1904 FA Cup Final

The 1904 FA Cup Final took place at Crystal Palace on Saturday 23 April 1904. The 32nd showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the FA Cup, it was contested between Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers. Manchester City won 1–0 to secure their first major honour. The only goal was scored by Billy Meredith.

Build-up

The final was held at Crystal Palace, the venue for finals since 1895. Bolton Wanderers had appeared in the final on one previous occasion, when they were defeated 2–1 by Notts County in 1894. Manchester City were contesting a final for the first time, having never previously progressed beyond the second round. [James, Manchester City - The Complete Record, pp268–290]

In their passage to the final Manchester City faced opposition from the top division in all but one round, with the exception of Woolwich Arsenal in the second round, a Second Division team who gained promotion to the top flight that season. Sunderland were defeated 3–2 at Hyde Road in the first round, and the visit to Arsenal yielded a 2–0 win. A replay was required to overcome Middlesbrough and set up a semi-final against league champions The Wednesday. Two goals from Turnbull and one from Meredith gave City a 3–0 win at Goodison Park.Ward, The Manchester City Story, p12]

Bolton's cup run started slowly, with a replay required to overcome non-league Reading. A 4–1 victory over Southampton secured a quarter-final berth at Sheffield United, where Wanderers won 2–0. A 1–0 defeat of Derby County in the semi-final took Bolton to their second FA Cup final.

Though Lancashire was a football stronghold in the early years of the professional game, providing a large proportion of Football League teams, the cup final had never been contested between two Lancashire clubs until the 1904 final. 30,000 supporters from the region travelled to London.James, Manchester – A Football History, p103] Lacking alternative accommodation, several thousand slept on the platforms at Euston and St Pancras.James, Manchester – A Football History, p105] However, in London itself, the match received less attention than a final featuring a southern team would have done.

The majority of observers, including the "Times" correspondent, expected a win for Manchester City,cite news |title=The Association Cup. Victory for Manchester City |work=The Times |page=11 |date=1904-04-25 |format=Times Digital Archive 1785-1985 |accessdate=2008-09-17] as they had performed strongly over the League season, lying second in the First Division on the day of the final, whereas Bolton were a mid-table Second Division side whose most talented forward, Boyd, was sidelined through injury. [Harding, Football Wizard – The Billy Meredith Story, p86]

The final

, and elected to play towards the southern end of the ground in the first half.James, Manchester City - The Complete Record, p110] The opening exchanges were fairly even, the "Athletic News" reporting that "For some time there was little to choose between the rivals", but that "Manchester were the more systematic and scientific". [Harding, Football Wizard – The Billy Meredith Story, p90]

Twenty minutes into the game, a pass to the right wing by George Livingstone eluded Bolton's Archie Freebairn,Ward, The Manchester City Story, p13] and reached Meredith, who dribbled beyond Bob Struthers for a run on goal. He shot to goalkeeper Davies' left, scoring the opening goal. Reporters with Bolton sympathies, such as ex-Bolton secretary JJ Bentley, claimed the goal to be offside, though the Bolton players made no appeal to the referee.James, Manchester City - The Complete Record, p111] The goal led to one over-exuberant Manchester City supporter invading the pitch, and subsequently being escorted away by police, though in contrast to the modern image of the football hooligan, the "Sporting Chronicle" reported that the man was then allowed back onto the terraces, as the police had been impressed by the level of devotion that he had demonstrated. [James, Manchester – A Football History, p106]

Bolton had the majority of possession in the second half, but the performance of the Manchester City defence limited Bolton's goalscoring opportunities. Bolton's adoption of "kick and rush" tactics resulted in a spell of pressure, but to no avail. The match finished 1–0, giving Manchester City their first major honour. Meredith received the trophy from the serving prime minister and patron of the club, [Harding, Football Wizard – The Billy Meredith Story, p59] Arthur Balfour.

Players and officials

References

Bibliography

*cite book |last=Harding |first=John |title=Football Wizard – The Billy Meredith Story |publisher=Robson Books |location=London |date=1998 |id=ISBN 1-86105-137-9
*cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester City - The Complete Record |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2006 |id=ISBN 1-85983-512-0
*cite book |last= James|first= Gary| title= The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame |publisher= Hamlyn |date= 2005 |id= ISBN 0-600-61282-1
*cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester – A Football History |publisher=James Ward |location=Halifax |date=2008 |id=ISBN 978-0-9558127-0-5
*cite book |last=Ward |first=Andrew |title=The Manchester City Story |publisher=Breedon|location=Derby |date=1984 |id=ISBN 0-907969-05-4