was necessary.^[1] This took place a week later at the Racecourse Ground in Derby, the first venue outside London to stage an FA Cup final match. Blackburn Rovers won 2–0 to win the tournament for the third successive time. Following Wanderers (1876–1878), Blackburn was the second team to win three successive finals and, as of 2022, they remain the last to do so. Their goals were scored by Jimmy Brown and Joe Sowerbutts. Both matches were refereed by Major Francis Marindin.

The replay was the final match of the 1885–86 FA Cup, the 15th edition of the world's oldest football knockout competition, and England's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. Blackburn Rovers were making their fourth (of eight) appearances in the final; West Bromwich Albion their first (of ten). It was the first final to involve two extant clubs who are still members of either the Premier League or the English Football League.

Route to the final

Blackburn Rovers

**Blackburn Rovers**
Round	Opposition	Score
1st	Clitheroe (a)	2–0
2nd	Oswaldtwistle Rovers (h)	1–0
3rd	Darwen Old Wanderers (h)	6–1
4th	Staveley (h)	7–1
5th	bye
6th	Brentwood (a)	3–1
Semi-final	Swifts (n)	2–1

West Bromwich Albion

In the sixth round, Jem Bayliss scored Albion's first FA Cup hat-trick.

In their third season in the FA Cup, West Bromwich Albion were drawn at home in every round prior to the semi-final. In the first two rounds, they defeated Aston Unity 4–1 and Wednesbury Old Athletic 3–2. The team then received a bye to the fourth round, where they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers by a 3–1 scoreline. Old Carthusians were defeated by a single goal in the fifth round. A hat-trick from Jem Bayliss—the first by an Albion player in the FA Cup^[2]—contributed to a 6–0 quarter-final victory over Old Westminsters, putting the club into the FA Cup semi-final for the first time. The semi-final took place at Aston Lower Grounds and was against one of Albion's local rivals, Small Heath Alliance. Albion won 4–0—Arthur Loach and George Woodhall each scoring twice—to become the first Midlands club to reach the FA Cup Final.^[3] After the game, Small Heath supporters invaded the pitch and then pelted missiles at vehicles bound for West Bromwich, causing several injuries.^[4]

**West Bromwich Albion**
Round	Opposition	Score
1st	Aston Unity (h)	4–1
2nd	Wednesbury Old Athletic (h)	3–2
3rd	bye
4th	Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)	3–1
5th	Old Carthusians (h)	1–0
6th	Old Westminsters (h)	6–0
Semi-final	Small Heath Alliance (n)	4–0

Match details

This was the first final contested between two extant clubs which are still members of either the Premier League or the English Football League.

Blackburn Rovers

W.B. Albion


Blackburn Rovers 0
GK	Herby Arthur
DF	Richard Turner
DF	Fergus Suter
MF	Joseph Heyes
MF	Jimmy Forrest
MF	Hugh McIntyre
FW	Jimmy Douglas
FW	Thomas Strahan
FW	Joe Sowerbutts
FW	Howard Fecitt
FW	Jimmy Brown (captain)


West Bromwich Albion 0
GK	Bob Roberts
DF	Harry Green
DF	Harry Bell
MF	Ezra Horton
MF	Charlie Perry
MF	George Timmins
FW	George Woodhall
FW	Tommy Green
FW	Jem Bayliss (captain)
FW	Arthur Loach
FW	George Bell

Played: 3 April 1886
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Major Francis Marindin, RE
Umpires: M. P. Betts (Kent) and J. C. Clegg (Sheffield)

Replay

The replay in Derby on 10 April was the first FA Cup final match to be played outside London. There were fears that the match would have to be postponed when Derby was hit by a blizzard that morning, but it blew over and the snow had thawed before the kick-off was due. Albion supporters carried cards saying "Play Up Throstles".^[5]

Teams


Blackburn Rovers 2 (Brown & Sowerbutts)
GK	Herby Arthur
DF	Richard Turner
DF	Fergus Suter
MF	Nat Walton
MF	Jimmy Forrest
MF	Hugh McIntyre
FW	Jimmy Douglas
FW	Thomas Strahan
FW	Joe Sowerbutts
FW	Howard Fecitt
FW	Jimmy Brown (captain)


West Bromwich Albion 0
GK	Bob Roberts
DF	Harry Green
DF	Harry Bell
MF	Ezra Horton
MF	Charlie Perry
MF	George Timmins
FW	George Woodhall
FW	Tommy Green
FW	Jem Bayliss (captain)
FW	Arthur Loach
FW	George Bell

Played 10 April 1886
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Major Francis Marindin

References

Citations

^ The Guardian, 5 April 1886, page 7.
^ Matthews (2007) pp. 392–393.
^ Matthews (1987) p. 201.
^ McOwan p. 17.
^ Collett, page 22.

Sources

FA Cup Results Archive
The Complete Record of the FA Cup by Mike Collett (2003). SportsBooks Ltd, Cheltenham.
McOwan, Gavin (2002). The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion. Headline. ISBN 0-7553-1146-9.
Matthews, Tony; Mackenzie, Colin (1987). Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879–1987. Breedon Books. ISBN 0-907969-23-2.
Matthews, Tony (2007). West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record. Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-565-4.
1885–86 Competition Results at rsssf.com
FA Cup Final lineups
Soccerbase summary – first match
Soccerbase summary – replay
Match report at www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk
Daily News (London), issue 12,475, page 3. Monday, April 5, 1886.
Morning Post (London), issue 35,503, page 2. Monday, April 5, 1886.

[1] The Guardian, 5 April 1886, page 7.

[2] Matthews (2007) pp. 392–393.

[3] Matthews (1987) p. 201.

[4] McOwan p. 17.

[5] Collett, page 22.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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