The F.A. Cup

The English Football Association was formed on October 26th, 1863 and the first FA Cup tournament took place seven years later in 1871.

The competition is highly acclaimed and is often said to be the greatest national cup competition in the world. It is followed closely by football enthusiasts in many countries.

Although it is dominated by the teams who are in the top flight of English football, the cup is renowned for its share of surprise results.

Major FA Cup winners

Champions...
9 times - Manchester United
8 times - Tottenham Hotspur
7 times - Aston Villa
6 times - Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United
5 times - Everton, Arsenal, Liverpool

FA Cup winning sides from the 2nd (now 1st) division...

Notts County (1894), Wolves (1908), Barnsley (1912), West Bromwich Albion (1931), Sunderland (1976), West Ham (1980).

Several sides from the 3rd and 4th (now 2nd and 3rd) divisions have reached the semi- and quarter-finals respectively, but none have made it all the way to the final.

Selection of shock defeats from the last two decades

1997 - Everton 2 Bradford City 3
1996 - Port Vale 2 Everton 1 (Replay)
1995 - Halifax 2 West Bromwich Albion 1
1994 - Liverpool 0 Bristol City 1 (Replay)
1993 - Hartlepool 1 Crystal Palace 0
1992 - Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1
1991 - West Bromwich Albion 2 Woking 4
1990 - Northampton Town 1 Coventry City 0
1989 - Sutton Utd 2 Coventry City 1
1988 - Huddersfield 4 Rotherham Utd 0
1987 - Telford 3 Burnley 0
1986 - Dagenham 2 Cambridge 1
1985 - Birmingham City 1 Altrincham 2
1984 - Bournemouth 2 Manchester Utd 0

Full list of FA Cup finals