1954–55 FA Cup


The 1954–55 FA Cup was the 74th season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Newcastle United won the competition for the sixth time, beating Manchester City 3–1 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.

Calendar

First round proper

At this stage clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined those non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 20 November 1954. Seven were drawn and went to replays, with one of these going to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Barnet1–4Southampton20 November 1954
2Barrow1–1Darlington20 November 1954
ReplayDarlington2–1Barrow24 November 1954
3Bristol City1–2Southend United20 November 1954
4Dorchester Town2–0Bedford Town20 November 1954
5Reading3–3Colchester United20 November 1954
ReplayColchester United1–2Reading25 November 1954
6Walsall5–2Shrewsbury Town20 November 1954
7Gillingham2–0Newport County20 November 1954
8Grimsby Town2–1Halifax Town20 November 1954
9Swindon Town0–2Crystal Palace20 November 1954
10Bishop Auckland5–1Kettering Town20 November 1954
11Tranmere Rovers3–3Rochdale20 November 1954
ReplayRochdale1–0Tranmere Rovers23 November 1954
12Stockport County0–1Carlisle United20 November 1954
13Queens Park Rangers2–2Walthamstow Avenue20 November 1954
ReplayWalthamstow Avenue2–2Queens Park Rangers25 November 1954
ReplayQueens Park Rangers0–4Walthamstow Avenue29 November 1954
14Accrington Stanley7–1Creswell Colliery20 November 1954
15Barnsley3–2Wigan Athletic20 November 1954
16Brentford2–1Nuneaton Borough20 November 1954
17Crook Town5–3Stanley United20 November 1954
18Northampton Town0–1Coventry City20 November 1954
19Brighton & Hove Albion5–0Tunbridge Wells United20 November 1954
20Norwich City4–2Headington United20 November 1954
21Bradford City3–1Mansfield Town20 November 1954
22Millwall3–2Exeter City20 November 1954
23Oldham Athletic1–0Crewe Alexandra20 November 1954
24Frome Town0–3Leyton Orient20 November 1954
25Bradford Park Avenue2–0Southport20 November 1954
26Hartlepools United1–0Chesterfield20 November 1954
27Selby Town2–1Rhyl20 November 1954
28Torquay United4–0Cambridge United20 November 1954
29Workington5–1Hyde United20 November 1954
30York City3–2Scarborough20 November 1954
31Netherfield 3–3Wrexham20 November 1954
ReplayWrexham4–0Netherfield 24 November 1954
32Aldershot3–1Chelmsford City20 November 1954
33Horden CW0–1Scunthorpe United20 November 1954
34Gateshead6–0Chester20 November 1954
35Hounslow Town2–4Hastings United20 November 1954
36Boston United1–1Blyth Spartans20 November 1954
ReplayBlyth Spartans5–4Boston United24 November 1954
37Merthyr Tydfil1–1Wellington Town20 November 1954
ReplayWellington Town1–6Merthyr Tydfil24 November 1954
38Hinckley Athletic4–3Newport 20 November 1954
39Barnstaple Town1–4Bournemouth20 November 1954
40Corby Town0–2Watford20 November 1954

Second Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 11 December 1954. Four matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bournemouth1–0Oldham Athletic11 December 1954
2Dorchester Town2–5York City11 December 1954
3Rochdale2–1Hinckley Athletic11 December 1954
4Gillingham1–1Reading11 December 1954
ReplayReading5–3Gillingham13 December 1954
5Grimsby Town4–1Southampton11 December 1954
6Wrexham1–2Walsall11 December 1954
7Brentford4–1Crook Town11 December 1954
8Coventry City4–0Scunthorpe United11 December 1954
9Norwich City0–0Brighton & Hove Albion11 December 1954
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion5–1Norwich City15 December 1954
10Bradford City7–1Merthyr Tydfil11 December 1954
11Millwall3–2Accrington Stanley11 December 1954
12Carlisle United2–2Watford11 December 1954
ReplayWatford4–1Carlisle United15 December 1954
13Crystal Palace2–4Bishop Auckland11 December 1954
14Bradford Park Avenue2–3Southend United11 December 1954
15Hartlepools United4–0Aldershot11 December 1954
16Blyth Spartans1–3Torquay United11 December 1954
17Selby Town0–2Hastings United11 December 1954
18Walthamstow Avenue0–3Darlington11 December 1954
19Gateshead3–3Barnsley11 December 1954
ReplayBarnsley0–1Gateshead16 December 1954
20Leyton Orient0–1Workington11 December 1954

