1893 FA Cup Final: Wolves vs Everton

Wolves 1 - 0 Everton

• Wolves
  • Allen 60'
• Everton

Fallowfield (Manchester) - Saturday 25th March

Attendance: 45,000

Match Referee: C. J. Hughes

Team Line-ups:

The Final was never again to be played at the Oval, the cricket authorities fearing that the huge crowds now gathering to watch the big match would damage their world-famous pitch, so the Cup celebrated its twenty-first birthday at the Manchester Athletic Club ground at Fallowfield.

Part of the 45,000 crowd - about double the previous record - overflowed along the touch-lines, and it was a wonder that the game ever started.

Everton took the field as strong favourites, not only because they had defeated Preston in a semi-final tie which had gone to three games, but because they were regarded as a genuinely talented side. A week before the Final, Everton sent their reserve side to Wolverhampton for a League fixture, and the 'stiffs', embarrassingly for the Wolves, won 42.

However, once again the Final favourites crashed. Wolves' bustling tactics threw Everton completely out of their stride, the latter's close passing game proving totally ineffective. It was a triumph of teamwork on the part of Wolves' all-English team, though they did have an outstanding individual in outside-right Topham. He had fired several powerful shots at goal, and one of them sent a policeman in the crowd flying. Harry Alien, a splendid centre-half, played a captain's part by scoring the second-half goal that won the Cup.

Wolverhampton Wanderers - Cup Winners 1893

Back Row: Birtwistle (Umpire), Brandon, Pennington, Barton, Southworth, Dewar, Forrest, Murray (Trainer)

Front Row: Lofthouse, Walton, Forbes, Hall, Townley

A 'Funeral Card' - Popular around this time. Printed as reversible for either team and sold as people left the ground after the match.