The 1878–79 Football Association Challenge Cup was the eighth staging of the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

's oldest

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

tournament. Forty-three teams entered, although five of the forty-three never played a match. The Quarter final matches between the Old Etonians Association Football Club and Darwen FC are depicted in

Julian Fellowes Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford (born 17 August 1949), known professionally as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, writer, producer, film director, and Conservative peer. He has received nume ...

's drama series, The English Game: : Arthur Kinnaird is captain and star player for the Old Etonians. Their opponents in the 1879 FA Cup Quarter finals are Darwen, a working class factory team. James Walsh, the owner of Darwen FC and the associated mill decides to secretly pay two Scottish players, Fergus "Fergie" Suter and James "Jimmy" Love to join his team in a bid to secure the FA Cup (which at the time is exclusively for amateurs). The Old Etonians, who also happen to be FA Board members, decide that since extra time was not previously agreed to then the Quarter final will be replayed instead. The mill has financial issues and townsfolk pitch in to help pay for the trip. The replay is handily won by Old Etonians who focus more on shutting down Suter and Love rather than playing their own game.

First round

Replays

Second round

Replay

Third round

Fourth round

Replay

Second replay

Semi finals

Final

References

External links

FA Cup Results Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fa Cup 1878-79 1878-79 1878–79 in English football cups