1953–54 FA Cup


The 1953–54 FA Cup was the 73rd staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. West Bromwich Albion won the competition for the fourth time, beating Preston North End 3–2 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 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined those non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 21 November 1953. Seven were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Darlington1–3Port Vale21 November 1953
2Hastings United1–0Guildford City21 November 1953
3Bath City0–3Walsall21 November 1953
4Finchley1–3Southend United21 November 1953
5Southampton1–1Bournemouth21 November 1953
ReplayBournemouth3–1Southampton25 November 1953
6Weymouth2–0Bedford Town21 November 1953
7Yeovil Town0–2Norwich City21 November 1953
8Grimsby Town2–0Rochdale21 November 1953
9Crewe Alexandra0–0Bradford City21 November 1953
ReplayBradford City0–1Crewe Alexandra25 November 1953
10Gainsborough Trinity1–4Chesterfield21 November 1953
11Swindon Town2–1Newport 21 November 1953
12Ipswich Town4–1Reading21 November 1953
13Stockport County4–2Chester21 November 1953
14Queens Park Rangers2–0Shrewsbury Town21 November 1953
15Barnsley5–2York City21 November 1953
16Northampton Town3–0Llanelli21 November 1953
17Harwich & Parkeston2–3Headington United21 November 1953
18Great Yarmouth Town1–0Crystal Palace21 November 1953
19Brighton & Hove Albion5–1Coventry City21 November 1953
20Spennymoor United0–3Barrow21 November 1953
21Hitchin Town1–3Peterborough United21 November 1953
22Witton Albion4–1Nelson21 November 1953
23Exeter City1–1Hereford United21 November 1953
ReplayHereford United2–0Exeter City26 November 1953
24Hartlepools United1–1Mansfield Town21 November 1953
ReplayMansfield Town0–3Hartlepools United25 November 1953
25Scunthorpe United9–0Boston United21 November 1953
26Blyth Spartans0–1Accrington Stanley21 November 1953
27Halifax Town0–0Rhyl21 November 1953
ReplayRhyl4–3Halifax Town26 November 1953
28Southport1–0Carlisle United21 November 1953
29Selby Town0–2Bradford Park Avenue21 November 1953
30Torquay United1–3Bristol City21 November 1953
31Workington3–0Ferryhill Athletic21 November 1953
32Walthamstow Avenue1–0Gillingham21 November 1953
33Aldershot5–3Wellington Town21 November 1953
34Horden CW0–1Wrexham21 November 1953
35Gateshead1–2Tranmere Rovers21 November 1953
36Wigan Athletic4–0Scarborough21 November 1953
37Colchester United1–1Millwall21 November 1953
ReplayMillwall4–0Colchester United23 November 1953
38Leyton Orient3–0Kettering Town21 November 1953
39Nuneaton Borough3–0Watford21 November 1953
40Cambridge United2–2Newport County21 November 1953
ReplayNewport County1–2Cambridge United26 November 1953

Second round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 12 December 1953. Eight matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week. The Wrexham–Brighton & Hove Albion match went to a second replay, which finished in Wrexham's favour.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Hastings United4–1Swindon Town12 December 1953
2Barrow5–2Great Yarmouth Town12 December 1953
3Walsall3–0Crewe Alexandra12 December 1953
4Wrexham1–1Brighton & Hove Albion12 December 1953
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion1–1Wrexham16 December 1953
ReplayWrexham3–1Brighton & Hove Albion21 December 1953
5Ipswich Town2–2Walthamstow Avenue12 December 1953
ReplayWalthamstow Avenue0–1Ipswich Town16 December 1953
6Stockport County2–1Workington12 December 1953
7Queens Park Rangers1–1Nuneaton Borough12 December 1953
ReplayNuneaton Borough1–2Queens Park Rangers17 December 1953
8Accrington Stanley2–2Tranmere Rovers12 December 1953
ReplayTranmere Rovers5–1Accrington Stanley16 December 1953
9Northampton Town1–1Hartlepools United12 December 1953
ReplayHartlepools United1–0Northampton Town16 December 1953
10Rhyl0–3Bristol City12 December 1953
11Norwich City2–1Barnsley12 December 1953
12Millwall3–3Headington United12 December 1953
ReplayHeadington United1–0Millwall17 December 1953
13Witton Albion1–1Grimsby Town12 December 1953
ReplayGrimsby Town6–1Witton Albion15 December 1953
14Southend United1–2Chesterfield12 December 1953
15Scunthorpe United1–0Bournemouth12 December 1953
16Southport1–1Port Vale12 December 1953
ReplayPort Vale2–0Southport14 December 1953
17Wigan Athletic4–1Hereford United12 December 1953
18Peterborough United2–1Aldershot12 December 1953
19Leyton Orient4–0Weymouth12 December 1953
20Cambridge United1–2Bradford Park Avenue12 December 1953

