1920 FA Cup Final: ASTON VILLA vs HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

• ASTON VILLA
  • Kirton 100'
• HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

Stamford Bridge - Saturday 24th April

Attendance: 50,018

Match Referee: T J Howcroft (Bolton)

Team Line-ups:

The substitution of Stamford Bridge for the Crystal Palace, then a War Service Depot and no longer available, signalled the end of the picnic-like atmosphere that had existed at the Final since 1895. Now the match was more important than any 'side-show'.

Huddersfield Town's achievement in reaching the 1920 Final was a remarkable one as the club had only recently been threatened with dis-solution through lack of funds. The townspeople of Huddersfield had rallied to the club's aid, and their reward was promotion from the Second Division and a first-ever appearance in the Cup Final in the same season.

In the early autumn of the 1919-20 season. Villa's League position had been desperate - bottom of the First Division, with eight defeats in ten matches. But Villa won this first post-war Final with a fluke goal scored in the seventh minute of extra time.

Villa's quick interpassing had Huddersfield at full stretch early on, and only three magnificent saves from Mutch, defying Kirton, Stephenson and Walker, and Wilson's sterling play at centre-half, gave the nervous Huddersfield team time to settle. Soon their strong spoiling style jolted Villa out of their rhythm, and there was no score at the end of normal time. Villa had been the better, more positive side throughout, but too often they were forced to shoot under pressure or from Song range, and the close covering of the Huddersfield defence cut openings down to a minimum. Villa were a shade too casual in everything they did, and it was just as well that Ducat and Moss were so much on top in midfield.

Villa won the Cup for the sixth time, with a goal scored almost involun-tarily. When Dorrell's corner hung tantalizingly in front of goal, Wilson went up for the ball with Kirton, Villa's best forward. It seemed to go into the net off Wilson's head, but was actually diverted off Wilson's face from Kirton's head - or so the players concerned said afterwards.

In the few minutes that remained, Huddersfield threw everything into an all-out attack on the Villa goal. Mann beat Hardy, but Weston stuck out a leg to block his goal-bound shot. Huddersfield didn't come as close to a goal again.

Andy Ducat, one of the select few to have represented England at both football and cricket, came up to collect the Cup from Prince Henry. There were four members of the winning side of 1913 behind him -Weston, Wallace, Stephenson and the 'Keeper of Keepers', Sam Hardy.

First Round

ASTON VILLA v QPR 2-1; Port Vale v Man Utd 1-2 ,Sunderland v Hull C 6-2 ;Thorneycroft's (W) v Burnley 0-0. 0-5; Bristol R v Spurs 1 -4; West Stanley v Gillingham 3-1; Southampton v W. Ham 0-0,1-3; Bury v Stoke C 2-0; Bolton Wand v Chelsea 0-1; FulhamvSwindonTI-2; Newport Co v Leicester C 0-0, 0-2; Man C v Clapton Orient 4-1; Bradford PA v Nott'm Forest 3-0; Castleford T v Hednesford T 2-0; Notts Co v Millwall Ath 2-0; Middlesbro v Lincoln C 4-1; Grimsby T v Bristol C 1 -2; Arsenal v Rochdale 4-2; Cardiff C v Oldham Ath 2-0; Blackburn R v Wolves 2-2. 0-1; Bradford C v Portsmouth 2-2,2-0; Sheff Utd v Southend Utd 3-0; PNE v Stockport Co 3-1; Blackpool v Derby Co 0-0,4-1; HUDDERSFIELD T v Brentford 5-1; Newcastle Utd v Crystal Palace 2-0; Plymouth Arg v Reading 2-0; WBAv Bamsley 0-1; South Shields v Liverpool 1 -1, 0-2; Luton T v Coventry C 2-2.1 -0; Birmingham v Everton 2-0; Darlington v Sheff Wed 0-0.2-0

Second Round

Man Utd v ASTON VILLA 1-2; Burnley v Sunderland 1-1,0-2; Spurs v West Stanley 4-0; W. Ham v Bury 6-0; Chelsea v Swindon T 4-0; Leicester C v Man C 3-0; Bradford PA v Castleford T 3-2; Notts Co v Middlesbro 1 -0; Bristol C v Arsenal 1 -0; Wolves v Cardiff C 1 -2; Bradford C v Sheff Utd 2-1; PNE v Blackpool 2-1; Newcastle Utd v HUDDERSFIELD T 0-1; Plymouth Arg v Barnsley 4-1; Luton T v Liverpool 0—2; Birmingham v Darlington 4—0

Third Round

ASTON VILLA v Sunderland 1 -0; Spurs v W. Ham 3-0; Chelsea v Leicester C 3-0; Notts Co v Bradford PA 3-4; Bristol C v Cardiff C 2-1; PNE v Bradford C 0-3; HUDDERSFIELD t v Plymouth Arg 3-1; Liverpool v Birmingham 2-0

Fourth Round

Spurs v ASTON VILLA 0-1; Chelsea v Bradford PA 4-1; Bristol C v Bradford C 2-0; HUDDERSFIELD T v Liverpool 2-1

Semi-Final

ASTON VILLA v Chelsea 3-1; Bristol C v HUDDERSFIELD T 1 -2