History of FA Cup in Timeline

The FA Cup is an annual knockout football competition in England, established in 1871-72, making it the oldest national football competition globally. Organized by The Football Association, it includes a concurrent Women's FA Cup since 1970.

1901: Ribbon tradition begins

After Tottenham Hotspur won the 1901 FA Cup Final, the wife of a Spurs director started the tradition of tying ribbons in the team's colors to the handles of the cup.

1909: Manchester United replica

In 1909, Manchester United made their own replica of the FA Cup, prompting the FA to realize they did not own the copyright and leading to a change in the trophy's design.

1910: Original trophy replaced

In 1910, the original FA Cup trophy was replaced by an exact replica after being used since its creation, following its theft in 1895.

1911: Replica presented to Lord Kinnaird

After the theft of the original, a replica trophy was made. After a redesign in 1911, the 1895 replica was presented to the FA's long-serving president Lord Kinnaird.

1911: New FA Cup trophy design introduced

In 1911, a new, larger FA Cup trophy design by Fattorini and Sons was introduced to replace the previous replica.

1914: Crystal Palace hosted 21st final

In 1914, Crystal Palace hosted its 21st FA Cup final, marking the end of its tenure as a primary venue which began in 1895.

1920: Finals at Stamford Bridge

From 1920, Stamford Bridge hosted the FA Cup finals, continuing until 1922 before the move to the Empire Stadium.

1922: Last final at Stamford Bridge

In 1922, Stamford Bridge hosted its last FA Cup final, before the move to the Empire Stadium in 1923.

1923: Death of Lord Kinnaird

In 1923, Lord Kinnaird died, and his family kept the FA Cup replica in their possession until putting it up for auction in 2005.

1923: Empire Stadium opening

In 1923, the FA Cup final was hosted by the original Wembley Stadium, named the Empire Stadium, beginning a 78-year series of finals at the venue.

1926: First FA Cup Final on Radio (Manchester)

In 1926, the first FA Cup Final on Radio was broadcast in Manchester between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City. The broadcast was exclusive to Manchester.

1927: First National FA Cup Final on BBC Radio

In 1927, the first national FA Cup Final on BBC Radio was broadcast between Arsenal and Cardiff City, marking a significant milestone in broadcasting history.

1931: West Bromwich wins FA Cup and earns promotion

In 1931, West Bromwich became the only team to win the FA Cup and earn promotion to the top flight in the same season.

1937: First FA Cup Final on BBC Television

In 1937, the first FA Cup Final was broadcast on BBC Television, featuring Sunderland and Preston North End. However, the match was not televised in full.

1938: Portsmouth won FA Cup

In 1938, Portsmouth defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 in the 1939 FA Cup Final, awarding them the trophy as 1938-39 FA Cup winners.

September 1939: Cancellation of Football League and FA Cup

In September 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, the regular Football League and FA Cup competitions for the 1939-40 season were cancelled for the duration of the war.

1946: FA Cup trophy returned

In 1946, after the conclusion of World War II, the FA Cup trophy was presented back to the Football Association by Portsmouth in time for the 1946 FA Cup Final, after being safeguarded during the war.

1955: ITV shares coverage with BBC

In 1955, ITV was formed and began sharing FA Cup Final coverage with the BBC. It was one of the only club matches shown live on television at the time.

1957: Burge imprisoned for theft

In 1957, Henry James Burge was imprisoned for seven years for theft from cars, part of a record of 42 previous convictions.

February 1958: Burge's Confession

In February 1958, career criminal Henry James Burge confessed to the 1895 FA Cup theft in the Sunday Pictorial newspaper, but discrepancies led to the case being closed.

1960: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup launch

In 1960, the FA Cup winners began entering the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a competition they participated in until its final edition in 1998.

1961: Burge released from prison

In 1961, Henry James Burge was released from prison after serving a sentence for theft from cars.

1964: Death of Henry James Burge

In 1964, Henry James Burge, who confessed to the 1895 FA Cup theft, died.

1970: Final Replay at Old Trafford

In 1970, the replay of the FA Cup final between Leeds United and Chelsea was held at Old Trafford in Manchester, an exception to the series of finals at the Empire Stadium.

1973: Sunderland's win against Leeds United

In 1973, Sunderland's FA Cup win against Leeds United was considered a major upset, as Leeds United had finished third in the top flight that season.

1980: West Ham's victory over Arsenal

In 1980, West Ham's FA Cup victory over Arsenal was notable, as Arsenal were the cup holders, had just finished 4th in the First Division, and were in their third successive FA Cup Final, while West Ham had ended the season 7th in Division 2.

1988: BBC and ITV become joint broadcasters

In 1988, BBC and ITV became joint broadcasters of the tournament for the first time.

1988: BBC becomes exclusive broadcaster

In 1988, the BBC became the exclusive broadcaster of the FA Cup on terrestrial television after ITV lost the coverage rights, marking a shift in broadcasting arrangements.

1990: BSB obtains rights to the competition

In 1990, British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) obtained rights to the FA Cup competition and began showing live matches from rounds 1 and 2.

