1949–50 FA Cup


The 1949–50 FA Cup was the 69th season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Arsenal won the competition for the third time, beating Liverpool 2–0 in the final at Wembley, through two goals from Reg Lewis.
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 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Rotherham United, Reading and A.F.C. Bournemouth, as the strongest Third Division finishers in the previous season, were given a bye to the Third Round. To make the number of matches up, non-league Yeovil Town and Bromley were given byes to this round. 34 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 26 November 1949. Three were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chester4–1Goole Town26 November 1949
2Darlington2–2Crewe Alexandra26 November 1949
ReplayCrewe Alexandra1–0Darlington30 November 1949
3Hastings United1–3Gillingham26 November 1949
4Weymouth2–2Aldershot26 November 1949
ReplayAldershot2–3Weymouth30 November 1949
5Yeovil Town4–1Romford26 November 1949
6Notts County4–0Tilbury26 November 1949
7Nottingham Forest1–0Bristol City26 November 1949
8Swindon Town1–0Bristol Rovers26 November 1949
9Doncaster Rovers5–1New Brighton26 November 1949
10Wrexham4–1Grantham26 November 1949
11Ipswich Town2–1Brighton & Hove Albion26 November 1949
12Tranmere Rovers2–1Halifax Town26 November 1949
13Stockport County3–0Billingham Synthonia26 November 1949
14Leytonstone1–2Chelmsford City26 November 1949
15Accrington Stanley0–1Hartlepools United26 November 1949
16Northampton Town4–1Walthamstow Avenue26 November 1949
17Bromley1–2Watford26 November 1949
18Rhyl0–3Rochdale26 November 1949
19Bradford City9–0Fleetwood26 November 1949
20Millwall3–5Exeter City26 November 1949
21Carlisle United1–0Lincoln City26 November 1949
22Oldham Athletic4–0Stockton26 November 1949
23Crystal Palace0–3Newport County26 November 1949
24Witton Albion0–1Mossley26 November 1949
25Mansfield Town4–1Walsall26 November 1949
26Port Vale1–0Wealdstone26 November 1949
27Southport1–1Barrow26 November 1949
ReplayBarrow0–1Southport1 December 1949
28Hereford United3–0Bromsgrove Rovers26 November 1949
29Netherfield 4–3North Shields26 November 1949
30Gloucester City2–3Norwich City26 November 1949
31Gateshead3–1York City26 November 1949
32Leyton Orient0–2Southend United26 November 1949
33Nuneaton Borough2–1King's Lynn26 November 1949
34Gravesend & Northfleet1–3Torquay United26 November 1949

Second Round Proper

The matches were played on Saturday, 10 December 1949. Six matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week. One of these replays went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Rochdale1–2Notts County10 December 1949
2Watford6–0Netherfield 10 December 1949
3Weymouth2–1Hereford United10 December 1949
4Yeovil Town3–1Gillingham10 December 1949
5Nottingham Forest0–2Stockport County10 December 1949
6Crewe Alexandra1–1Oldham Athletic10 December 1949
ReplayOldham Athletic0–0Crewe Alexandra13 December 1949
ReplayCrewe Alexandra0–3Oldham Athletic19 December 1949
7Doncaster Rovers1–0Mansfield Town10 December 1949
8Wrexham2–2Southend United10 December 1949
ReplaySouthend United2–0Wrexham15 December 1949
9Northampton Town4–2Torquay United10 December 1949
10Carlisle United2–0Swindon Town10 December 1949
11Exeter City2–0Chester10 December 1949
12Hartlepools United1–1Norwich City10 December 1949
ReplayNorwich City5–1Hartlepools United16 December 1949
13Port Vale1–0Tranmere Rovers10 December 1949
14Newport County1–1Gateshead10 December 1949
ReplayGateshead1–2Newport County15 December 1949
15Southport2–1Bradford City10 December 1949
16Chelmsford City1–1Ipswich Town10 December 1949
ReplayIpswich Town1–0Chelmsford City15 December 1949
17Nuneaton Borough0–0Mossley10 December 1949
ReplayMossley0–3Nuneaton Borough17 December 1949

