The 19th Century
As you probably know, the FA Cup predates the Football League by almost two decades. As such, we'll start in 1889, when the first league season finished. Preston North End managed to do the double at the very first opportunity, their so-called 'invincibles' side also avoiding defeat in the league all season and not even conceding a goal in the Cup. The following year saw the first time from outside the top flight reach the semis (and indeed the final) although the Wednesday - as the Sheffield club were then known - hardly count, considering they had actually not been elected to the football league at all (they joined the First Division in 1892). Nottingham Forest also reached the semi-finals in the 1890s while playing in the Football Alliance rather than the League. The first Football League side from a lower division were their neighbours, Notts County, who reached the final as a Second Division club in 1894. They went on to beat Bolton 4-1 in the final to become the first winner of the FA Cup from a lower division. The only other 19th Century club from outside the top division to reach the last four were Southern League champions Southampton, beaten in the 1898 semi-finals.
1900 - 1915
The Saints were back again in 1900 and played Millwall in the first semi contested by two teams outside the League. Southampton won this time around but lost heavily in the final. The following year, Tottenham Hotspur, also yet to join the Football League, not only reached the final but won the Cup. This makes them the only non-league side to ever win the trophy, so file that away for your next pub quiz.
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| Despite having goalkeeper Bill 'Fatty' Foulkes, Sheffield United lost the 1901 Final to non-league Spurs |
Continuing the run of non-league teams getting to the last four, Southampton then Millwall reached the semis in 1902 and 1903 respectively. In 1904, both semis returned to all-League affairs but plucky Bolton of the second tier were involved, and reached the final. In 1908, a new record was set when 3 of the 4 semi-finalists were from outside the First Division - eventual winners Wolves and Southampton were from Division 2 (the Saints having finally joined the League) and Fulham then played in the Southern League. In fact, there was not an all First Division final four for 8 straight years, between 1906 and 1914. Of note were Barnsley, FA Cup winners while paying in the Second Division in 1912; they beat Swindon Town in the semi-finals, who were not league members and no non-league team has reached this stage since.
The inter-war years
After heavy criticism of the FA for running the Cup as usual in 1914-15 despite the war, the tournament was suspended until 1919-1920, after the end of the First World War. An all Division Two semi-final saw Huddersfield beat Bristol City 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, but they were defeated by Aston Villa in the final, who won their then-record sixth FA Cup. There was at least one Second Division semi-finalist for the next three years, including Division Two West Ham's appearance in the first final at Wembley, the famous 'White Horse Final' of 1923. Second tier clubs appeared in the semis 11 times in the 1920s, but it was 1931 before West Brom became the first such team since Barnsley to win the Cup, beating rivals Birmingham 2-1 at Wembley.
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| Billie the police horse helps control the crowds in 1923 |
For the majority of the 1930s at least one Second Division side appeared in the semi-finals, but new history was made in 1937 when Millwall became the first Third Division team to reach that stage. On the way, they set their club record attendance of 48,762, however they lost the semi-final by the odd goal in three to Sunderland (strangely enough, the club they would beat in 2004 to reach their first ever Cup Final).
1946 - 1959
After the Cup was again suspended due to War, it resumed in the 1945-46 season with an all First Division final four. However the following year yet another Second Division side reached Wembley, although Burnley had to be content with runners up medals. From 1948 until 1953, five of the six years saw a Second Division team reach the semis, although only Leicester in 1949 reached Wembley. The streak was broken by an even more unlikely result - in both 1954 and 1955 a Third Division team competed in the semi-finals. The first was Port Vale, who lost an extremely controversial tie against West Brom. Almost forty years later, a third tier side was to go out at this stage with similar debate about which side of the line an incident occured...
But to get back to the 1950s, the following year York City matched Vale's achievement, this time taking their First Division opponents (Newcastle) to a replay. They reached the semi-finals in large part due to the brilliantly-named Arthur Bottom's 8 goals in the competition. Just in case these two years seemed a fluke, Norwich City rounded out the decade by becoming the fourth Third Division side to reach the semi-finals in 1959, again losing a replay against top-tier opponents.
1960 - 1979
However, the 1950s had not seen any lower league clubs actually reach the Final, and so when Second Division sides Aston Villa and Preston were drawn against each other in the 1964 semi-final there was an opportunity to correct this. Preston won through only to lose a five-goal thriller in the Final against West Ham United. A certain Geoff Hurst was on the scoresheet for the Irons, showing an ability to score at Wembley that would prove decisive two years later...
Sadly for fans of the underdog, this proved a false dawn, as three years went by without any lower-league representation at the semi-final stage - the first time this had happened since the 1890s. In fact, it took until 1973 for a Second Division side to reach the final - but when they got there, it proved well worth the wait. Having beaten Arsenal in the semis, Sunderland were still rank outsiders against reigning Cup holders Leeds, who had also come close to winning the First Division title. Yet Bob Stokoe masterminded one of the greatest-ever FA Cup shocks as the unfancied second tier side triumphed 1-0.
