1873 FA Cup Final  

Wanderers v Oxford University 

The 1873 FA Cup Final, the second ever final, has a place in history as the only time the cup was decided on a genuine ‘challenge’ basis.   

Unfortunately the 1873 FA Cup competition was probably also the most farcical ever played. 

Because the cup was originally meant to be a challenge competition the Wanderers, as winners of the first competition, were exempt until the final when they would be ‘challenged’ by the last remaining team in the knockout section.   

As an extra reward the Wanderers, as the challenged club, had the right to decide the venue for the final. 

Because the Wanderers were already in the final the knock out stages needed to produce only one semi-final.  But, an already unwieldy process was then further complicated by Scottish side Queens Park being given a bye to the semi-final meaning there could only be one quarterfinal! 

After much juggling of fixtures the quarter-final saw Oxford University beat Maidenhead to reach the semi-final only for Queens Park to promptly drop out without kicking a ball. 

Oxford then went straight into the final of a cup competition which had had no semi-finals; another unique slot in history for the 1873 FA cup competition. 

The final was held at the Lillie Bridge Stadium in West Brompton with the kick-off brought forward to 11:30am to avoid clashing with the Boat Race; than just about the biggest sporting event in the calendar.   

The 1873 FA Cup Final attracted a gate of 3000, many of whom were Oxford students on their way to watch the Boat race, with the Wanderers winning 2-0 without being really troubled by their opponents.   

Arthur Kinnaird, playing in the first of his record nine cup final appearances, and Charles Wollaston scoring the goals as the Wanderers retained their trophy.