1991: Sky takes over BSB

In 1991, Sky took over BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting), continuing the broadcast of live FA Cup matches from rounds 1 and 2.

1991: Semi-finals at the original Wembley Stadium

In 1991, the original Wembley Stadium hosted semi-final matches, a practice that continued until 2000 (the last held there), though not always featuring London teams.

1992: Replica FA Cup introduced

In 1992, to preserve the original 1911 trophy, an exact replica was introduced, marking a change in handling and preservation practices.

1997: BBC's exclusive broadcasting ends

In 1997, BBC's exclusive broadcasting of the FA cup ended, with broadcasting rights being assigned to Sky, from this point onwards.

1997: Sky owns FA Cup coverage, ITV sublicenses

In 1997, Sky owned the coverage of the FA Cup, showing one match per round. ITV sublicensed the free-to-air rights, showing an additional match from the third round onwards.

1997: Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy sale

In 1997, the Jules Rimet World Cup Trophy was sold for £254,000.

1998: Final edition of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

In 1998, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup held its final edition, marking the end of an era where FA Cup winners had a direct entry into the competition since its launch in 1960.

2000: Last semi-final at the original Wembley Stadium

In 2000, the last semi-final match was held at the original Wembley Stadium, marking the end of its use for semi-final fixtures.

2001: BBC and Sky share coverage

From 2001, the BBC and Sky shared FA Cup coverage, with the BBC broadcasting two or three matches per round and Sky broadcasting one or two.

2001: Sky owns FA Cup coverage ends

In 2001, Sky owned the coverage of the FA Cup ended, with broadcasting rights being assigned to the BBC, from this point onwards.

2001: Finals moved to Millennium Stadium

In 2001, due to the Wembley Stadium rebuilding process, the FA Cup finals were moved to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, where they would be hosted until 2006.

2003: Permanent use of Wembley for semi-finals

In 2003, the FA decided to permanently use the new Wembley for semi-finals to recoup debts in financing the new stadium, a decision that was controversial among fans.

2003: Ground move rules change

Since 2003, clubs were prohibited from moving grounds to the away side's venue for capacity or financial reasons. Any necessary move had to be to a neutral venue, with additional monies going into a central pot.

May 2005: Sale of FA Cup replica

On May 19, 2005, the 1895 FA Cup replica was sold at Christie's auction house for £420,000 (£478,400 including fees), setting a new world record for football memorabilia. It was purchased by David Gold.

2005: Semi-finals at the Millennium Stadium

In 2005, both semi-final matches were held at the Millennium Stadium, serving as a temporary venue while Wembley Stadium was being rebuilt.

April 2006: Replica on display at National Football Museum

On April 20, 2006, David Gold presented the 1895 FA Cup replica to the National Football Museum in Preston, where it went on immediate public display.

2006: Last final at Millennium Stadium

In 2006, the last FA Cup final was held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, before returning to the rebuilt Wembley Stadium in 2007.

2007: Final at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium

In 2007, the FA Cup final was first played at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium after its opening, marking the end of the period from 2001-2006 when they were hosted at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

2008: BBC and Sky share coverage ends

From 2008, the BBC and Sky sharing FA Cup coverage ended, with broadcasting rights being assigned to ITV, from this point onwards.

2008: Semi-finals played at Wembley Stadium

From 2008, the semi-finals were played exclusively at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium after it opened, continuing a tradition started after it had already hosted a final in 2007.

2008: ITV gains FA Cup broadcast rights

In 2008, ITV obtained the rights to broadcast FA Cup matches live across England and Wales, with UTV broadcasting to Northern Ireland. STV in Scotland, however, opted to air regular programming instead of the matches. ITV showcased 16 FA Cup games per season, including the first pick of live matches from each of the first to sixth rounds, one semi-final, and the final.

2008: STV replaces FA Cup games with other programming

In 2008, STV in Scotland replaced content from the FA Cup competition with regular network programmes (and local content made in Scotland, plus films and specials) throughout the 2008 to 2014 period that ITV last held the rights.

2008: ITV Local covers early rounds online

In 2008, the early rounds of the FA Cup competition were covered for the first time by ITV's online service, ITV Local, with the first match between Wantage Town and Brading Town broadcast live online. Highlights of eight games of each round were available as catch-up content on ITV Local.

2008: Three semi-finalists from outside the top division

In 2008, three of the four FA Cup semi-finalists (Barnsley, Cardiff City, and West Bromwich) were from outside the top division, although Portsmouth, the last remaining top-flight team, eventually won the cup.

2008: BBC and Sky Sports shared coverage until 2008–09 season

Until the 2008–09 season, the BBC and Sky Sports shared television coverage of the FA Cup, with the BBC showing three matches in the earlier rounds. Some analysts argued the decision to move away from Sky and, in particular, the BBC undermined the FA Cup in the eyes of the public.

June 2009: Setanta Sports enters administration

In June 2009, Setanta Sports entered administration, leading to the FA terminating Setanta's deal to broadcast FA-sanctioned competitions and England internationals.

