1908–09 FA Cup


The 1908–09 FA Cup was the 38th staging of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. Manchester United won the competition for the first time, beating Bristol City 1–0 in the final at Crystal Palace, through a goal from Sandy Turnbull.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.

Calendar

The format of the FA Cup for the season had two preliminary rounds, five qualifying rounds, four proper rounds, and the semi finals and final.
RoundDate
Extra Preliminary RoundSaturday 12 September 1908
Preliminary RoundSaturday 19 September 1908
First Qualifying RoundSaturday 3 October 1908
Second Qualifying RoundSaturday 17 October 1908
Third Qualifying RoundSaturday 7 November 1908
Fourth Qualifying RoundSaturday 21 November 1908
Fifth Qualifying RoundSaturday 5 December 1908
First Round ProperSaturday 16 January 1909
Second RoundSaturday 6 February 1909
Third RoundSaturday 20 February 1909
Fourth RoundSaturday 6 March 1909
Semi FinalsSaturday 27 March 1909
FinalSaturday 24 April 1909

First Round Proper

37 of the 40 clubs from the First and Second divisions joined the 12 clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. Of the League sides, Bradford Park Avenue were entered at the Fourth Qualifying Round, while Gainsborough Trinity and Chesterfield were put into the Fifth Qualifying Round. Bradford went out in that round, losing to Croydon Common. Ten non-league clubs joined the other two sides in winning through to the First Round Proper.
Fifteen non-league sides were given byes to the First Round to bring the total number of teams up to 64. These were:
32 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 16 January 1909, except for one game which was played three days later. Ten matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, of which one went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Birmingham2–5Portsmouth16 January 1909
2Blackpool2–0Rock-a-Nore16 January 1909
3Chesterfield0–2Glossop16 January 1909
4Bristol City1–1Southampton16 January 1909
ReplaySouthampton0–2Bristol City20 January 1909
5Bury8–0Kettering16 January 1909
6Liverpool5–1Lincoln City16 January 1909
7Preston North End1–0Middlesbrough16 January 1909
8Watford1–1Leicester Fosse16 January 1909
ReplayLeicester Fosse3–1Watford20 January 1909
9Notts County0–1Blackburn Rovers16 January 1909
10Nottingham Forest2–0Aston Villa16 January 1909
11The Wednesday5–0Stoke16 January 1909
12Grimsby Town0–2Stockport County16 January 1909
13Wolverhampton Wanderers2–2Crystal Palace16 January 1909
ReplayCrystal Palace4–2Wolverhampton Wanderers21 January 1909
14West Bromwich Albion3–1Bolton Wanderers16 January 1909
15Luton Town1–2Millwall Athletic16 January 1909
16Everton3–1Barnsley16 January 1909
17Wrexham1–1Exeter City16 January 1909
ReplayExeter City2–1Wrexham20 January 1909
18Sheffield United2–3Sunderland16 January 1909
19Newcastle United5–0Clapton Orient16 January 1909
20Manchester City3–4Tottenham Hotspur16 January 1909
21Queens Park Rangers0–0West Ham United16 January 1909
ReplayWest Ham United1–0Queens Park Rangers20 January 1909
22Fulham4–1Carlisle United16 January 1909
23Brentford2–0Gainsborough Trinity16 January 1909
24Bristol Rovers1–4Burnley16 January 1909
25Northampton Town1–1Derby County16 January 1909
ReplayDerby County4–2Northampton Town20 January 1909
26Manchester United1–0Brighton & Hove Albion16 January 1909
27Norwich City0–0Reading16 January 1909
ReplayReading1–1Norwich City20 January 1909
ReplayNorwich City3–2Reading25 January 1909
28Plymouth Argyle1–0Swindon Town16 January 1909
29Bradford City2–0Workington19 January 1909
30Hull City1–1Chelsea16 January 1909
ReplayChelsea1–0Hull City20 January 1909
31Oldham Athletic1–1Leeds City16 January 1909
ReplayLeeds City2–0Oldham Athletic20 January 1909
32Croydon Common1–1Woolwich Arsenal16 January 1909
ReplayWoolwich Arsenal2–0Croydon Common20 January 1909

Second Round Proper

The sixteen second round matches were played on Saturday, 6 February 1909. Six matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bristol City2–2Bury6 February 1909
ReplayBury0–1Bristol City10 February 1909
2Liverpool2–3Norwich City6 February 1909
3Preston North End1–2Sunderland6 February 1909
4Nottingham Forest1–0Brentford6 February 1909
5Blackburn Rovers2–1Chelsea6 February 1909
6West Bromwich Albion1–2Bradford City6 February 1909
7Leicester Fosse0–2Derby County6 February 1909
8Woolwich Arsenal1–1Millwall Athletic6 February 1909
ReplayMillwall Athletic1–0Woolwich Arsenal10 February 1909
9Stockport County1–1Glossop6 February 1909
ReplayGlossop1–0Stockport County9 February 1909
10Newcastle United2–1Blackpool6 February 1909
11Tottenham Hotspur1–0Fulham6 February 1909
12Portsmouth2–2The Wednesday6 February 1909
ReplayThe Wednesday3–0Portsmouth11 February 1909
13Manchester United1–0Everton6 February 1909
14Plymouth Argyle2–0Exeter City6 February 1909
15Leeds City1–1West Ham United6 February 1909
ReplayWest Ham United2–1Leeds City11 February 1909
16Crystal Palace0–0Burnley6 February 1909
ReplayBurnley9–0Crystal Palace10 February 1909

Third Round Proper

The eight third-round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 20 February 1909. There were two replays, played in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bristol City2–0Norwich City20 February 1909
2Nottingham Forest3–1Millwall Athletic20 February 1909
3The Wednesday0–1Glossop20 February 1909
4Derby County1–0Plymouth Argyle20 February 1909
5Tottenham Hotspur0–0Burnley20 February 1909
ReplayBurnley3–1Tottenham Hotspur24 February 1909
6West Ham United0–0Newcastle United20 February 1909
ReplayNewcastle United2–1West Ham United24 February 1909
7Manchester United6–1Blackburn Rovers20 February 1909
8Bradford City0–1Sunderland20 February 1909

Fourth Round Proper

The four quarter final matches were scheduled for Saturday, 6 March 1909, although only two games were played on this date. The Burnley–Manchester United and Derby County–Nottingham Forest ties were played instead four and seven days later, respectively. The other two games were drawn, and replayed on 10 March.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Burnley2–3Manchester United10 March 1909
2Derby County3–0Nottingham Forest13 March 1909
3Newcastle United2–2Sunderland6 March 1909
ReplaySunderland0–3Newcastle United10 March 1909
4Glossop0–0Bristol City6 March 1909
ReplayBristol City1–0Glossop10 March 1909

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 27 March 1909. Bristol City and Derby County drew their match, and went on to replay it four days later. Bristol City won this tie, and so went on to meet the other semi-final winner, Manchester United, in the final.
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;Replay

Final

The Final was played on 24 April 1909 at Crystal Palace, and was contested by Manchester United and Bristol City, both of the First Division. Manchester United won by a single goal, scored by Sandy Turnbull midway through the first half. This was the first of United's twelve FA Cup titles to date.

Match details