The Old Etonians represented the true "amateur" game, formed and played by old boys of the "school", they were "toffs" and they faced the future of football, a Darwen team formed around a northern mill team and apparently paying players. This went against all previous expectations in the newly formed Football Association. Accused of professionalism, one way and another, the Darwen side wriggled around the FA laws!
Since its first airing in 1872, the FA Cup finals had been contested by these teams; The Wanderers, Royal Engineers and Oxford University-all amateurs.
Clapham Rovers made their way to the 1879 Final and met the Old Etonians, who had eventually beaten the Darwen side, who announced to the nation the growing rise of provincial football. The Lancashire mill workers rocked the Old Etonians, whose main man was Lord Kinnaird . The Fourth Round tie was stretched to three matches between the Gents and the Pros, the first tie drawn 5-5 with Darwen scoring final 4 goals in 15 minutes. The OEs refused to play extra time since it was not written in the rules of the competition, The replay went to 2-2 after extra time (Darwen clawing back from being behind twice) and the third tie saw the northerners weary from travelling lose 2-6, all matches played in the south! By the way the OEs generously contributed £5 towards their travel!
After beating London based Remnants (some public school boys) in the previous round the Darwen players had spent £31 1s 2d on rail fares, an amount that would take two men to Australia by ship.The Darwen locals set up a "London Fund" to sponsor the team, the first "Cup Fever " known; the shape of things to come.
The following year, after pressure from the press, the FA changed the regulation to playing all matches in the final three rounds should be played at The Oval.
To get to the final, Darwen had a walk over to Birch (local side), then drew with Eagley 0-0, beating them in an away replay 4-1 , then they met OEs.
Eagley is a village near Bolton where the football club was formed in 1874. Their first recorded opponents were Preston NE.
Old Etonians were pitted against The Wanderers winning 2-7, then away to Reading 0-1, Minerva 5-2, Darwen in R4 finally beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 and winning the final 3-0 against Clapham Rovers.
In the Final, Fergus Suter and James Love, were two paid players, signed the previous Summer.
In photo Fergus is on floor!
The next year Darwen met Eagley again winning 1-0 and then lost to Blackburn Rovers 3-1 in Rd 2.
In 1880-1 Darwen won through to the semi-finals and met the "toffs", Old Carthusians (old boys of Charterhouse School) who beat them 4-1. The Old Etonians had a BYE is the SEMI-FINAL!! and met the OCs in the Final losing 3-0.
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