FA CUP FINAL: 18th APRIL 1903

 

The FA Cup known officially as The Football Association Challenge Cup was first proposed on 20 July 1871 by C.W.Alcock at a meeting of The FA.committee. This was the first suggestion that there should "competition" between the emerging clubs in the country. 

The tournament was first played in the 1871-2 season and is the world's oldest football (association) tournament. The 1903 Final, held on April 18th, was between Bury and Derby County and was held at the Crystal Palace. It was the 32nd final, the third of the 20th century. 

Bury were appearing in the final for the second time, having defeated Southampton 4–0 in 1900, on April 21st, at The C. Palace. Nearly 69,000 watched this game and 63,000 the 1903 final. 

Derby County were appearing in their third final, having lost the previous two by 3–1 to Nottingham Forest in 1898 at the "Palace" in front of over 62,000 and by 4–1 to Sheffield United in 1899, also at The C.Palace, with nearly 74,000 in the crowd.

Bury and Derby County were both members of the Football League, First Division. In the 1902-3 season, both clubs amassed 35 points each, seven points behind champions, The Wednesday (Sheffield). With identical win–loss records, Bury were placed eighth and Derby ninth, as Bury had a slightly better goal ratio (as it was calculated in those days). Do you know how equal points is decided these days?

Bury also made the final in 1900, beating Southampton 4-0 (nearly 69,000 watched) and did not concede a goal en route. Southampton at the time was a Southern League club. Earlier in the year, Lord Derby opened a "Bazaar" in Bury to raise money to support the club, relieving it from debt. It was a sucess.

Round	Opposition	Score
First	Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)	1–0
Second	Sheffield United (a)	1–0
Third	Notts County (h)	1–0
Semi-final	Aston Villa (n)	3–0

The Derby team was managed by Harry Newbould, who in 1900 had become the first person to be formally appointed to the "manager" position, having previously had charge of the team as club secretary. Bury's team between 1895 and 1907 was selected by a three-man committee but with club secretary, Harry Spencer Hamer, in charge of the team on match days. Today Derby are relegated to League One, following a season of poor finances.

Round	Opposition	Score
First	Small Heath (h)	2–1
Second	Blackburn Rovers (a)	2–0
Third	Stoke FC (h)	3–0
Semi-final	Millwall Athletic (n)	3–0

In the 1903 Final, Bury scored 6 and Derby NONE in front of a crowd of 63,102. The match ball is on show in the National Football Museum, Manchester.

As both teams normally wore white shirts and blue shorts, agreement was needed about who should change kit but both clubs claimed priority of choice. The issue was referred to the FA who refused to get involved. Unable to reach agreement, both clubs conceded the argument and neither team wore its normal kit. Bury turned out in Cambridge blue shirts and navy blue shorts, Derby in red shirts and black shorts. Neither team had shirt numbering.

On the Friday afternoon before the match and Saturday morning, seven long special trains left the two Bury stations, for the Crystal Palace. These alone accounted for around 2,000 of a large Bury contingent and thousands travelled from Derby also. An estimated 79 special trains were run to London from various points around England and all the major railway stations in the capital were well-stocked with provisions. At St Pancras, three special rooms were set aside for fans with some 40 barrels of beer, 200 cases of bottled beer, and a plentiful supply of whisky on hand.

The trophy was presented to Bury captain, George Ross, by Lord Kinnaird, who was himself a famous footballer, having played in a record nine FA Cup finals from 1873-83. 

The 1902-3 competition began with a Preliminary Round, where teams such as Crouch End Vampires, War Office, Fulham and Newhaven Cement Works played. There were then 5 Qualifying Rounds, an Intermediate Round where some professionals entered and by the First Round Proper, all teams were from the Football League, with Glossop North End, then a Second Division side, the least well known. They lost to Stoke 2-3 in Round One.