1878–79 FA Cup

1878–79 FA Cup
Tournament details
Country	England
Teams	43 (entrants); 37 (participants)
Defending champions	Wanderers
Final positions
Champions	Old Etonians (1st title)
Runner-up	Clapham Rovers
	← 1877–78 1879–80 →

The 1878–79 Football Association Challenge Cup was the eighth staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. Forty-three teams entered, although five of the forty-three never played a match.

The Quarter final matches between the Old Etonians Association Football Club and Darwen FC are depicted in Julian Fellowes's drama series, The English Game:

Arthur Kinnaird is captain and star player for the Old Etonians. Their opponents in the 1879 FA Cup Quarter finals are Darwen, a working class factory team. James Walsh, the owner of Darwen FC and the associated mill decides to secretly pay two Scottish players, Fergus "Fergie" Suter and James "Jimmy" Love to join his team in a bid to secure the FA Cup (which at the time is exclusively for amateurs). The Old Etonians, who also happen to be FA Board members, decide that since extra time was not previously agreed to then the Quarter final will be replayed instead. The mill has financial issues and townsfolk pitch in to help pay for the trip. The replay is handily won by Old Etonians who focus more on shutting down Suter and Love rather than playing their own game.

First round

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
19 October 1878	Barnes	1–1	Maidenhead
28 October 1878	Sheffield	1–1	Grantham
30 October 1878	Upton Park	5–0	Saffron Walden Town
2 November 1878	Forest School	7–2	Rochester
2 November 1878	Old Harrovians	8–0	Southill Park
2 November 1878	Oxford University	7–0	Wednesbury Strollers
2 November 1878	Romford	3–1	Ramblers
9 November 1878	Cambridge University	2–0	Herts Rangers
9 November 1878	Brentwood	1–3	Pilgrims
9 November 1878	Grey Friars	2–1	Marlow
9 November 1878	Reading	1–0	Hendon
9 November 1878	Royal Engineers	3–0	Old Foresters
9 November 1878	Swifts	2–1	Hawks
9 November 1878	Wanderers	2–7	Old Etonians
16 November 1878	Notts County	1–3	Nottingham Forest
(date and score unknown)^[1]^[2]	Runnymede	draw	Panthers
	Clapham Rovers	Walkover	Finchley
	Darwen	Walkover	Birch
	Minerva	Walkover	105th Regiment
	Remnants	Walkover	Unity
	South Norwood	Walkover	Leyton
	Eagley	Bye

Replays

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
9 November 1878	Maidenhead	0–4	Barnes
16 November 1878	Grantham	1–3	Sheffield
	Panthers	Walkover	Runnymede

Second round

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
4 December 1878	Cambridge University	3–0	South Norwood
7 December 1878	Clapham Rovers	10–1	Forest School
7 December 1878	Darwen	0–0	Eagley
7 December 1878	Grey Friars	0–3	Minerva
7 December 1878	Oxford University	4–0	Royal Engineers
18 December 1878	Reading	0–1	Old Etonians
21 December 1878	Nottingham Forest	2–0	Sheffield
21 December 1878	Old Harrovians	3–0	Panthers
21 December 1878	Remnants	6–2	Pilgrims
21 December 1878	Swifts	3–1	Romford
4 January 1879	Barnes	3–2	Upton Park

Replay

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
21 December 1878	Darwen	4–1	Eagley

Third round

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
11 January 1879	Old Etonians	5–2	Minerva
28 January 1879	Old Harrovians	0–2	Nottingham Forest
30 January 1879	Remnants	2–3	Darwen
6 February 1879	Clapham Rovers	1–0	Cambridge University
6 February 1879	Oxford University	2–1	Barnes
	Swifts	Bye

Fourth round

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
13 February 1879	Old Etonians	5–5	Darwen
25 February 1879	Nottingham Forest	2–1	Oxford University
8 March 1879	Clapham Rovers	8–1	Swifts

Replay

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
8 March 1879	Old Etonians	2–2	Darwen

Second replay

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
15 March 1879	Old Etonians	6–2	Darwen

Semi finals

Date	Home Club	Score	Away Club
22 March 1879	Old Etonians	2–1	Nottingham Forest
	Clapham Rovers	Bye

Final

Date		Score
29 March 1879	Old Etonians	1–0	Clapham Rovers

References

^ "summary". The Graphic: 9. 23 November 1878.
^ "Cup summary". The Field: 674. 23 November 1878.

External links

FA Cup Results Archive

[1] "summary". The Graphic: 9. 23 November 1878.

[2] "Cup summary". The Field: 674. 23 November 1878.

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