1931 FA Cup Final: West Brom vs Birmingham City

West Brom 2 - 1 Birmingham City

• West Brom
  • W. G. Richardson 25'
  • W. G. Richardson 58'
• Birmingham City
  • Bradford 57'

Wembley - Saturday 25th April

Attendance: 92,406

Match Referee: A.H. Kingscott

Team Line-ups:

At the Oval and Crystal Palace, West Bromwich had been famed for their battles with Aston Villa, and at Wembley they were now taking part in another battle with a purely local flavour. This time they beat Birmingham for the trophy, and, as a nice bonus, gained promotion from the Second Division in the same season. It was the first time that such a double feat had been achieved.

Albion were not a brilliant side, but they had tremendous team spirit. Inside‑right Carter was the master general, and Richardson (M G.) at centre‑forward the man who translated most of those plans into reality.

In persistent rain, Richardson gave Albion the lead after a three‑man move with Carter and Glidden, and Albion looked set for victory.

But Birmingham were by no means out of the hunt yet, and they proved the point when Bradford took a pass from Curtis and beat Pearson with a perfectly aimed shot. Then came one of those Wembley twists. Straight from the kick‑off Richardson went through the middle to make it 2‑1.

W G Richardson scores the second of his two goals

Hibbs' inspired goalkeeping saved Birmingham from a much heavier defeat. The impression given that forwards spent all their time shooting straight at him bore testimony to his great positional sense.

West Bromwich Albion - Cup Winners 1931

(Celebrations at Paddington Station)

BIRMINGHAM v Chelsea 2‑2,3‑0; Sunderland v Exeter C 1‑1, 4‑2; Everton v Southport 9‑1; WBA v Wolves 1‑1, 2‑1

BIRMINGHAM C v Watford 3‑0; Chelsea v Blackburn R 3‑0; Sunderland v Sheff Utd 2‑1 Exeter C v Leeds Utd 3‑1; Everton v Grimsby T 5‑2; Southport v Bradford PA 1‑0, Portsmouth WBA 0‑1 Barnsley v Wolves 1‑3

BIRMINGHAM v Port Vale 2‑0; Watford v Brighton & H Alb 2‑0; Chelsea v Arsenal 2‑1, Blackburn R v Bristol R 5‑1, Bolton Wand v Sunderland 1‑1, 1‑3, Sheff Utd v Notts Co 4‑1; Bury v Exeter C 1‑2; Leeds Utd v Newcastle Utd 4‑2; Crystal Palace v Everton 0‑15; Grimsby T v Man Utd 1 ‑0; Southport v Blackpool 2‑1; Bradford PA v Burnley 2‑0; Brentford v Portsmouth 0‑1; WBA v Spurs 1 ‑0; Barnsley v Sheff Wed 2‑1; Bradford PA v Wolves 0‑0, 2‑4

Liverpool v BIRMINGHAM 0‑2; Corinthians v Port Vale 1‑3, Oldham Ath v Watford 1‑3; Leicester C v Brighton & H Alb 1‑2; W. Ham v Chelsea 1‑3; Arsenal v Aston Villa 2‑2, 3‑1; Blackburn R v Walsall 1‑1, 3‑0, Bristol R v OPR 3‑1; Bolton Wand v Carlisle Utd 1 ‑0; Sunderland v Southampton 2‑0; Sheff Utd v York C 1‑1, 2‑0; Notts Co v Swansea T 3‑1; Bury v Torquay Utd 1‑1, 2‑1; Exeter C v Derby Co 3‑2; Leeds Utd v Huddersfield T 2‑0; Newcastle Utd v Nott'm Forest 4‑0; Crystal Palace v Reading 1‑1, 1‑1, 2‑0; Plymouth Arg v Everton 0‑2, Scarborough T v Grimsby T 1‑2; Stoke C v Man Utd 3‑3, 0‑0, 2‑4; Southport v Millwall 3‑1; Hull C v Blackpool 1‑2; Aldershot T v Bradford PA 0‑1; Burnley v Man C 3‑0; Brentford v Cardiff C 2‑2, 2‑1; Fulham v Portsmouth 0‑2; WBA v Charlton Ath 2‑2,1‑1, 3‑1; Spurs v PNE 3‑1; Barnsley v Bristol C 4‑1, Gateshead v Sheff Wed 2‑6, Middlesbro v Bradford C 1‑ 1, 1 ‑2; Wolves v Wrexham 9‑1

Gillingham vAldershotT 1‑3; Brentford v Norwich C 1‑0; Bristol R v Stockport Co 4‑2; Carlisle Utd v Tunbridge Wells R 4‑2; Crystal Palace v Newark 6‑0; Exeter C v Coventry C 1‑1, 2‑1; Fulham v Halifax T 4‑0; Gateshead v Folkestone 3‑2; Notts Co v Doncaster R 1 ‑0; Crewe Alex v QPR 2‑4; Scarborough T v Lincoln C 6‑4, Gainsboro Tr v Southport 0‑4, Accrington S v Torquay Utd 0‑1; Walsall v Newport Co 4‑0; Watford v Luton T 3‑1; Wellington T v Wrexham 2‑4, Nelson v York C 1‑1,0‑3

Accrington S v Lancaster T 3‑1; Aldershot T v Peterborough & Fletton Utd 4‑1; liford v Brentford 1‑15; Bristol R v MerthyrTydffil 4‑1; Carlisle Utd v New Brighton 3‑1; Northampton T v Coventry C 1‑2; Crewe Alex v Jarrow 1 ‑0; Crystal Palace v Taunton T 6‑0, Rochdale v Doncaster R 1‑2; Exeter C v Northfleet Utd 3‑0; Folkestone v Sittingbourne 5‑3; Fulham v Wimbledon 1‑1, 6‑0; Gainsboro Tr v Scunthorpe Utd 1 ‑0; Tranmere R v Gateshead 4‑4, 2‑3; Gillingham v Guildford C 7‑2; Halifax Tv Mansfield T2‑2, 2‑1; Lincoln C v Barrow 8‑3; Luton Tv Clapton Orient 2‑2,4‑2, Nelson v Workington 4‑0; Newport Co v Dulwich Hamlet 2‑2, 4‑1, Newark v Rotherham Utd 2‑1; Norwich C v Swindon T2‑0, Chesterfield v Notts Co 1‑2; QPR v Thames 5‑0; Scarborough T v Rhyl Ath 6‑0; Southport v Darlington 4‑2; Hartlepools Utd v Stockport Co 2‑3; Torquay Utd v Southend Utd 1 ‑0; Tunbridge Wells R v Kingstonians 3‑0; Watford v Walthamstow Ave 5‑1; Walsall v Bournemouth & Bos Ath 1 ‑0, Wellington T v Wombwell 0‑0, 3‑0, Wrexham v Wigan Borough 2‑0; York C v Gresley R 3‑1