1947–48 FA Cup

1947–48 FA Cup
Tournament details
CountryEngland
Wales
Defending championsCharlton Athletic
Final positions
ChampionsManchester United (2nd title)
Runner-upBlackpool

The 1947–48 FA Cup was the 67th staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Manchester United won the competition for only the second time, beating Blackpool 4–2 in the final at Wembley.

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. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. 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 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.

Calendar

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Round Date
Extra preliminary round Saturday 6 September 1947
Preliminary round Saturday 20 September 1947
First qualifying round Saturday 4 October 1947
Second qualifying round Saturday 18 October 1947
Third qualifying round Saturday 1 November 1947
Fourth qualifying round Saturday 15 November 1947
First round proper Saturday 29 November 1947
Second round Saturday 13 December 1947
Third round Saturday 10 January 1948
Fourth round Saturday 24 January 1948
Fifth round Saturday 7 February 1948
Sixth round Saturday 28 February 1948
Semifinals Saturday 13 March 1948
Final Saturday 24 April 1948

First round proper

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At this stage 41 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined 25 non-league clubs who had advanced through the qualifying rounds. Rotherham United and Queens Park Rangers, as the strongest non-promoted Third Division finishers in the previous season, were given a bye to the third round, along with Swansea Town. To make the number of matches up, non-league Leytonstone and Wimbledon, the previous season's F. A. Amateur Cup winners and runners-up respectively, were given byes to this round. 34 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 29 November 1947. Six were drawn and went to replays.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Chester 3–1 Bishop Auckland 29 November 1947
2 Dartford 0–0 Bristol City 29 November 1947
Replay Bristol City 9–2 Dartford 6 December 1947
3 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 2–0 Guildford City 29 November 1947
4 Barrow 3–2 Carlisle United 29 November 1947
5 Watford 1–1 Torquay United 29 November 1947
Replay Torquay United 3–0 Watford 6 December 1947
6 Gillingham 1–0 Leyton Orient 29 November 1947
7 Notts County 9–1 Horsham 29 November 1947
8 Crewe Alexandra 4–1 South Shields 29 November 1947
9 Lincoln City 0–2 Workington 29 November 1947
10 Swindon Town 4–2 Ipswich Town 29 November 1947
11 Stockton 2–1 Grantham 29 November 1947
12 Wrexham 5–0 Halifax Town 29 November 1947
13 Tranmere Rovers 2–0 Stalybridge Celtic 29 November 1947
14 Stockport County 3–1 Accrington Stanley 29 November 1947
15 Trowbridge Town 1–1 Brighton & Hove Albion 29 November 1947
Replay Brighton & Hove Albion 5–0 Trowbridge Town 6 December 1947
16 Bristol Rovers 3–2 Leytonstone 29 November 1947
17 Bromley 3–3 Reading 29 November 1947
Replay Reading 3–0 Bromley 6 December 1947
18 Great Yarmouth Town 1–4 Shrewsbury Town 29 November 1947
19 Norwich City 3–0 Merthyr Tydfil 29 November 1947
20 Hull City 1–1 Southport 29 November 1947
Replay Southport 2–3 Hull City 6 December 1947
21 Oldham Athletic 6–0 Lancaster City 29 November 1947
22 Crystal Palace 2–1 Port Vale 29 November 1947
23 Wimbledon 0–1 Mansfield Town 29 November 1947
24 Exeter City 1–1 Northampton Town 29 November 1947
Replay Northampton Town 2–0 Exeter City 6 December 1947
25 Hartlepools United 1–0 Darlington 29 November 1947
26 Newport County 3–2 Southend United 29 November 1947
27 Cheltenham Town 5–0 Street 29 November 1947
28 Runcorn 4–2 Scunthorpe United 29 November 1947
29 Vauxhall Motors (Luton) 1–2 Walsall 29 November 1947
30 New Brighton 4–0 Marine 29 November 1947
31 York City 0–1 Rochdale 29 November 1947
32 Aldershot 2–1 Bromsgrove Rovers 29 November 1947
33 Gateshead 1–3 Bradford City 29 November 1947
34 Colchester United 2–1 Banbury Spencer 29 November 1947