October 2009: ITV to show additional matches

In October 2009, The FA announced that ITV would show an additional match in the First and second rounds on ITV, with one replay match shown on ITV4. One match and one replay match from the first two rounds were also broadcast on The FA website for free.

2009: ITV shows competition exclusively

In 2009, as a result of Setanta going out of business, ITV exclusively showed the FA Cup competition. They broadcast between three and four matches per round, including all quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final live.

2010: ESPN buys the competition

In 2010, ESPN bought the FA Cup competition for the 2010–11 to 2012–13 season.

2010: ESPN takes over Setanta's package

In 2010, ESPN took over the FA Cup package previously held by Setanta for the 2010–11 season.

2010: First FA Cup match streamed online live

In 2010, the first-round FA Cup match between Oldham Athletic and Leeds United became the first FA Cup match to be streamed online live.

2011: 2011 final on Sky 3D

In 2011, the FA Cup final was also shown live on Sky 3D, in addition to ESPN and ITV.

November 2012: Replica presented to Royal Engineers

In November 2012, the 1895 FA Cup replica was ceremonially presented to the Royal Engineers after they beat Wanderers in a charity replay of the first FA Cup final.

2012: Rebecca Lowe hosts FA Cup Final in the UK

In 2012, during ESPN's coverage of the FA Cup, Rebecca Lowe became the first woman to host the FA Cup Final in the UK, marking a milestone in broadcasting history.

2013: ITV's broadcasting

In 2013, ITV continued to broadcast FA Cup games across England and Wales, with the exception of Scotland.

2013: Wigan Athletic wins FA Cup and gets relegated

In 2013, Wigan Athletic became the only team to win the FA Cup and be relegated from the top flight in the same season.

2013: ESPN rights package transferred to BT Sport

In 2013, following the sale of ESPN's UK and Ireland channels to BT, ESPN's FA Cup rights package transferred to BT Sport from the 2013–14 season.

2013: Commission of the current FA Cup trophy

In 2013, the current FA Cup trophy was commissioned using age-old techniques, retaining original features like grapes, vines, and fluting, and incorporated the base from the previous edition. The previous trophy was retired due to being too fragile.

2013: Neutral tickets at Wembley semi-final

In 2013, the fixture between Millwall and Wigan Athletic at Wembley led to the unprecedented step of placing 6,000 tickets on sale to neutral fans after the game failed to sell out. A fan poll by The Guardian showed 86% opposition to Wembley semi-finals.

November 2014: First FA Cup match on a 3G surface

On November 20, 2014, the first FA Cup match in the proper rounds to be played on a 3G surface was a televised first round replay at Maidstone United's Gallagher Stadium.

2014: BBC Sport regains terrestrial rights to FA Cup

In 2014, ITV lost the rights to the FA Cup. Terrestrial rights returned to BBC Sport, with the final being shown on BBC One, while BT Sport held the pay TV rights. Under this deal, the BBC would show around the same number of games as ITV and still have the first pick for each round.

2014: STV broadcast the 2014 final live

In 2014, STV broadcast the FA Cup final live.

2014: Third FA Cup replica introduced

In 2014, a third FA Cup replica was introduced, built heavier to withstand increased handling, replacing the replica from 1992 after it showed wear and tear.

2014: Full coverage of the tournament returned to STV in Scotland

In 2014, full coverage of the FA Cup tournament returned to STV in Scotland, after the broadcaster replaced content from the competition with regular network programmes.

2014: S4C and BBC Cymru Wales broadcast Welsh club matches

In 2014, matches involving Welsh clubs were sometimes exclusively broadcast on Welsh language channel S4C, and shared with BBC Cymru Wales, potentially giving the BBC an extra match per round.

2015: FA permits artificial turf in all rounds

From the 2014-15 edition, the FA permitted artificial turf (3G) pitches in all rounds of the FA Cup competition. Under the 2015 rules, pitches must be FIFA One Star quality, or Two Star for ties involving professional clubs.

2015: UEFA Europa League rule change

From the 2015 UEFA Europa League season, UEFA no longer allowed the FA Cup runners-up to qualify for the Europa League through the competition.

2015: S4C and BBC Cymru Wales broadcast Welsh club matches

In 2015, matches involving Welsh clubs were sometimes exclusively broadcast on Welsh language channel S4C, and shared with BBC Cymru Wales, potentially giving the BBC an extra match per round.

2015: FA Cup trophy loan rule

Under the current (2015-16) rules, the FA Cup trophy is loaned to the winning club by the FA and must be returned by March 1, or earlier if given seven days' notice.

May 2019: ITV to replace BT Sport in broadcasting FA Cup

On 23 May 2019, it was announced that ITV would replace BT Sport in broadcasting the FA Cup from the 2021–22 season.

September 2020: Sale of replica trophy

In September 2020, David Gold sold the 1895 FA Cup replica for £760,000 through the Bonhams auction house.

January 2021: Replica trophy purchase by Sheikh Mansour

In January 2021, it was revealed that Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the owner of Manchester City, had purchased the 1895 FA Cup replica and would return it on loan to the National Football Museum.