1948–49 FA Cup


The FA Cup 1948–49 was the 68th staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Wolverhampton Wanderers won the competition for the third time, beating Leicester City 3–1 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

First round proper

At this stage 43 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Rotherham United, Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, as the strongest non-promoted Third Division finishers in the previous season, were given a bye to the Third Round, along with Swindon Town, who managed to reach the fifth round of the previous season's competition. To make the number of matches up, non-league Leytonstone and Colchester United were given byes to this round. 34 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 27 November 1948, with eight of these postponed until the following Saturday. Two were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Dartford2–3Leyton Orient27 November 1948
2Barnet2–6Exeter City4 December 1948
3Rochdale1–1Barrow27 November 1948
ReplayBarrow2–0Rochdale4 December 1948
4Weymouth2–1Chelmsford City27 November 1948
5Yeovil Town4–0Romford27 November 1948
6Walsall2–1Bristol Rovers27 November 1948
7Notts County2–1Port Vale27 November 1948
8Crewe Alexandra5–0Billingham Synthonia27 November 1948
9Gainsborough Trinity1–0Witton Albion27 November 1948
10Wrexham0–3Oldham Athletic27 November 1948
11Ipswich Town0–3Aldershot4 December 1948
12Tranmere Rovers1–3Darlington27 November 1948
13Kidderminster Harriers0–3Hereford United27 November 1948
14Leytonstone2–1Watford4 December 1948
15Northampton Town2–1Dulwich Hamlet27 November 1948
16Rhyl0–2Scarborough4 December 1948
17Norwich City1–0Wellington Town27 November 1948
18Bradford City4–3Doncaster Rovers4 December 1948
19Millwall1–0Tooting & Mitcham United27 November 1948
20Hull City3–1Accrington Stanley27 November 1948
21Crystal Palace0–1Bristol City27 November 1948
22Southend United1–2Swansea Town4 December 1948
23Hartlepools United1–3Chester27 November 1948
24Mansfield Town4–0Gloucester City27 November 1948
25Halifax Town0–0Scunthorpe United4 December 1948
ReplayScunthorpe United1–0Halifax Town6 December 1948
26Newport County3–1Brighton & Hove Albion27 November 1948
27Southport2–1Horden CW27 November 1948
28New Brighton1–0Carlisle United27 November 1948
29Workington0–3Stockport County27 November 1948
30Walthamstow Avenue3–2Cambridge Town27 November 1948
31York City2–1Runcorn27 November 1948
32Gateshead3–0Netherfield 27 November 1948
33Peterborough United0–1Torquay United27 November 1948
34Colchester United2–4Reading4 December 1948

Second round proper

The matches were played on Saturday, 11 December 1948. Four matches were drawn, with replays taking place the following Saturday.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Darlington1–0Leyton Orient11 December 1948
2Bristol City3–1Swansea Town11 December 1948
3Weymouth0–4Yeovil Town11 December 1948
4Walsall4–3Gainsborough Trinity11 December 1948
5Notts County3–2Barrow11 December 1948
6Crewe Alexandra3–2Millwall11 December 1948
7Leytonstone3–4Newport County11 December 1948
8Bradford City0–0New Brighton11 December 1948
ReplayNew Brighton1–0Bradford City18 December 1948
9Hull City0–0Reading11 December 1948
ReplayReading1–2Hull City18 December 1948
10Exeter City2–1Hereford United11 December 1948
11Scunthorpe United0–1Stockport County11 December 1948
12Mansfield Town2–1Northampton Town11 December 1948
13Southport2–2York City11 December 1948
ReplayYork City0–2Southport18 December 1948
14Torquay United3–1Norwich City11 December 1948
15Walthamstow Avenue2–2Oldham Athletic11 December 1948
ReplayOldham Athletic3–1Walthamstow Avenue18 December 1948
16Aldershot1–0Chester11 December 1948
17Gateshead3–0Scarborough11 December 1948