Second round proper

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The matches were played on Saturday, 13 December 1947. Seven matches were drawn, with replays taking place the following Saturday. One of these then went to a second replay.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 1–0 Bradford City 13 December 1947
2 Bristol City 0–1 Crystal Palace 13 December 1947
3 Rochdale 1–1 Gillingham 13 December 1947
Replay Gillingham 3–0 Rochdale 20 December 1947
4 Reading 3–0 Newport County 13 December 1947
5 Notts County 1–1 Stockton 13 December 1947
Replay Stockton 1–4 Notts County 20 December 1947
6 Tranmere Rovers 0–1 Chester 13 December 1947
7 Stockport County 1–1 Shrewsbury Town 13 December 1947
Replay Shrewsbury Town 2–2 Stockport County 20 December 1947
Replay Stockport County 3–2 Shrewsbury Town 22 December 1947
8 Bristol Rovers 4–0 New Brighton 13 December 1947
9 Northampton Town 1–1 Torquay United 13 December 1947
Replay Torquay United 2–0 Northampton Town 20 December 1947
10 Norwich City 2–2 Walsall 13 December 1947
Replay Walsall 3–2 Norwich City 20 December 1947
11 Hull City 4–2 Cheltenham Town 13 December 1947
12 Oldham Athletic 0–1 Mansfield Town 13 December 1947
13 Hartlepools United 1–1 Brighton & Hove Albion 13 December 1947
Replay Brighton & Hove Albion 2–1 Hartlepools United 20 December 1947
14 Runcorn 0–1 Barrow 13 December 1947
15 Workington 1–2 Crewe Alexandra 13 December 1947
16 Aldershot 0–0 Swindon Town 13 December 1947
Replay Swindon Town 2–0 Aldershot 20 December 1947
17 Colchester United 1–0 Wrexham 13 December 1947

Third round proper

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The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with Rotherham United, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea Town. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 10 January 1948. Two matches were drawn and went to replays on the following Saturday.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Blackpool 4–0 Leeds United 10 January 1948
2 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 10 January 1948
3 Burnley 0–2 Swindon Town 10 January 1948[1]
4 Liverpool 4–1 Nottingham Forest 10 January 1948
5 Southampton 1–0 Sunderland 10 January 1948
6 Gillingham 1–1 Queens Park Rangers 10 January 1948
Replay Queens Park Rangers 3–1 Gillingham 17 January 1948
7 Leicester City 1–0 Bury 10 January 1948
8 Blackburn Rovers 0–0 West Ham United 10 January 1948
Replay West Ham United 2–4 Blackburn Rovers 17 January 1948
9 Aston Villa 4–6 Manchester United 10 January 1948
10 Bolton Wanderers 0–2 Tottenham Hotspur 10 January 1948
11 Grimsby Town 1–4 Everton 10 January 1948
12 Crewe Alexandra 3–1 Sheffield United 10 January 1948
13 West Bromwich Albion 2–0 Reading 10 January 1948
14 Derby County 2–0 Chesterfield 10 January 1948
15 Stockport County 3–0 Torquay United 10 January 1948
16 Manchester City 2–1 Barnsley 10 January 1948
17 Fulham 2–0 Doncaster Rovers 10 January 1948
18 Bristol Rovers 3–0 Swansea Town 10 January 1948
19 Coventry City 2–1 Walsall 10 January 1948
20 Portsmouth 4–1 Brighton & Hove Albion 10 January 1948
21 Plymouth Argyle 2–4 Luton Town 10 January 1948
22 Millwall 1–2 Preston North End 10 January 1948
23 Hull City 1–3 Middlesbrough 10 January 1948
24 Crystal Palace 0–1 Chester 10 January 1948
25 Chelsea 5–0 Barrow 10 January 1948
26 Mansfield Town 2–4 Stoke City 10 January 1948
27 Cardiff City 1–2 Sheffield Wednesday 10 January 1948
28 Charlton Athletic 2–1 Newcastle United 10 January 1948
29 Arsenal 0–1 Bradford Park Avenue 10 January 1948
30 Rotherham United 0–3 Brentford 10 January 1948
31 Colchester United 1–0 Huddersfield Town 10 January 1948
32 Birmingham City 0–2 Notts County 10 January 1948

