The FA Cup and other football, of course, had been cancelled since the start of the First World War. The last Cup Final was held in 1915 and you will remember, it was known as "The Khaki Cup Final" since so many of the crowd attending were dressed in military kit. The teams were not.
All cup ties, in the revived tournament, had to be played on a Saturday and were 90 minutes long. If drawn the replay had to be played in the same week, with 30 minutes extra time if needed.
The attraction of the Cup, after the devastating War, meant the FA had to arrange an Extra Preliminary Round with 25 ties. There was then a Preliminary Rd, Six Qualifying Rounds, Four Proper Rounds to the Semi-finals and then of course the Final.
Noting that the Football League ran only two divisions before the War, the following Non-League clubs had byes to Round One:
Southampton, Millwall, QPR, Crystal Palace, Swindon Town, Plymouth Argyle, Reading, Portsmouth, Brentford and Cardiff.
The last standing "unusual" clubs to go furthest in the Cup were:
Castleford Town v Hednesford Town (Castleford won), who then lost to Bradford PA 3-2
Clapton Orient (lost to Man City 1-4),
South Shields (lost to Liverpool after a home draw),
Thorneycrofts Woolston (who held Burnley to a 0-0 at home),
West Stanley (beat Gillingham 3-1 and then lost 4-0 to Spurs away).
Aston Villa made their way to the Final via QPR in Rd 1; 2-1, then Man Utd away 1-2, Sunderland 1-0 at home, Spurs away in the last 8; 0-1 and then Chelsea in the semi-final 3-1.
Town got there via Brentford 5-1 in Rd 1, Newcastle away 0-1, Plymouth at home 3-1, Liverpool 2-1 and Bristol City in the semi-final 2-1.
The Final was held on April 24th 1920 at Stamford Bridge, with just over 50,000 in the crowd. Villa saved the faces of the FA when they beat Chelsea in the semi and made sure that the Pensioners didn't play the final on their own pitch!
The steep terraces of the ground allowed a great view for all in the stadium and for a minimum charge of 3 shillings (15p in new money) they had a bargain.
In extra time, the 100th minute, Billy Kirton scored with a header. 61 years later at the celebration for the 100th Cup Final, Jack Swann of Town swore that it was an own goal by his team mate Tom Wilson.
Referee Jack "Jimmy" Howcroft (above), a well respected arbiter, was rarely wrong and he confirmed it was Kirton's!!
I have written this before but at the start of the season Town were on the edge of liquidation for financial reasons, but the locals rallied, players were sold and they finish the season with promotion from thre Second Division and a Cup Final place.
The League winners in 1919-20 were 1st Div: West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham in Div 2.
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