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with Rotherham United, Swindon Town and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 8 January 1949. Four matches were drawn and went to replays on the following Saturday, with two of these going to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bristol City1–3Chelsea8 January 1949
2Burnley2–1Charlton Athletic8 January 1949
3Preston North End2–1Mansfield Town8 January 1949
4Yeovil Town3–1Bury8 January 1949
5Nottingham Forest2–2Liverpool8 January 1949
ReplayLiverpool4–0Nottingham Forest15 January 1949
6Blackburn Rovers1–2Hull City8 January 1949
7Aston Villa1–1Bolton Wanderers8 January 1949
ReplayBolton Wanderers0–0Aston Villa15 January 1949
ReplayAston Villa2–1Bolton Wanderers17 January 1949
8Sheffield Wednesday2–1Southampton8 January 1949
9Grimsby Town2–1Exeter City8 January 1949
10Wolverhampton Wanderers6–0Chesterfield8 January 1949
11Crewe Alexandra0–2Sunderland8 January 1949
12Derby County4–1Southport8 January 1949
13Lincoln City0–1West Bromwich Albion8 January 1949
14Luton Town3–1West Ham United8 January 1949
15Everton1–0Manchester City8 January 1949
16Swindon Town1–3Stoke City8 January 1949
17Sheffield United5–2New Brighton8 January 1949
18Newcastle United0–2Bradford Park Avenue8 January 1949
19Queens Park Rangers0–0Huddersfield Town8 January 1949
ReplayHuddersfield Town5–0Queens Park Rangers15 January 1949
20Fulham0–1Walsall8 January 1949
21Barnsley0–1Blackpool8 January 1949
22Brentford3–2Middlesbrough8 January 1949
23Portsmouth7–0Stockport County8 January 1949
24Manchester United6–0Bournemouth8 January 1949
25Plymouth Argyle0–1Notts County8 January 1949
26Oldham Athletic2–3Cardiff City8 January 1949
27Arsenal3–0Tottenham Hotspur8 January 1949
28Leeds United1–3Newport County8 January 1949
29Torquay United1–0Coventry City8 January 1949
30Rotherham United4–2Darlington8 January 1949
31Gateshead3–1Aldershot8 January 1949
32Birmingham City1–1Leicester City8 January 1949
ReplayLeicester City1–1Birmingham City15 January 1949
ReplayBirmingham City1–2Leicester City17 January 1949

Fourth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 29 January 1949. Three games were drawn and went to replays, which were all played on the following Saturday. Manchester United and Bradford Park Avenue went to a second replay on the following Monday, with Manchester United easily winning the tie to go through.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool1–0Notts County29 January 1949
2Yeovil Town2–1Sunderland29 January 1949
3Leicester City2–0Preston North End29 January 1949
4Aston Villa1–2Cardiff City29 January 1949
5Grimsby Town2–3Hull City29 January 1949
6Derby County1–0Arsenal29 January 1949
7Luton Town4–0Walsall29 January 1949
8Sheffield United0–3Wolverhampton Wanderers29 January 1949
9Brentford1–0Torquay United29 January 1949
10Portsmouth2–1Sheffield Wednesday29 January 1949
11Manchester United1–1Bradford Park Avenue29 January 1949
ReplayBradford Park Avenue1–1Manchester United5 February 1949
ReplayManchester United5–0Bradford Park Avenue7 February 1949
12Chelsea2–0Everton29 January 1949
13Newport County3–3Huddersfield Town29 January 1949
ReplayHuddersfield Town1–3Newport County5 February 1949
14Stoke City1–1Blackpool29 January 1949
ReplayBlackpool0–1Stoke City5 February 1949
15Rotherham United0–1Burnley29 January 1949
16Gateshead1–3West Bromwich Albion29 January 1949

Fifth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 12 February 1949. There was one replay, taking place the following Saturday.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Wolverhampton Wanderers3–1Liverpool12 February 1949
2West Bromwich Albion3–0Chelsea12 February 1949
3Derby County2–1Cardiff City12 February 1949
4Luton Town5–5Leicester City12 February 1949
ReplayLeicester City5–3Luton Town19 February 1949
5Brentford4–2Burnley12 February 1949
6Portsmouth3–2Newport County12 February 1949
7Manchester United8–0Yeovil Town12 February 1949
8Stoke City0–2Hull City12 February 1949

Sixth round proper

The draw for the sixth round was made on Monday, 14 February 1949. All matches were played on Saturday, 26 February 1949.
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Semi-finals

The draw for the semi finals was made on Monday, 28 February 1949. Both original matches were played on Saturday, 26 March 1949.
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Final