1884 FA Cup Final: Blackburn vs Queen's Park

Blackburn 2 - 1 Queen's Park

• Blackburn
  • Joe Sowerbutts
  • Jimmy Forrest
• Queen's Park
  • Robert M Christie

Kennington Oval - Saturday 29th March

Attendance: 12000

Match Referee: C. Crump

Team Line-ups:

Match Gallery

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Match Report

The 1884 Final had resolved itself into an international contest without precedent. A 12,000 crowd at the Oval, the largest at any Final so far, gathered to see the climax of a competition which had that year attracted a record entry of 101 clubs. Blackburn Rovers won the first of three successive Finals, two of them against this Glasgow club which was virtually the Scottish international side.

Understandably, Rovers had the crowd on their side, but they looked anything but at home during the first twenty minutes. After this early period of uncertainty, however. Rovers set to work in earnest and played superbly to the end. In the second half the Scotsmen were completely outplayed.

The match produced three goals all of which were scored in the fifteen minutes before half-time. First Brown crossed from the left and Sower-butts had only to apply the gentlest touch to help the ball between the posts: 1-0 to England.

Rovers always looked likely to increase their lead, and, after Gillespie had sent the ball to the left, Forrest obliged with a hard shot just under the bar. They threatened to go further ahead, but then Anderson forced a corner, took it himself, and, following a bout of passing around the Rovers goal, Christie neatly side-footed the ball past Arthur and notched a goal for the Scotsmen.

Blackburn Rovers - 1884 Winners

Standing: Lofthouse, McIntyre, Beverley, Arthur, Suter, Forrest, Birtwistle (Umpire)

Seated: Douglas, Sowerbutts, Brown, Avery, Hargreaves