1926–27 FA Cup


The 1926–27 FA Cup was the 52nd staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Welsh club Cardiff City won the competition for the first time, beating Arsenal 1–0 in the final at Wembley. As of 2017, it was the only FA Cup title won by either the club, the country, or any country outside England.
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

First round proper

At this stage 40 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. Of those Third Division sides not playing in the First Round Proper, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle were given a bye to the Third Round, while Durham City and Queens Park Rangers were not involved at any stage of the competition. Two Second Division sides, Reading and Grimsby Town were entered at this stage, in addition to amateur side Northern Nomads. To make the number of matches up, eight non-league sides were given byes to this round. These were:
38 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 27 November 1926. Eleven matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, of which two went to another replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chesterfield2–1Mexborough Athletic27 November 1926
2Clapton1–1Brentford27 November 1926
ReplayBrentford7–3Clapton1 December 1926
3Bournemouth1–1Swindon Town27 November 1926
ReplaySwindon Town3–4Bournemouth29 November 1926
4Barking0–0Gillingham27 November 1926
ReplayGillingham2–0Barking1 December 1926
5Nelson4–1Stockport County27 November 1926
6Watford10–1Lowestoft Town27 November 1926
7Reading4–4Weymouth27 November 1926
ReplayReading5–0Weymouth1 December 1926
8Walsall1–0Bradford Park Avenue27 November 1926
9Woking1–3Charlton Athletic27 November 1926
10Chatham3–1St Albans City27 November 1926
11Grimsby Town3–2Halifax Town27 November 1926
12Crewe Alexandra4–1Northern Nomads27 November 1926
13Lincoln City2–0Rotherham United27 November 1926
14Luton Town4–2London Caledonians27 November 1926
15Boston United1–1Northampton Town27 November 1926
ReplayNorthampton Town2–1Boston2 December 1926
16Stockton1–2Ashington27 November 1926
17Doncaster Rovers3–0Desborough Town2 December 1926
18Wrexham1–1New Brighton27 November 1926
ReplayNew Brighton2–2Wrexham1 December 1926
ReplayWrexham3–1New Brighton6 December 1926
19Bishop Auckland0–1Bedlington United27 November 1926
20Poole1–0Newport County27 November 1926
21Sittingbourne1–3Northfleet United27 November 1926
22Wellington Town1–2Mansfield Town27 November 1926
23Accrington Stanley4–3Rochdale27 November 1926
24Brighton & Hove Albion3–0Barnet27 November 1926
25Carlisle United6–2Hartlepools United27 November 1926
26Nunhead9–0Kingstonian27 November 1926
27Crystal Palace0–0Norwich City27 November 1926
ReplayNorwich City1–0Crystal Palace1 December 1926
28Annfield Plain2–4Chilton Colliery Recreation27 November 1926
29Exeter City3–0Aberdare Athletic27 November 1926
30Merthyr Town0–2Bristol City27 November 1926
31Southport1–1Tranmere Rovers27 November 1926
ReplayTranmere Rovers1–2Southport2 December 1926
32Dulwich Hamlet1–4Southend United27 November 1926
33Torquay United1–1Bristol Rovers27 November 1926
ReplayBristol Rovers1–0Torquay United1 December 1926
34Workington1–2Crook Town27 November 1926
35Wigan Borough2–2Barrow2 December 1926
ReplayBarrow0–1Wigan Borough6 December 1926
36York City4–1Worksop Town1 December 1926
37Rhyl Athletic1–1Stoke City27 November 1926
ReplayStoke City1–1Rhyl Athletic2 December 1926
ReplayRhyl Athletic2–1Stoke City6 December 1926
38Kettering Town2–3Coventry City27 November 1926

Second Round Proper

The matches were played on Saturday, 11 December 1926. Three matches were drawn, with replays taking place in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Ashington2–1Nelson11 December 1926
2Bristol City1–1Bournemouth11 December 1926
ReplayBournemouth2–0Bristol City15 December 1926
3Watford0–1Brighton & Hove Albion11 December 1926
4Reading3–2Southend United11 December 1926
5Walsall2–0Mansfield Town11 December 1926
6Gillingham1–1Brentford11 December 1926
ReplayBrentford1–0Gillingham15 December 1926
7Grimsby Town2–1York City11 December 1926
8Crewe Alexandra4–1Wigan Borough11 December 1926
9Luton Town6–2Northfleet United11 December 1926
10Doncaster Rovers0–1Chesterfield11 December 1926
11Bristol Rovers4–1Charlton Athletic11 December 1926
12Coventry City1–1Lincoln City11 December 1926
ReplayLincoln City2–1Coventry City15 December 1926
13Norwich City5–0Chatham11 December 1926
14Carlisle United4–0Bedlington United11 December 1926
15Nunhead1–2Poole11 December 1926
16Exeter City1–0Northampton Town11 December 1926
17Southport2–0Crook Town11 December 1926
18Rhyl Athletic3–1Wrexham11 December 1926
19Chilton Colliery Recreation0–3Accrington Stanley11 December 1926