Fourth round proper

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The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 24 January 1948. One game was drawn and went to a replay, which was played on the following Saturday.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Blackpool 4–0 Chester 24 January 1948
2 Southampton 3–2 Blackburn Rovers 24 January 1948
3 Leicester City 2–1 Sheffield Wednesday 24 January 1948
4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Everton 24 January 1948
Replay Everton 3–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 31 January 1948
5 Crewe Alexandra 0–3 Derby County 24 January 1948
6 Luton Town 3–2 Coventry City 24 January 1948
7 Swindon Town 1–0 Notts County 24 January 1948
8 Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 West Bromwich Albion 24 January 1948
9 Manchester City 2–0 Chelsea 24 January 1948
10 Queens Park Rangers 3–0 Stoke City 24 January 1948
11 Fulham 5–2 Bristol Rovers 24 January 1948
12 Brentford 1–2 Middlesbrough 24 January 1948
13 Portsmouth 1–3 Preston North End 24 January 1948
14 Manchester United 3–0 Liverpool 24 January 1948
15 Charlton Athletic 3–0 Stockport County 24 January 1948
16 Colchester United 3–2 Bradford Park Avenue 24 January 1948

Fifth round proper

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The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 7 February 1948. There was one replay, taking place the following Saturday.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Blackpool 5–0 Colchester United 7 February 1948
2 Southampton 3–0 Swindon Town 7 February 1948
3 Middlesbrough 1–2 Derby County 7 February 1948
4 Tottenham Hotspur 5–2 Leicester City 7 February 1948
5 Manchester City 0–1 Preston North End 7 February 1948
6 Queens Park Rangers 3–1 Luton Town 7 February 1948
7 Fulham 1–1 Everton 7 February 1948
Replay Everton 0–1 Fulham 14 February 1948
8 Manchester United 2–0 Charlton Athletic 7 February 1948

Sixth round proper

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The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 28 February 1948. There was one replay, in the QPR–Derby County match.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Southampton 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur 28 February 1948
2 Queens Park Rangers 1–1 Derby County 28 February 1948
Replay Derby County 5–0 Queens Park Rangers 6 March 1948
3 Fulham 0–2 Blackpool 28 February 1948
4 Manchester United 4–1 Preston North End 28 February 1948

Semi-finals

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The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 13 March 1948. Manchester United and Blackpool won their ties to meet in the final at Wembley. The gate receipts for the tie at Villa Park were £18,817 a record at the time for that ground.

Blackpool3–1 (a.e.t.)Tottenham Hotspur
Stan Mortensen 86', 93', ?' Duquemin 64'
Attendance: 70,687

Final

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The 1948 FA Cup final was contested by Manchester United and Blackpool at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1948. Both teams played in a changed strip, Blackpool in white shirts and blue shorts and Manchester United in unfamiliar blue shirts and white shorts. Stanley Matthews was playing his first season for Blackpool and they led the favourites 2-1 only to lose to United, who hadn't appeared in an FA Cup final for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley and one apiece from Stan Pearson and John Anderson. Eddie Shimwell and Stan Mortensen scored Blackpool's goals. With his goal, Shimwell became the first full-back to score at Wembley whilst Stan Mortensen maintained his record of scoring in every round. The cup had gone to United in a game that many critics still rate as the best footballing final ever seen at Wembley Stadium. One reporter David Pole, commented; "If United's display was as close to perfection as any team could hope to go, Blackpool's was not far behind."

Match details

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Manchester United4–2Blackpool
Rowley 28' 70'
Pearson 80'
Anderson 82'
(Report) Shimwell 12' (pen.)
Mortensen 35'
Attendance: 99,842
Referee: C. J. Barrick (Northamptonshire)
Manchester United
Blackpool

See also

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References

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General
Specific
  1. ^ Porter, Steve. "Burnley 0-2 Swindon Town". www.thegiantkillers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2016.