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 8 January 1955. Ten matches were drawn and went to replays, with three of these requiring a second replay. Notable is tie no. 3, between Bury and Stoke City, which went to four replays before Stoke won in the final game, with an aggregated score of 9–10.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool0–2York City8 January 1955
2Bournemouth0–1West Bromwich Albion8 January 1955
3Bury1–1Stoke City8 January 1955
ReplayStoke City1–1Bury12 January 1955
ReplayBury3–3Stoke City17 January 1955
ReplayStoke City2–2Bury19 January 1955
ReplayBury2–3Stoke City24 January 1955
4Rochdale1–3Charlton Athletic8 January 1955
5Watford1–2Doncaster Rovers8 January 1955
6Reading1–1Manchester United8 January 1955
ReplayManchester United4–1Reading12 January 1955
7Blackburn Rovers0–2Swansea Town8 January 1955
8Sheffield Wednesday2–1Hastings United8 January 1955
9Bolton Wanderers3–1Millwall8 January 1955
10Grimsby Town2–5Wolverhampton Wanderers8 January 1955
11Middlesbrough1–4Notts County8 January 1955
12Sunderland1–0Burnley8 January 1955
13Derby County1–3Manchester City8 January 1955
14Lincoln City1–1Liverpool8 January 1955
ReplayLiverpool1–0Lincoln City12 January 1955
15Luton Town5–0Workington8 January 1955
16Everton3–1Southend United8 January 1955
17Sheffield United1–3Nottingham Forest8 January 1955
18Ipswich Town2–2Bishop Auckland8 January 1955
ReplayBishop Auckland3–0Ipswich Town12 January 1955
19Fulham2–3Preston North End8 January 1955
20Brentford1–1Bradford City8 January 1955
ReplayBradford City2–2Brentford12 January 1955
ReplayBrentford1–0Bradford City20 January 1955
21Bristol Rovers2–1Portsmouth8 January 1955
22West Ham United2–2Port Vale8 January 1955
ReplayPort Vale3–1West Ham United10 January 1955
23Brighton & Hove Albion2–2Aston Villa8 January 1955
ReplayAston Villa4–2Brighton & Hove Albion10 January 1955
24Plymouth Argyle0–1Newcastle United8 January 1955
25Hull City0–2Birmingham City8 January 1955
26Chelsea2–0Walsall8 January 1955
27Hartlepools United1–1Darlington8 January 1955
ReplayDarlington2–2Hartlepools United12 January 1955
ReplayHartlepools United2–0Darlington17 January 1955
28Huddersfield Town3–3Coventry City8 January 1955
ReplayCoventry City1–2Huddersfield Town13 January 1955
29Arsenal1–0Cardiff City8 January 1955
30Leeds United2–2Torquay United8 January 1955
ReplayTorquay United4–0Leeds United12 January 1955
31Rotherham United1–0Leicester City8 January 1955
32Gateshead0–2Tottenham Hotspur8 January 1955

Fourth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 29 January 1955, with two matches taking place on later dates. Four matches were drawn and went to replays, which were all played in the following midweek match. Once again, there was a tie which went to four replays, this time between Doncaster Rovers and Aston Villa. Rovers finally won the fixture in the fifth match, with an aggregated score of 6–4.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Preston North End3–3Sunderland29 January 1955
ReplaySunderland2–0Preston North End2 February 1955
2Sheffield Wednesday1–1Notts County29 January 1955
ReplayNotts County1–0Sheffield Wednesday3 February 1955
3Wolverhampton Wanderers1–0Arsenal29 January 1955
4West Bromwich Albion2–4Charlton Athletic29 January 1955
5Everton0–4Liverpool29 January 1955
6Doncaster Rovers0–0Aston Villa29 January 1955
ReplayAston Villa2–2Doncaster Rovers2 February 1955
ReplayDoncaster Rovers1–1Aston Villa7 February 1955
ReplayAston Villa0–0Doncaster Rovers14 February 1955
ReplayDoncaster Rovers3–1Aston Villa15 February 1955
7Bishop Auckland1–3York City29 January 1955
8Newcastle United3–2Brentford29 January 1955
9Tottenham Hotspur4–2Port Vale29 January 1955
10Manchester City2–0Manchester United29 January 1955
11Bristol Rovers1–3Chelsea29 January 1955
12Hartlepools United1–1Nottingham Forest29 January 1955
ReplayNottingham Forest2–1Hartlepools United2 February 1955
13Swansea Town3–1Stoke City29 January 1955
14Torquay United0–1Huddersfield Town29 January 1955
15Rotherham United1–5Luton Town29 January 1955
16Birmingham City2–1Bolton Wanderers29 January 1955

Fifth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 19 February 1955. Two matches went to replays in the following mid-week fixture, with the Nottingham Forest–Newcastle United match requiring a second replay to settle it in favour of United.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool0–2Huddersfield Town19 February 1955
2Notts County1–0Chelsea19 February 1955
3Nottingham Forest1–1Newcastle United19 February 1955
ReplayNewcastle United2–2Nottingham Forest28 February 1955
ReplayNewcastle United2–1Nottingham Forest2 March 1955
4Wolverhampton Wanderers4–1Charlton Athletic19 February 1955
5Luton Town0–2Manchester City19 February 1955
6Swansea Town2–2Sunderland19 February 1955
ReplaySunderland1–0Swansea Town23 February 1955
7York City3–1Tottenham Hotspur19 February 1955
8Birmingham City2–1Doncaster Rovers19 February 1955

Sixth Round Proper

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 12 March 1955. The Newcastle United–Huddersfield Town game went to a replay before United went through.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Notts County0–1York City12 March 1955
2Sunderland2–0Wolverhampton Wanderers12 March 1955
3Huddersfield Town1–1Newcastle United12 March 1955
ReplayNewcastle United2–0Huddersfield Town16 March 1955
4Birmingham City0–1Manchester City12 March 1955

Semi-Finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 26 March 1955, with the Newcastle United–York City match replaying on the 30th. Newcastle and Manchester City won their ties to meet in the final at Wembley.
;Replay
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Final

The 1955 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Manchester City at Wembley. Newcastle won 3–1, with goals from Jackie Milburn in the first minute, Bobby Mitchell and George Hannah. Bobby Johnstone scored City's goal.

Match details