The 1907–08 FA Cup was the 37th staging of the world's oldest
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as 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 ...
).
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
won the competition for the second time, beating
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
3–1 in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
at
Crystal Palace.
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. 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 at neutral venues 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
Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required t ...
would be played.
Thirteen of the
First Division's twenty clubs were defeated by lower division opposition; this figure remains a record number for a single season. Three of the four semi finalists were from outside the elite division and the cup itself was won by a second-tier club.
Calendar
The format of the FA Cup for the season had a preliminary round, five qualifying rounds, four proper rounds, and the semi-finals and final.
Qualifying rounds
The 12 clubs winning through to the main competition from the fifth qualifying round were
Glossop
Glossop is a market town in the borough of High Peak (borough), High Peak, Derbyshire, England, east of Manchester, north-west of Sheffield and north of Matlock, Derbyshire, Matlock. Near Derbyshire's borders with Cheshire, Greater Mancheste ...
,
Chesterfield and
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...
from the
Football League Second Division
The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third tier ...
, along with non-league sides
Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...
,
Rotherham Town,
Carlisle United,
Stockton,
Coventry City,
Hastings & St Leonards United,
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the c ...
,
New Brompton and
Worksop Town. Owing to the uneven number of clubs contesting the fifth qualifying round (23), Worksop Town received a bye at that stage to progress straight through to the first round proper. Woking, Carlisle United, Coventry City and Worksop were featuring in the main draw for the first time, while Rotherham Town had last appeared at this stage in
1887-88 (before folding in 1896 and being reconstituted three years later).
The winner of the previous season's
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status.
History
Following the legalisation of professionalism within footb ...
,
Clapton, were not as fortunate as their predecessor champions Oxford City in the
1906-07 Cup tournament. Forced to enter in the preliminary round, the club defeated
Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
before losing to
Southend United in the first qualifying round. The
FA would not resume the practice of awarding a bye to the first round of the Cup to the reigning Amateur Cup champion until 1925, when the successful club would again be Clapton.
First round proper
36 of the 40 clubs from the
First and
Second
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
divisions joined the 12 clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. Of the League sides not exempt to this round,
Clapton Orient was again entered in the preliminary round, but this time won through to the third qualifying round before also losing to Southend United. Glossop, Chesterfield and Oldham were all entered in the fifth qualifying round.
Sixteen
Southern League sides were also exempt to the first round. These were:
32 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday 11 January 1908. Eight matches were drawn and went to replays in the following midweek, of which one went to a second replay.
Second round proper
The sixteen second round matches were played on Saturday 1 February 1908. Five matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek. One of these, the Stoke against Gainsborough Trinity match, went to a second replay the following week.
Third round proper
The eight third-round matches were scheduled for Saturday 22 February 1908. There were two replays, played in the following midweek.
Fourth round proper
The four quarter final matches were scheduled for Saturday 7 March 1908. The Everton against Southampton game was drawn, and replayed on 11 March.
Semi-finals
The semi-final matches were played on Saturday 28 March 1908. Newcastle United won their tie against Fulham 6–0, which remains a record for an FA Cup semi-final. In the other tie, Wolverhampton Wanderers won against Southampton to meet Newcastle in the final.
----
Final
The Final was contested by
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
and
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
at Crystal Palace. Newcastle had just finished 4th in the
First Division during
this season, after two successive league titles and this was their third FA Cup final appearance in 4 years (although they had yet to win). Their 6–0 thrashing of Fulham in the semi-final is a record win for a semi final. By contrast, Wolves had finished 9th in the
Second Division.
Nevertheless, Wolves upset the odds by winning the match 3–1, with goals by Kenneth Hunt, George Hedley and Billy Harrison. James Howey scored the Magpies' reply. The Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Bell, then handed the trophy to Wolves' captain, Billy Wooldridge.
Match details
See also
*
FA Cup Final Results 1872-
References
;General
Official site; fixtures and results serviceat TheFA.com
1907-08 FA Cup at soccerbase.com
;Specific
{{DEFAULTSORT:FA Cup 1907–08
1907–08
1907–08 in English football cups