FA Cup Final 1896

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The 1896 FA Cup Final was won by Sheffield Wednesday at the Crystal Palace, in a victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

1 Tournament Layout
2 Route to the Final
3 The Final
4 Tennant's disbelief
5 Match Statistics
6 The Line Ups
7 External links
8 References

[edit] Tournament Layout

210 teams entered, a record high for the competition, beating the previous record by some 27 clubs. The qualifiers were whittled down to 32 clubs to participate in the competition proper.^{[citation needed]} Clubs competed for a new trophy, which remains the oldest surviving FA Cup trophy, although it was retired from use in 1910.^[1]

[edit] Route to the Final

Sheffield Wednesday started their campaign against Southampton St. Mary's, whom they just beat 3-2. In the second round they drew Sunderland, who they beat 2-1. In the Quarter Finals they brushed Everton aside by 4 goals to none. They then faced Bolton Wanderers, who in turn won the competition in 1894. After a drawn match at Everton, The Wednesday prevailed 3-1 in the Nottingham replay.

Wolverhampton drew against Notts County in their opening match, and only just won through 4-3 in the replay. In the second round they were drawn against Liverpool F.C., who were only established 4 years earlier. They won through 2-0 and met Stoke in the next round. Stoke had beaten Burnley in the previous round 7-1. However Stoke were beaten easily by 3 goals to none, setting up a semi final against Derby County. The match was played at Villa Park and was won 2-1.

[edit] The Final

Fred Spiksley became the star of the show in this Cup Final, scoring the two goals that gave the Wednesday a 2-1 win. After less than a minute, a run by Davis, the outside-right, set up Spiksley to slot home the first. Black soon equalised for Wolves with a cunning hook close to the post. Spiksley however smashed a shot against the upright which bounced into the goal and then out again. The referee gave a goal. The score stayed the same till the final whistle.

[edit] Tennant's disbelief

Tennant, the Wolverhampton goalkeeper was in disbelief that his team had lost, as Spiksley's second shot had not stayed in the goal net, but rebounded back into the field of play, with the result that Tennant did not realise a goal had been given. At the end of the game, he walked up to Earp, the Wednesday captain and said, "When's the replay?", to which he received the reply "There is no replay old man! We won by two goals to one as you will see when we take the medals!". "But how, for only one shot passed me!"^{[citation needed]}.