Saturday 25 April 2020

FA CUP FINAL 24th APRIL 1915 and 1920


https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/cup-or-war.html
I published this last year and I'm afraid the illustration didn't "come out". So I will try again.

The caption from "Punch" October 21st 1914, says;
Mr Punch says:"No doubt you can make money in this field, my friend, but there's only one field today, where you can get honour."
The FA were criticised for letting the Cup run its course, in the first winter after War was declared. As you will remember the FA took advice from the War Office who told them to continue with the fixtures, to maintain morale in the country.

So on April 24th 1915, Sheffield United took on Chelsea at Old Trafford and won 3-0 with just over 49,500 watching the game. It was known as the Khaki Cup Final, as many of those visiting were dressed in their service uniforms. Progress of the game was wired to ships describing a grey and joyless occasion; not what the nation needed. It was the last "big game" for four years, as war interfered and the next FA Cup Final took place on the same date, April 24th, in 1920 at Stamford Bridge, with Aston Villa winning their sixth cup, beating Huddersfield 1-0 with a goal in the 100th minute (extra time of course).

Huddersfield's season was remarkable as the club started it close to liquidation for financial reasons. The towns folk rallied and there were collections and player sales with the restructured team finishing the season with promotion from the Second Division and reaching the Cup Final.

Villa also beat Chelsea in the semi-final at Bramall Lane, saving some embarrassment for the FA Cup committee, who had already set the final at Stamford Bridge. The Bridge kept the final until 1923, when Wembley was ready to accept Bolton Wanderers and West Ham as the year's finalists. The 24th is one of two dates when 6 FA Cup Finals or replays have taken place. The other one is the 26th April.

The FA Cup final began as an April fixture, it slipped back into March from time to time and occasionally became a May event. From 1971 the Final has been a regular May event. This season?




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