| 1913–14 FA Cup | |
| Country: | England Wales |
| Defending Champions: | Aston Villa |
| Winners: | Burnley |
| Count: | 1 |
| Second: | Liverpool |
| Prev Season: | 1912–13 |
| Next Season: | 1914–15 |
The 1913–14 FA Cup was the 43rd season of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as the FA Cup). Burnley won the competition for the first and (as of) only time, beating Liverpool 1–0 in the final at Crystal Palace, London.
Queens Park Rangers, then of the Southern League, reached the last eight. They were the last non-league team to reach the quarter-finals until Lincoln City in 2017.[1]
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.
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.
| Round | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Extra preliminary round | 13 September 1913 | |
| Preliminary round | 27 September 1913 | |
| First round qualifying | 11 October 1913 | |
| Second round qualifying | 1 November 1913 | |
| Third round qualifying | 15 November 1913 | |
| Fourth round qualifying | 29 November 1913 | |
| Fifth round qualifying | 13 December 1913 | |
| First round proper | 10 January 1914 | |
| Second round proper | 31 January 1914 | |
| Third round proper | 21 February 1914 | |
| Fourth round proper | 7 March 1914 | |
| Semi-finals | 28 March 1914 | |
| Final | 25 April 1914 |
The 12 teams that won through to the main competition from the fifth qualifying round were Football League Second Division club Glossop along with non-league sides Port Vale, South Shields, Southend United, Merthyr Town, Chesterfield, Swansea Town, Chatham, Stoke, Gainsborough Trinity, Norwich City and Gillingham. Although only Merthyr Town and Swansea Town were featuring in the competition proper for the first time, the reconstituted Port Vale was appearing at this stage only seven seasons after the original Burslem Port Vale had resigned from the Football League and folded. Additionally, Chatham was progressing past the qualifying stages for the first time since 1888-89.
Back at the extra preliminary round stage, 92 teams had kicked off the competition in September 1913. The most successful of these were future Football League members Ashington and West Midlands heavyweights Dudley Town, who both reached the fourth qualifying round before going out to Willington and Crewe Alexandra, respectively.
38 of the 40 clubs from the First and Second divisions joined the 12 clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. The other two sides, Stockport County and Glossop were entered in the fourth qualifying round, with Stockport going out at that stage to Gainsborough Trinity.
The progression of Merthyr Town and Swansea Town meant that this was the first season since the introduction of FA Cup qualifying rounds that two teams from Wales featured in the first round proper. Their meeting at the Vetch Field was the first all-Welsh tie in the main draw of the English Cup competition since Druids had faced off against Chirk in the third round of the 1884–85 tournament.
Fourteen Southern 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 10 January 1914. Seven matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 2–1 | Southend United | 10 January 1914 | |
| 2 | Burnley | 3–1 | South Shields | 10 January 1914 | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 1–1 | Barnsley | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Barnsley | 0–1 | Liverpool | 14 January 1914 | |
| 4 | Preston North End | 5–2 | Bristol Rovers | 10 January 1914 | |
| 5 | Gillingham | 1–0 | Blackpool | 10 January 1914 | |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 3–0 | Middlesbrough | 10 January 1914 | |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 4–0 | Stoke | 10 January 1914 | |
| 8 | The Wednesday | 3–2 | Notts County | 10 January 1914 | |
| 9 | Bolton Wanderers | 3–0 | Port Vale | 10 January 1914 | |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–0 | Southampton | 10 January 1914 | |
| 11 | West Bromwich Albion | 2–0 | Grimsby Town | 10 January 1914 | |
| 12 | Sunderland | 9–0 | Chatham | 10 January 1914 | |
| 13 | Derby County | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 10 January 1914 | |
| 14 | Swindon Town | 1–0 | Manchester United | 10 January 1914 | |
| 15 | Leicester Fosse | 5–5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Tottenham Hotspur | 2–0 | Leicester Fosse | 15 January 1914 | |
| 16 | Newcastle United | 0–5 | Sheffield United | 10 January 1914 | |
| 17 | Manchester City | 2–0 | Fulham | 10 January 1914 | |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 2–2 | Bristol City | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Bristol City | 0–2 | Queens Park Rangers | 14 January 1914 | |
| 19 | Glossop | 2–1 | Everton | 10 January 1914 | |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 0–4 | Exeter City | 10 January 1914 | |
