1883 FA Cup final
Event | 1882–83 FA Cup | ||||||
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| |||||||
After Kennington Oval, London | |||||||
Referee | Charles Crump | ||||||
Attendance | 8,000 | ||||||
The 1883 FA Cup final was contested by
Overview
Blackburn Olympic, coached by former England player, Jack Hunter, had previously eliminated Lower Darwen, Darwen Ramblers and Druids, reaching the final after a 4–0 over Old Carthusians in the semi-final. On the other hand, Old Etonians earned to play their third consecutive final, although they were not the favourites to win the match.[2]
The following is the chronicle of the match, as it appeared on The Morning Post:
The deciding trial in the competition came off at Kennington-Oval on Saturday. The attendance was very large. In the first half the Old Etonians scored a goal, kicked by Goodhart, but matters were balanced when Massie [
MP for Blackburn, acknowledged the compliment on behalf of the winners. The Etonians suffered a severe loss through Dunn getting damaged during the first half, but, by way of a set-off, the Blackburn team had three of their men crippled. It was a grandly-contested trial, and the Blackburn men won by fast play and good condition.[3]— The Morning Post (London), 2 April 1883
A key factor in the Olympians' victory was a tactical innovation. It played a 2-3-5 formation, rather than the familiar 2-2-6 of the Etonians, "which certainly strengthened the defence without essentially weakening the attack."[4]
Match details
Blackburn Olympic | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Old Etonians |
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Matthews 107' Costley |
Report | Goodhart |
Blackburn Olympic
|
Old Etonians
|
|
|
References
- ISBN 978-0-9529152-8-7.
- ^ "FA Cup Final 1883 - Match Report". FA Cup History. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Blackburn Olympic v Old Etonians 2-1 (English FA Cup Final: March 31, 1883)". Morning Post – via Play Up Liverpool.
- ^ "Memorable association matches". Cricket and Football Field: 2. 13 May 1893.
- The Early Years of the FA Cup: How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament: p. 164 Author: James W Bancroft