When you think of the FA Cup Final, one of the first things that probably springs to mind is Wembley Stadium. The 90,000-capacity ground has hosted every final since 2007, while the original Wembley held every final (excluding one replay) between 1923 and 2000. As it is a match so many people want to watch, there is no better choice than selecting the biggest stadium in the country and one that is a neutral venue, so no team has an advantage.
Since the opening of the new Wembley, the FA Cup Final has consistently attracted over 80,000 fans (excluding the two years impacted by the pandemic restrictions). Official crowds of at least this size have not always been the case, though, and they were not reached when Stamford Bridge held the final in the years before the old Wembley opened.
It may come as a surprise to some Chelsea fans to know that their very own Stamford Bridge was the location for three FA Cup finals, that occurred over a century ago. For the unaware, here is a look back at when Chelsea’s famous old ground hosted this magical cup competition.
Background of FA Cup Finals
When first launched in the 1871/82 season, the FA Cup final took place at the Oval. Although it spent most of the following 20 years at the venue more famous for cricket, it began to move around a bit more. After one year at Fallowfield Stadium and then Goodison Park, the final moved to Crystal Palace (not Selhurst Park), which hosted every final between 1895 and 1914 excluding replays. For finals that ended up as a draw, and required a replay, the second match took place at a different venue, including Burden Park, Goodison Park, Old Trafford and Bramall Lane.
The location temporarily changed in 1915 to avoid potential disruption to travel around London during WWI, moving to Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The war meant there was no FA Cup the following four years but when it did return, in the 1919/20 season, the final did not return to Crystal Palace, but rather Stamford Bridge was selected as its new home.
Part of the reason for this was that Chelsea made significant improvements to the stadium in the early 20th century. This was partly funded by money the club earned hosting the Community Shield between 1908 and 1911 as well as an England vs Scotland match in 1913. So, by 1920, Stamford Bridge, brimming with investment and upgrades, made for a more appealing final venue than a decaying Crystal Palace.
The Three FA Cup Finals Hosted at Stamford Bridge
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Now, let us take a look at the three finals the Bridge hosted before Wembley took over in 1923. Unfortunately, Chelsea never got the opportunity to play in an FA Cup final at their home ground, despite reaching the last final before the WWI break.
Aston Villa 1-0 Huddersfield Town (1919/20)
Over 50,000 fans (officially) attended the first-ever FA Cup final held at Stamford Bridge. Those who made the journey to west London saw Aston Villa lift their sixth FA Cup trophy and overtake Blackburn Rovers as the most successful club in the competition. After 90 minutes, there was nothing to separate the teams, who had both failed to register a goal.
In previous years, the match would have finished there and the teams would have met later for a replay, but the FA tweaked the rules post-WWI. They decided to introduce extra time for the final itself in the event of a level scoreline after 90 minutes. In the past, extra time had only been employed in replays.
This enabled Villa to make history by becoming the first team to win an FA Cup final in extra-time. The decisive strike came courtesy of Billy Kirton in the 100th minute. Four of Kirton’s teammates had been part of the Villa team that won the 1913 final and five of them (including the very same four) had served in the Armed Forces during WWI. The win was the sixth FA Cup triumph for Villa and the sixth for manager George Ramsay, a record that was only equalled nearly a century later by Arsene Wenger.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers (1920/21)
There was not much of a Chelsea-Tottenham rivalry this long ago but still, how many teams can say they won an FA Cup final at the ground of one of their (now) rivals? With so many Londoners wanting to watch the game, and able to make the relatively short journey across the capital, the official attendance for this final stood at 72,805. Like the previous year, the game itself was not much of a thriller, with the game’s only goal scored early in the second half by Jimy Dimmock.
This was Tottenham’s second FA Cup victory, although this time it was them who were in the top tier of English football, rather than their opponents. Second-tier Wolves had two FA Cup already but they would have to wait until 1948 before the next one.
Huddersfield Town 1-0 Preston North End (1921/22)
As Wembley Stadium opened in April 1923, this was Stamford Bridge’s last turn hosting the cup final before it moved to the bigger, brand-new venue. Once again, it was another low-scoring affair and one that meant Stamford Bridge only witnessed three goals across three finals. The decisive goal in this game was a controversial penalty, awarded for a foul which upon closer inspection, occurred outside the box. This was the first FA Cup final decided by a penalty kick, so the 53,000 fans in attendance did witness a piece of footballing history.
It remains the only time Huddersfield have won the competition, and it enabled them to avenge their narrow defeat at the Bridge two years earlier.
Following FA Cup Finals Played Outside Wembley
Stamford Bridge is not the last non-Wembley stadium to host an FA Cup final, but there have only been two more recent examples. Old Trafford held the replay of the 1970 final, while the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff held the tournament’s climatic event between 2001 and 2006 while the new Wembley was being built.