| 21 | West Ham United | 8–1 | Chesterfield | 10 January 1914 | |
| 22 | Plymouth Argyle | 4–1 | Lincoln City | 10 January 1914 | |
| 23 | Bradford City | 2–0 | Woolwich Arsenal | 10 January 1914 | |
| 24 | Millwall Athletic | 0–0 | Chelsea | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Chelsea | 0–1 | Millwall Athletic | 14 January 1914 | |
| 25 | Hull City | 0–0 | Bury | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Bury | 2–1 | Hull City | 14 January 1914 | |
| 26 | Leeds City | 4–2 | Gainsborough Trinity | 10 January 1914 | |
| 27 | Clapton Orient | 2–2 | Nottingham Forest | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Nottingham Forest | 0–1 | Clapton Orient | 14 January 1914 | |
| 28 | Oldham Athletic | 1–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 10 January 1914 | |
| Replay | Brighton & Hove Albion | 1–0 | Oldham Athletic | 14 January 1914 | |
| 29 | Crystal Palace | 2–1 | Norwich City | 10 January 1914 | |
| 30 | Bradford Park Avenue | 5–1 | Reading | 10 January 1914 | |
| 31 | Huddersfield Town | 3–0 | London Caledonians | 10 January 1914 | |
| 32 | Swansea Town | 2–0 | Merthyr Town | 10 January 1914 |
The 16 second-round matches were played on 31 January 1914. One match was drawn, with the replay taking place the following weekend.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 1–0 | Huddersfield Town | 31 January 1914 | |
| 2 | Burnley | 3–2 | Derby County | 31 January 1914 | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Gillingham | 31 January 1914 | |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Bury | 31 January 1914 | |
| 5 | Bolton Wanderers | 4–2 | Swindon Town | 31 January 1914 | |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | The Wednesday | 31 January 1914 | |
| Replay | The Wednesday | 1–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4 February 1914 | |
| 7 | Sunderland | 2–1 | Plymouth Argyle | 31 January 1914 | |
| 8 | Sheffield United | 3–1 | Bradford Park Avenue | 31 January 1914 | |
| 9 | Manchester City | 2–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 31 January 1914 | |
| 10 | Glossop | 0–1 | Preston North End | 31 January 1914 | |
| 11 | West Ham United | 2–0 | Crystal Palace | 31 January 1914 | |
| 12 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3–1 | Clapton Orient | 31 January 1914 | |
| 13 | Millwall Athletic | 1–0 | Bradford City | 31 January 1914 | |
| 14 | Leeds City | 0–2 | West Bromwich Albion | 31 January 1914 | |
| 15 | Exeter City | 1–2 | Aston Villa | 31 January 1914 | |
| 16 | Swansea Town | 1–2 | Queens Park Rangers | 31 January 1914 |
The eight third-round matches were scheduled for 21 February 1914. There was one replay, played in the following midweek fixture. Queens Park Rangers beat Birmingham City to qualify for the quarter-finals: the last non-league team to achieve such a feat until Lincoln City in the 2016–17 FA Cup.[2]
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 1–2 | Queens Park Rangers | 21 February 1914 | |
| 2 | Burnley | 3–0 | Bolton Wanderers | 21 February 1914 | |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–2 | Manchester City | 21 February 1914 | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 2–1 | West Bromwich Albion | 21 February 1914 | |
| 5 | The Wednesday | 3–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 21 February 1914 | |
| 6 | Sunderland | 2–0 | Preston North End | 21 February 1914 | |
| 7 | West Ham United | 1–1 | Liverpool | 21 February 1914 | |
| Replay | Liverpool | 5–1 | West Ham United | 25 February 1914 | |
| 8 | Millwall Athletic | 0–4 | Sheffield United | 21 February 1914 |
The four fourth-round matches were scheduled for 7 March 1914. There were two replays, played in the following midweek. One of these, between Manchester City and Sheffield United, went to a second replay, which Sheffield United won.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 2–1 | Queens Park Rangers | 7 March 1914 | |
| 2 | The Wednesday | 0–1 | Aston Villa | 7 March 1914 | |
| 3 | Sunderland | 0–0 | Burnley | 7 March 1914 | |
| Replay | Burnley | 2–1 | Sunderland | 11 March 1914 | |
| 4 | Manchester City | 0–0 | Sheffield United | 7 March 1914 | |
| Replay | Sheffield United | 0–0 | Manchester City | 12 March 1914 | |
| Replay | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Manchester City | 16 March 1914 |
The semi-final matches were played on 28 March 1914. The Burnley–Sheffield United match went to a replay, which Burnley won, going on to meet Liverpool in the final.
See main article: 1914 FA Cup Final. The final was contested by Burnley and Liverpool at Crystal Palace. Burnley won by a single goal, scored by ex-Everton forward Bert Freeman. The game was the last final at Crystal Palace and was played in front of a reigning monarch, George V, for the first time. Neither club had reached the FA Cup Final before.