1874-75 FA Cup
| Country | England | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 29 | ||
| Champions | Royal Engineers | ||
| Runners-up | Old Etonians | ||
| Matches played | 31 | ||
| Goals scored | 90 (2.9 per match) | ||
|
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The 1874–75 FA Cup was the fourth season of England's oldest football tournament, the Football Association Challenge Cup or "FA Cup". 29 teams entered, one more than the previous season, although four of the 29 never played a match. The final was contested by Royal Engineers – playing in their third final in the four seasons of the FA Cup – and Old Etonians – playing in their first final. On their way to the final, Royal Engineers knocked out Cambridge University in the Second Round and holders Oxford University in the Semi-finals, while Old Etonians only managed to score more than one goal in one match: their second replay against Swifts, which they won 3–0. The biggest win of the competition was recorded by two-time FA Cup winners Wanderers, who beat Farningham 16–0 in the First Round.
In the final, played on 13 March 1875, Old Etonians forced a replay against Royal Engineers, with the two sides playing out a 1–1 draw. The replay was played three days later, when goals from Henry Renny-Tailyour and William Stafford secured a 2–0 win for Royal Engineers.
First Round: 28 teams (with Reigate Priory getting a bye) would face another team, eliminating the losers
Second Round: The 14 First Round teams and Reigate Priory would play against an opponent, with Old Etonians getting a bye
Third Round - Finals: The remaining teams would play in a knockout-round style, due to the teams being a power of two. In the finals, Old Etonians lost in a replay to Royal Engineers
All 29 teams entered the competition at the First Round stage. However, due to the odd number of entrants, Reigate Priory were given a bye to the Second Round. Three teams – Civil Service, Windsor Home Park and Shropshire Wanderers – were also awarded walkovers. Three of the ties finished as draws and went to replays; of these, one had to be decided by a second replay. The biggest win in the competition came at this stage with Wanderers' 16–0 win over Farningham.
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