1925–26 FA Cup


The FA Cup 1925–26 was the 51st staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Bolton Wanderers won the competition for the second time, beating Manchester City 1–0 in the final at Wembley.
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. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. 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 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. This first edition of the competition with the modern naming convention of the FA cup First and Second Qualifying rounds became First and Second round proper and what was previously called First round proper became Third Round Proper.

Calendar

First round proper

At this stage 40 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. Millwall, Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle were given a bye to the Third Round. Four Second Division sides, Barnsley, Darlington, Oldham Athletic and Swansea Town were entered at this stage. To make the number of matches up, seven non-league sides were given byes to this round. These were:
38 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 28 November 1925. Seven matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, of which four went to another replay, and one of these went to a third.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Clapton3–1Norwich City28 November 1925
2Bournemouth3–0Merthyr Town28 November 1925
3Rochdale4–0West Stanley1 December 1925
4South Bank1–4Stockton3 December 1925
5Weymouth0–1Newport County28 November 1925
6Walsall0–1Grimsby Town28 November 1925
7Gillingham6–0Southall28 November 1925
8Leyton1–0St Albans City28 November 1925
9Chatham0–3Sittingbourne28 November 1925
10Luton Town3–0Folkestone28 November 1925
11London Caledonians1–2Ilford28 November 1925
12Boston5–2Mansfield Town28 November 1925
13Doncaster Rovers2–0Wellington Town28 November 1925
14Tranmere Rovers0–0Crewe Alexandra28 November 1925
ReplayCrewe Alexandra2–1Tranmere Rovers2 December 1925
15Worksop Town1–0Coventry City28 November 1925
16Accrington Stanley4–0Wrexham28 November 1925
17Brentford3–1Barnet28 November 1925
18Northampton Town3–1Barnsley28 November 1925
19Wath Athletic0–5Chesterfield28 November 1925
20Brighton & Hove Albion1–1Watford28 November 1925
ReplayWatford2–0Brighton & Hove Albion2 December 1925
21Northfleet United2–2Queens Park Rangers28 November 1925
ReplayQueens Park Rangers2–0Northfleet United2 December 1925
22Carlisle United0–2Chilton Colliery Recreation28 November 1925
23Oldham Athletic10–1Lytham28 November 1925
24Worcester City0–0Kettering Town28 November 1925
ReplayKettering Town0–0Worcester City3 December 1925
ReplayKettering Town2–0Worcester City7 December 1925
25Southend United5–1Dulwich Hamlet28 November 1925
26Bradford Park Avenue2–2Lincoln City28 November 1925
ReplayLincoln City1–1Bradford Park Avenue2 December 1925
ReplayBradford Park Avenue2–1Lincoln City7 December 1925
27Exeter City1–3Swansea Town28 November 1925
28Horden Athletic2–3Darlington28 November 1925
29Blyth Spartans2–2Hartlepools United28 November 1925
ReplayHartlepools United1–1Blyth Spartans2 December 1925
ReplayHartlepools United1–1Blyth Spartans7 December 1925
ReplayHartlepools United1–2Blyth Spartans9 December 1925
30Halifax Town0–3Rotherham United28 November 1925
31Charlton Athletic4–2Windsor & Eton28 November 1925
32Durham City4–1Ashington2 December 1925
33Southport1–0Mold28 November 1925
34Aberdare Athletic4–1Bristol Rovers28 November 1925
35New Brighton2–0Barrow28 November 1925
36Torquay United1–1Reading28 November 1925
ReplayReading1–1Torquay United2 December 1925
ReplayReading2–0Torquay United7 December 1925
37Farnham United Breweries1–10Swindon Town28 November 1925
38Wigan Borough3–0Nelson2 December 1925

Second round proper

The matches were played on Saturday, 12 December 1925. Four matches were drawn, with replays taking place in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Clapton1–0Ilford12 December 1925
2Reading6–0Leyton12 December 1925
3Crewe Alexandra2–2Wigan Borough12 December 1925
ReplayWigan Borough2–1Crewe Alexandra16 December 1925
4Swindon Town7–0Sittingbourne12 December 1925
5Boston Town1–0Bradford Park Avenue12 December 1925
6Stockton4–6Oldham Athletic12 December 1925
7Doncaster Rovers0–2Rotherham United12 December 1925
8Worksop Town1–2Chesterfield12 December 1925
9Queens Park Rangers1–1Charlton Athletic12 December 1925
ReplayCharlton Athletic1–0Queens Park Rangers17 December 1925
10Accrington Stanley5–0Blyth Spartans12 December 1925
11Brentford1–2Bournemouth12 December 1925
12Northampton Town3–1Newport County12 December 1925
13Southend United1–0Gillingham12 December 1925
14Swansea Town3–2Watford12 December 1925
15Durham City0–3Southport12 December 1925
16Aberdare Athletic1–0Luton Town12 December 1925
17New Brighton2–0Darlington12 December 1925
18Chilton Colliery Recreation1–1Rochdale12 December 1925
ReplayRochdale1–2Chilton Colliery Recreation17 December 1925
19Kettering Town1–1Grimsby Town12 December 1925
ReplayGrimsby Town3–1Kettering Town15 December 1925