Third round proper

42 of the 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with Third Division Millwall and Plymouth Argyle. Also given a bye to this round of the draw were amateur side Corinthian. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 8 January 1927. Four matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, of which one went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Ashington0–2Nottingham Forest8 January 1927
2Birmingham4–1Manchester City8 January 1927
3Blackpool1–3Bolton Wanderers8 January 1927
4Darlington2–1Rhyl Athletic8 January 1927
5Bournemouth1–1Liverpool8 January 1927
ReplayLiverpool4–1Bournemouth12 January 1927
6Burnley3–1Grimsby Town8 January 1927
7South Shields3–1Plymouth Argyle8 January 1927
8Southampton3–0Norwich City8 January 1927
9Reading1–1Manchester United8 January 1927
ReplayManchester United2–2Reading12 January 1927
ReplayReading2–1Manchester United17 January 1927
10Walsall0–4Corinthian8 January 1927
11The Wednesday2–0Brighton & Hove Albion8 January 1927
12Middlesbrough5–3Leicester City8 January 1927
13Lincoln City2–4Preston North End8 January 1927
14Everton3–1Poole8 January 1927
15Sheffield United2–3Arsenal8 January 1927
16Newcastle United8–1Notts County8 January 1927
17Fulham4–3Chesterfield8 January 1927
18Barnsley6–1Crewe Alexandra8 January 1927
19Bristol Rovers3–3Portsmouth8 January 1927
ReplayPortsmouth4–0Bristol Rovers12 January 1927
20West Ham United3–2Tottenham Hotspur8 January 1927
21Bradford City2–6Derby County8 January 1927
22Millwall3–1Huddersfield Town8 January 1927
23Hull City2–1West Bromwich Albion8 January 1927
24Carlisle United0–2Wolverhampton Wanderers8 January 1927
25Clapton Orient1–1Port Vale8 January 1927
ReplayPort Vale5–1Clapton Orient12 January 1927
26Oldham Athletic2–4Brentford10 January 1927
27Chelsea4–0Luton Town8 January 1927
28Exeter City0–2Accrington Stanley8 January 1927
29Cardiff City2–1Aston Villa8 January 1927
30Swansea Town4–1Bury8 January 1927
31Southport2–0Blackburn Rovers8 January 1927
32Leeds United3–2Sunderland8 January 1927

Fourth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 29 January 1927. Five games were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek fixture, of which one went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Darlington0–2Cardiff City29 January 1927
2Liverpool3–1Southport29 January 1927
3Preston North End0–3Middlesbrough29 January 1927
4Southampton4–1Birmingham29 January 1927
5Reading3–1Portsmouth29 January 1927
6The Wednesday1–1South Shields29 January 1927
ReplaySouth Shields1–0The Wednesday2 February 1927
7Wolverhampton Wanderers2–0Nottingham Forest29 January 1927
8Derby County0–2Millwall29 January 1927
9Fulham0–4Burnley29 January 1927
10Barnsley1–3Swansea Town29 January 1927
11West Ham United1–1Brentford29 January 1927
ReplayBrentford2–0West Ham United2 February 1927
12Hull City1–1Everton29 January 1927
ReplayEverton2–2Hull City2 February 1927
ReplayHull City3–2Everton7 February 1927
13Chelsea7–2Accrington Stanley29 January 1927
14Port Vale2–2Arsenal29 January 1927
ReplayArsenal1–0Port Vale2 February 1927
15Leeds United0–0Bolton Wanderers29 January 1927
ReplayBolton Wanderers3–0Leeds United2 February 1927
16Corinthian1–3Newcastle United29 January 1927

Fifth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 19 February 1927. There was one replay, played in the next midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1South Shields2–2Swansea Town19 February 1927
ReplaySwansea Town2–1South Shields24 February 1927
2Southampton2–1Newcastle United19 February 1927
3Reading1–0Brentford19 February 1927
4Bolton Wanderers0–2Cardiff City19 February 1927
5Wolverhampton Wanderers1–0Hull City19 February 1927
6Millwall3–2Middlesbrough19 February 1927
7Chelsea2–1Burnley19 February 1927
8Arsenal2–0Liverpool19 February 1927

Sixth round proper

The four Sixth Round ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 5 March 1927. There were two replays, played in the following midweek fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Millwall0–0Southampton5 March 1927
ReplaySouthampton2–0Millwall9 March 1927
2Chelsea0–0Cardiff City5 March 1927
ReplayCardiff City3–2Chelsea9 March 1927
3Swansea Town1–3Reading5 March 1927
4Arsenal2–1Wolverhampton Wanderers5 March 1927

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 26 March 1927. Cardiff City and Arsenal went on to meet in the final at Wembley.
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Final

The 1927 FA Cup Final was won by Cardiff City, who beat Arsenal 1–0. It is most remembered for Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis' mistake which led to the only goal of the game. It was also the first ever Cup Final to be broadcast by BBC Radio. Commentators were Derek McCulloch and George Allison, who would later manage Arsenal.

Match details