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 9 January 1954. Fifteen matches were drawn and went to replays, with three of these requiring a second replay. The Blackpool–Luton Town match then went to a third replay, which was won by Blackpool.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool1–1Luton Town9 January 1954
ReplayLuton Town0–0Blackpool13 January 1954
ReplayBlackpool1–1Luton Town18 January 1954
ReplayLuton Town0–2Blackpool25 January 1954
2Chesterfield2–0Bury9 January 1954
3Hastings United3–3Norwich City9 January 1954
ReplayNorwich City3–0Hastings United13 January 1954
4Barrow2–2Swansea Town9 January 1954
ReplaySwansea Town4–2Barrow14 January 1954
5Bristol City1–3Rotherham United9 January 1954
6Burnley5–3Manchester United9 January 1954
7Sheffield Wednesday1–1Sheffield United9 January 1954
ReplaySheffield United1–3Sheffield Wednesday13 January 1954
8Bolton Wanderers1–0Liverpool9 January 1954
9Grimsby Town5–5Fulham9 January 1954
ReplayFulham3–1Grimsby Town18 January 1954
10Wolverhampton Wanderers1–2Birmingham City9 January 1954
11Middlesbrough0–0Leicester City9 January 1954
ReplayLeicester City3–2Middlesbrough14 January 1954
12West Bromwich Albion1–0Chelsea9 January 1954
13Sunderland0–2Doncaster Rovers9 January 1954
14Derby County0–2Preston North End9 January 1954
15Lincoln City1–1Walsall9 January 1954
ReplayWalsall1–1Lincoln City14 January 1954
ReplayLincoln City2–1Walsall18 January 1954
16Everton2–1Notts County9 January 1954
17Wrexham3–3Scunthorpe United9 January 1954
ReplayScunthorpe United3–1Wrexham14 January 1954
18Ipswich Town3–3Oldham Athletic9 January 1954
ReplayOldham Athletic0–1Ipswich Town12 January 1954
19Tranmere Rovers2–2Leyton Orient9 January 1954
ReplayLeyton Orient4–1Tranmere Rovers14 January 1954
20Stockport County0–0Headington United9 January 1954
ReplayHeadington United1–0Stockport County14 January 1954
21Newcastle United2–2Wigan Athletic9 January 1954
ReplayWigan Athletic2–3Newcastle United13 January 1954
22Queens Park Rangers0–1Port Vale9 January 1954
23Brentford0–0Hull City9 January 1954
ReplayHull City2–2Brentford14 January 1954
ReplayBrentford2–5Hull City18 January 1954
24Bristol Rovers0–1Blackburn Rovers9 January 1954
25Portsmouth3–3Charlton Athletic9 January 1954
ReplayCharlton Athletic2–3Portsmouth14 January 1954
26West Ham United4–0Huddersfield Town9 January 1954
27Plymouth Argyle2–0Nottingham Forest9 January 1954
28Bradford Park Avenue2–5Manchester City9 January 1954
29Cardiff City3–1Peterborough United9 January 1954
30Arsenal5–1Aston Villa9 January 1954
31Leeds United3–3Tottenham Hotspur9 January 1954
ReplayTottenham Hotspur1–0Leeds United13 January 1954
32Stoke City6–2Hartlepool United9 January 1954

Fourth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 30 January 1954, with two matches taking place on later dates. Six matches were drawn and went to replays, which were all played in the following midweek match. The Scunthorpe United–Portsmouth match went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Burnley1–1Newcastle United30 January 1954
ReplayNewcastle United1–0Burnley3 February 1954
2Blackburn Rovers2–2Hull City30 January 1954
ReplayHull City2–1Blackburn Rovers4 February 1954
3Sheffield Wednesday0–0Chesterfield30 January 1954
ReplayChesterfield2–4Sheffield Wednesday3 February 1954
4West Bromwich Albion4–0Rotherham United30 January 1954
5Lincoln City0–2Preston North End30 January 1954
6Everton3–0Swansea Town30 January 1954
7Ipswich Town1–0Birmingham City30 January 1954
8Manchester City0–1Tottenham Hotspur30 January 1954
9West Ham United1–1Blackpool30 January 1954
ReplayBlackpool3–1West Ham United3 February 1954
10Plymouth Argyle0–2Doncaster Rovers30 January 1954
11Scunthorpe United1–1Portsmouth30 January 1954
ReplayPortsmouth2–2Scunthorpe United3 February 1954
ReplayScunthorpe United0–4Portsmouth8 February 1954
12Cardiff City0–2Port Vale30 January 1954
13Arsenal1–2Norwich City30 January 1954
14Stoke City0–0Leicester City30 January 1954
ReplayLeicester City3–1Stoke City2 February 1954
15Headington United2–4Bolton Wanderers30 January 1954
16Leyton Orient2–1Fulham30 January 1954

Fifth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 20 February 1954. Two matches went to replays in the following mid-week fixture.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Preston North End6–1Ipswich Town20 February 1954
2Sheffield Wednesday3–1Everton20 February 1954
3Bolton Wanderers0–0Portsmouth20 February 1954
ReplayPortsmouth1–2Bolton Wanderers24 February 1954
4West Bromwich Albion3–2Newcastle United20 February 1954
5Norwich City1–2Leicester City20 February 1954
6Hull City1–1Tottenham Hotspur20 February 1954
ReplayTottenham Hotspur2–0Hull City24 February 1954
7Port Vale2–0Blackpool20 February 1954
8Leyton Orient3–1Doncaster Rovers20 February 1954

Sixth round proper

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 13 March 1954. Two matches went to replays, with the Leicester City–Preston North End match going to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Leicester City1–1Preston North End13 March 1954
ReplayPreston North End2–2Leicester City17 March 1954
ReplayLeicester City1–3Preston North End22 March 1954
2Sheffield Wednesday1–1Bolton Wanderers13 March 1954
ReplayBolton Wanderers0–2Sheffield Wednesday17 March 1954
3West Bromwich Albion3–0Tottenham Hotspur13 March 1954
4Leyton Orient0–1Port Vale13 March 1954

Semi finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 27 March 1954. Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion won their ties to meet in the final at Wembley.
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Final

The 1954 FA Cup Final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End at Wembley. West Brom won 3–2, with goals from Ronnie Allen and Frank Griffin. Angus Morrison and Charlie Wayman scored for Preston.

Match details