Third round proper

40 of the 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with Third Division South teams Millwall, Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle. Also given a bye to this round of the draw were amateur side Corinthian. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 9 January 1926. Nine matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, of which one went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Birmingham2–0Grimsby Town9 January 1926
2Blackpool0–2Swansea Town9 January 1926
3Chesterfield0–1Clapton Orient9 January 1926
4Clapton2–3Swindon Town9 January 1926
5Bournemouth2–0Reading9 January 1926
6South Shields3–0Chilton Colliery Recreation9 January 1926
7Southampton0–0Liverpool9 January 1926
ReplayLiverpool1–0Southampton13 January 1926
8Notts County2–0Leicester City9 January 1926
9Nottingham Forest1–0Bradford City9 January 1926
10Blackburn Rovers1–1Preston North End9 January 1926
ReplayPreston North End1–4Blackburn Rovers14 January 1926
11Bolton Wanderers1–0Accrington Stanley9 January 1926
12Wolverhampton Wanderers1–1Arsenal9 January 1926
ReplayArsenal1–0Wolverhampton Wanderers13 January 1926
13Middlesbrough5–1Leeds United9 January 1926
14West Bromwich Albion4–1Bristol City9 January 1926
15Sunderland8–1Boston9 January 1926
16Derby County0–0Portsmouth9 January 1926
ReplayPortsmouth1–1Derby County13 January 1926
ReplayDerby County2–0Portsmouth18 January 1926
17Everton1–1Fulham9 January 1926
ReplayFulham1–0Everton14 January 1926
18Sheffield United2–0Stockport County9 January 1926
19Newcastle United4–1Aberdare Athletic9 January 1926
20Tottenham Hotspur5–0West Ham United9 January 1926
21Northampton Town3–3Crystal Palace9 January 1926
ReplayCrystal Palace2–1Northampton Town13 January 1926
22Plymouth Argyle1–2Chelsea9 January 1926
23Millwall1–1Oldham Athletic9 January 1926
ReplayOldham Athletic0–1Millwall12 January 1926
24Hull City0–3Aston Villa9 January 1926
25Southend United5–2Southport9 January 1926
26Cardiff City2–2Burnley9 January 1926
ReplayBurnley0–2Cardiff City13 January 1926
27Port Vale2–3Manchester United9 January 1926
28Charlton Athletic0–1Huddersfield Town9 January 1926
29New Brighton2–1The Wednesday9 January 1926
30Wigan Borough2–5Stoke City9 January 1926
31Corinthian3–3Manchester City9 January 1926
ReplayManchester City4–0Corinthian13 January 1926
32Rotherham United2–3Bury9 January 1926

Fourth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 30 January 1926. Three games were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bournemouth2–2Bolton Wanderers30 January 1926
ReplayBolton Wanderers6–2Bournemouth3 February 1926
2Bury3–3Millwall30 January 1926
ReplayMillwall2–0Bury3 February 1926
3South Shields2–1Birmingham30 January 1926
4Notts County2–0New Brighton30 January 1926
5Nottingham Forest2–0Swindon Town30 January 1926
6West Bromwich Albion1–2Aston Villa30 January 1926
7Sheffield United1–2Sunderland30 January 1926
8Tottenham Hotspur2–2Manchester United30 January 1926
ReplayManchester United2–0Tottenham Hotspur3 February 1926
9Manchester City4–0Huddersfield Town30 January 1926
10Fulham3–1Liverpool30 January 1926
11Clapton Orient4–2Middlesbrough30 January 1926
12Crystal Palace2–1Chelsea30 January 1926
13Southend United4–1Derby County30 January 1926
14Cardiff City0–2Newcastle United30 January 1926
15Swansea Town6–3Stoke City30 January 1926
16Arsenal3–1Blackburn Rovers30 January 1926

Fifth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 20 February 1926. There were two replays, played in the next midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Notts County0–1Fulham20 February 1926
2Aston Villa1–1Arsenal20 February 1926
ReplayArsenal2–0Aston Villa24 February 1926
3Bolton Wanderers3–0South Shields20 February 1926
4Sunderland3–3Manchester United20 February 1926
ReplayManchester United2–1Sunderland24 February 1926
5Manchester City11–4Crystal Palace20 February 1926
6Millwall0–1Swansea Town20 February 1926
7Clapton Orient2–0Newcastle United20 February 1926
8Southend United0–1Nottingham Forest20 February 1926

Sixth round proper

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 6 March 1926. There was one replay, between Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers, played in the following midweek fixture. This then went to a second replay the week after.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Nottingham Forest2–2Bolton Wanderers6 March 1926
ReplayBolton Wanderers0–0Nottingham Forest10 March 1926
ReplayBolton Wanderers1–0Nottingham Forest15 March 1926
2Fulham1–2Manchester United6 March 1926
3Clapton Orient1–6Manchester City6 March 1926
4Swansea Town2–1Arsenal6 March 1926

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 27 March 1926. Both matches ended in 3–0 victories for Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers, who went on to meet in the final at Wembley.
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Final

The 1926 FA Cup Final was contested by Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City at Wembley. Bolton won by a single goal, scored by David Jack.

Match details