It ushered in a great era for lower league sides in the Cup, with Second Division Fulham reaching the Final in 1975 (the year West Ham became the last all-English team to win the tournament) before Southampton pulled off a shock to rival Sunderland's the following year. United had finished third in the top flight but again the lower league side won by the only goal of the game, giving Southampton their first major trophy in the club's history. They had reached Wembley by seeing off Third Division Crystal Palace in the semi-finals. Second Division Leyton Orient also reached the semis before the end of the decade.
1980 - 1992
The 80s began with another Wembley upset as West Ham became the most recent team to date to win the Cup from outside the top division, thanks to a goal from club legend Trevor Brooking. Only Scottish full back Ray Stewart prevented this from being another all-English side to lift the trophy. Another London side from the Second Division had the chance to lift the trophy soon afterward, but QPR were eventually beaten in a replay by a Chas n' Dave inspired Tottenham in 1982. In 1984 Third Division Plymouth reached the semis, but lost to Graham Taylor's Watford.
As the 1990s dawned, all the talk was of a breakaway from the Football League by the top clubs - what we know today as the Premiership. However, before the First Division no longer meant the top flight there was room for a few more shocks from lower league opposition. In one of the most dramatic semi-final battles of all time, Manchester United eventually disposed of Second Division Oldham 2-1 in a replay, following a 3-3 draw. If Mark Robins hadn't scored that winner, Alex Ferguson might have never led the club to glory.
Neutrals supporting the smaller team would have had little joy in 1991, when Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest thrashed the Second Division's only semi-final representatives West Ham 4-0. But in 1992, they had plenty to cheer about. The semi-final draw kept second tier Portsmouth and Sunderland apart, pairing them with Liverpool and Norwich respectively. Pompey were only denied a trip to Wembley by a last-second Ronnie Whelan equaliser in the first game, then went out on penalties after the scoreless replay. In the other semi-final, Sunderland beat Norwich, only to lose to Liverpool 2-0 in the Final.
1992 - Present
On the basis of those seasons, it would have taken a brave man or woman to predict that no lower league clubs would reach the Cup final for more than ten years. Yet that was exactly what happened. As the gap between the new Premier League (and the television money it generated) and the Football League widened, less and less lower tier sides made it to the final stages of the competition. In fact, if we look at the share of cup finalists from 1889 until 1992, and then in the Premier League era, the gap is stark.
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| Note - 1st Div means the top league, whether called the First Division or the Premiership! |
But this post isn't called the romance of Cup finals. While the rest of the 1990s saw no lower league finalists, it wasn't for lack of trying. In 1994 Luton Town knocked out Premiership sides Newcastle and West Ham on route to a semi final date with Chelsea, but the Blues ran out comfortable winners, with Eddie Newton scoring twice - that Newton went from hero to villain in the Final (giving away the penalty that started a 4-0 rout by Manchester United) was little consolation to the Hatters.
After two years of all-Premiership semis, the romance of the cup came truly alive once more in 1997 as Second Division (which was now the third tier, now League One) Chesterfield became the first side from that level since Plymouth in 1984 to reach the last four of the cup. They faced Premier League Middlesbrough, whose side boasted international talents such as Juninho, Emerson and Fabrizio Ravanelli. Yet the Spireites raced into a 2-0 lead and looked good value for it. Boro pulled one back, and then, with 20 minutes to play and with Middlesbrough down to 10 men, Jamie Hewett smashed in a third...or did he? Watch carefully from about 4:30...
Referee David Elleray disallowed the goal, the match ended 3-3 and Chesterfield lost the replay. Boro went on to lose the Final, which capped a bizarre season in which they had also lost the League Cup Final and been relegated, partly due to cancelling a fixture.
The following year, two clubs from what was then the Football League First Division - the Championship today - reached the semis, but both Wolves and Sheffield United were knocked out. Bolton did the same in 2000, and then we reach the most recent team (prior to the Blades' return this season) from the third tier to reach the Cup semi-finals. That was Wycombe Wanderers, who in 2001 got a dream tie with Liverpool thanks to Roy Essandoh. Facing an injury crisis prior to their quarter-final match with Leicester, Wycombe manager Lawrie Sanchez issued an open appeal via Ceefax for a striker. Of course, you can guess what happened next...
Sadly, Wycombe were narrowly beaten in the semi-final at Villa Park. In recent years, of particular note was the first semi-final to not include a Premiership team since it began, Millwall v Sunderland in 2004. Even more surprisingly, 2008 saw the first time in exactly 100 years that 3 of the 4 semi-finalists were not from the top division. Eventual winners Portsmouth were the only Premier League side involved, along with Championship clubs West Brom, Cardiff and Barnsley. Any talk of the romance of the cup being rekindled was premature however, as it was followed by four years of all-Premiership ties.
And that bring us to last season, where Millwall reached the semi-finals only to lose to Wigan - who went on to shock Manchester City in the Final. Now the Latics return as a Championship team, alongside Sheffield United from League One. Will we see history being made once more?
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