LONG RUN TO THE SEMI-FINALS

This weekend has seen some FA Cup semi-finals, one boring and one today, brilliant.
Semi-finals have been played since 1871-2, the first season that the Cup was offered to teams in the United Kingdom.
The first semis were contested by The Royal Engineers v Crystal Palace and The Wanderers v Queen's Park from Glasgow. Wanderers beat RE in the Final 1-0.

In 1873 Oxford University and Queen's Park contested one semi-final with The Wanderers being awarded a BYE as they were cup holders! Byes were used in semi-finals and other rounds between 1877-81  to handle an unusually odd number of teams competing in the competition. Seems a bit strange to have to use the bye so late in the tournament though.

In those days semi-finals were played at the Kennington Oval and by 1882 the first venue outside London used was in Huddersfield, at St John's Ground in Far Town where Huddersfield Rugby League played.
Neutral grounds have always been used with Villa Park 55 times, the most popular.

Newcastle United beat Fulham 6-0 at Anfield in 1908, a highest scoring record for a semi-final.

Semi-finals have been played at a variety of neutral venues including, of course, the tragic Hillsborough game in 1989 between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest (later replayed at Old Trafford). The other tie in 1989 was between Everton and Norwich was held at Villa Park.

Since 2008 semi-finals have been held at Wembley.
Here is the badge of Merchiston Castle School
 The 1885 Semi-final between Queens Park (Scotland) and Nottingham Forest took place at Merchiston Castle School (an independent boys' school), Colinton, a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, the Scots winning 3-0.
Merchiston Castle, the school where John Napier of "Logarithm" fame, was educated and where a colleague of mine now teaches.

Club Semi-final appearances include:
Arsenal 29 (winning 20), Man Utd 28, Everton 26, Liverpool 24, Chelsea 22. Aston Villa 21, Spurs and WBA 20.
Today's semi-finalists have been there previously:- Wolves 14 times, Manchester City 13, Watford 6 and Brighton 1.

If  Deulofeu of Watford had scored a hat trick in his semi-final today, it would have been the first since Alex Dawson of Manchester United scored one in 1958 at Highbury against Fulham.

How about this for a sequence form the 184 Extra Prelim Rounds then!
Extra Prelim Rd-Biggleswade v Northampton ON Chenecks 2-0
Prelim Rd- Biggleswade v Soham Town Rangers 3-5
1st QRd-FC Romania v Soham TR 4-0
2nd QRd- FC Romania v Beaconsfield 0-2
3rd QRd-Concord Rangers v Beaconsfield 2-1
4th QRd-Concord Rangers v Dover Athletic 0-1
1st Rd Proper-Bury v Dover Ath 5-0
2nd Rd Proper-Bury v Luton 0-1
3rd Rd Proper-Luton v Sheffield Wednesday 0-1
4th Rd Proper-Chelsea v Sheffield Wed 3-0
5th Rd Proper-Chelsea v Man Utd 0-2
QF-Wolves v Man Utd 2-1
SF-Wolves v Watford 2-3
FINAL-Man City v Watford