CORINTHIANS AND THE FA CUP

This date in 1923 saw the most famous amateur club, The Corinthians play, for the first time, in the FA Cup. It was in the 1922-3 tournament. Prior to this the club probably prefered to keep away from "professionalism", and as you will know they were a strictly "amateur" and well behaved!! I knew a local footballer from south London, who joined up with the Corinthian Casuals team in the 1980s and at some stage in his short career with them, got himself sent off.  By the time he walked off the pitch towards the changing room door, his clothes were wrapped up in a bundle and he was not allowed back in the club house!! 

In 1923, the post War FA Cup needed a bit of a "leg up", so the amateur (and I mean, really amateur!!) club played in the FA Cup and their earlier ties were hosted at the old Crystal Palace ground. Their first ever tie was against Brighton and Hove Albion, a full time professional club, who were taken to a second replay on the 17th. There was a 1-1 at Brighton, another 1-1 at Crystal Palace and then a 0-1 defeat at a neutral ground, Stamford Bridge, eventually on January 22nd, in front of a 45,000 crowd.

By the way, 22 Corinthians lost their lives in the First World War and the campaign in the Cup, captured the imagination of the British public.

A year later, on Jan 12th, the Corinthians beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0 in Round One, losing to West Bromwich away in Rd 2 5-0. 50,000 watched this. 

In 1924-5, on the 10 January, they lost 5-0 to Sheffield United in Rd 1.

1925-6, with their cup campaign starting in the 3rd Rd, saw them lose to Manchester City 0-4 (on January 13th 1926) after a 3-3 draw. Over 70,000 saw these two games. City later met Crystal Palace in Rd 5 and beat them 11-4.

In 1927, given a free trip to Rd 3, they beat Walsall 4-0 and in Round 4 lost 1-3 in a home tie against Newcastle United, a game that attracted 56,000 and was the second ever match to be covered by BBC Radio.

In 1928, the Corinthians, once again given a free run to Rd 3, lost to New Brighton away 1-2. In 1929 their Rd 3 cup game was at Norwich City on Jan 12th. They won 0-5. Their next tie was at West Ham Utd witnessed by 42,000. They lost 3-0. 

By the end of the 1930s the interest in amateur football had waned and the Corinthians merged with a fellow amateur club, The Casuals, The two clubs had toured together previously and had been run by a joint committee. The club remained out of the leagues and toured, promoting football over the world .

By 1939 the club lost its spiritual home, when the famous Crystal Palace burnt down and then the club merged with The Casuals, another amateur club, to form what is now the Corinthian Casuals.
There were other FA Cup moments for the Corinthians, once the best of all amateur football. Today they play in the Pyramid, they claim not to pay any players, maintaining their "amateur" status.