MONEY AT THE DOUBLE

All being well for Chelsea this afternoon, the Pensioners will be crowned FA Cup winners and therefore will also "Do the Double". I'm not bothered but it must be better than Arsenal getting it.
The last time this happened was Chelsea 2009-10.
Prior, Arsenal had done it in 2001-2, 1997-8 and 1970-1.
Manchester United did it in 1998-9 1995-6, 1993-4.
Liverpool won both trophies in 1985-6.
Tottenham Hotspur were the first club to win the Double in the 20th Century in 1960-1.
In the 19th century Aston Villa "Doubled" in 1896-7.

The first team to conquer all was Preston North End, the Invincibles in the first year of the Football League 1888-9. When the FL started, on 8th september, league positions were judged by games won only. This was soon to be questioned as "draws" got no recognition. During the season wins were eventually given 2 points and 1 point for a draw. The season ended on January 5th.

Preston went unbeaten in 22 games (there were 12 teams in the one and only division) and they had a record of:-
P22, W18, D4, Goals scored for 47 against 15 with a "Goal Average" of 4.9 (which was a way of deciding between teams should they have equal points. Today this is done by goal difference).
Main scorers were: Englishman, John Goodall scored 21 in 21 games; Scot, James Ross 18 and Fred Dewhurst (Eng) 12.
In the Cup PNE beat Wolves in the final at the Oval on March 30th, 1889, 3-0. 149 clubs started the competition and Preston beat Bootle, Grimsby, Birmingham St Georges and WBA. Dewhurst, Ross and Thompson scored.
The squad had 8 players from England, 7 Scots (remember that professionalism encouraged Scots to cross the border and they also may have originally worked in the mills of Lancashire to supplement their wages). 2 came from Wales and 1 from Northern Ireland.

William Sudell, born in Preston, was "manager" of the local cotton mill and chairman of the club. He was responsible for getting paid footballers recognised (ending "shamateurism") which changed the game.

In 1895 he was convicted of fraud moving money from his mill to the club and was imprisoned for 3 years. He later migrated to South Africa where he had much to do in promoting sport and died there in 1911. He is with PNE here third from the left back row of the INVINCIBLES.