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with the three strongest finishers from the previous season's Third Division, Rotherham United, Reading and A.F.C. Bournemouth. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 7 January 1950. Nine matches were drawn and went to replays, with one of these going to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool4–0Southend United7 January 1950
2Chesterfield3–1Yeovil Town7 January 1950
3Bury5–4Rotherham United7 January 1950
4Watford2–2Preston North End7 January 1950
ReplayPreston North End0–1Watford11 January 1950
5Reading2–3Doncaster Rovers7 January 1950
6Notts County1–4Burnley7 January 1950
7Blackburn Rovers0–0Liverpool7 January 1950
ReplayLiverpool2–1Blackburn Rovers11 January 1950
8Aston Villa2–2Middlesbrough7 January 1950
ReplayMiddlesbrough0–0Aston Villa11 January 1950
ReplayAston Villa0–3Middlesbrough16 January 1950
9Sunderland6–0Huddersfield Town7 January 1950
10Luton Town3–4Grimsby Town7 January 1950
11Sheffield United3–1Leicester City7 January 1950
12Stockport County4–2Barnsley7 January 1950
13Manchester City3–5Derby County7 January 1950
14Queens Park Rangers0–2Everton7 January 1950
15Brentford0–1Chelsea7 January 1950
16Northampton Town1–1Southampton7 January 1950
ReplaySouthampton2–3Northampton Town11 January 1950
17Coventry City1–2Bolton Wanderers7 January 1950
18Portsmouth1–1Norwich City7 January 1950
ReplayNorwich City0–2Portsmouth12 January 1950
19West Ham United5–1Ipswich Town7 January 1950
20Manchester United4–0Weymouth7 January 1950
21Plymouth Argyle1–1Wolverhampton Wanderers7 January 1950
ReplayWolverhampton Wanderers3–0Plymouth Argyle11 January 1950
22Carlisle United2–5Leeds United7 January 1950
23Oldham Athletic2–7Newcastle United7 January 1950
24Bradford Park Avenue0–1Bournemouth7 January 1950
25Exeter City3–0Nuneaton Borough7 January 1950
26Cardiff City2–2West Bromwich Albion7 January 1950
ReplayWest Bromwich Albion0–1Cardiff City11 January 1950
27Newport County1–2Port Vale7 January 1950
28Swansea Town3–0Birmingham City7 January 1950
29Charlton Athletic2–2Fulham7 January 1950
ReplayFulham1–2Charlton Athletic11 January 1950
30Arsenal1–0Sheffield Wednesday7 January 1950
31Southport0–0Hull City7 January 1950
ReplayHull City5–0Southport12 January 1950
32Stoke City0–1Tottenham Hotspur7 January 1950

Fourth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 28 January 1950. Six games were drawn and went to replays, which were all played in the following midweek match.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool2–1Doncaster Rovers28 January 1950
2Chesterfield3–2Middlesbrough28 January 1950
3Bournemouth1–1Northampton Town28 January 1950
ReplayNorthampton Town2–1Bournemouth2 February 1950
4Burnley2–1Port Vale28 January 1950
5Bury2–2Derby County28 January 1950
ReplayDerby County5–2Bury1 February 1950
6Liverpool3–1Exeter City28 January 1950
7Watford0–1Manchester United28 January 1950
8Wolverhampton Wanderers0–0Sheffield United28 January 1950
ReplaySheffield United3–4Wolverhampton Wanderers1 February 1950
9Stockport County0–0Hull City28 January 1950
ReplayHull City0–2Stockport County2 February 1950
10Tottenham Hotspur5–1Sunderland28 January 1950
11Portsmouth5–0Grimsby Town28 January 1950
12West Ham United1–2Everton28 January 1950
13Chelsea3–0Newcastle United28 January 1950
14Charlton Athletic1–1Cardiff City28 January 1950
ReplayCardiff City2–0Charlton Athletic1 February 1950
15Arsenal2–1Swansea Town28 January 1950
16Leeds United1–1Bolton Wanderers28 January 1950
ReplayBolton Wanderers2–3Leeds United1 February 1950

Fifth Round Proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 11 February 1950. There were three replays in total, each taking place four days later.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chesterfield1–1Chelsea11 February 1950
ReplayChelsea3–0Chesterfield15 February 1950
2Wolverhampton Wanderers0–0Blackpool11 February 1950
ReplayBlackpool1–0Wolverhampton Wanderers15 February 1950
3Derby County4–2Northampton Town11 February 1950
4Everton1–0Tottenham Hotspur11 February 1950
5Stockport County1–2Liverpool11 February 1950
6Manchester United3–3Portsmouth11 February 1950
ReplayPortsmouth1–3Manchester United15 February 1950
7Arsenal2–0Burnley11 February 1950
8Leeds United3–1Cardiff City11 February 1950

Sixth Round Proper

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 4 March 1950. There were no replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool2–1Blackpool4 March 1950
2Derby County1–2Everton4 March 1950
3Chelsea2–0Manchester United4 March 1950
4Arsenal1–0Leeds United4 March 1950

Semi-Finals

The semi-final matches were intended to be played on Saturday, 18 March 1950, although the Liverpool–Everton fixture was not played until the week after. The London derby clash of Arsenal–Chelsea went to a replay, with Arsenal eventually winning their tie to meet Liverpool in the final at Wembley.
----
;Replay

Final

The 1950 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Liverpool at Wembley. Arsenal won 2–0, with both goals scored by Reg Lewis. Future legendary Liverpool manager Bob Paisley was famously dropped for the final, even after scoring the winning goal against rivals Everton in the semi final.

Match facts