THE GIANT KILLERS

1890

1889 - 1891

For the first time top flight clubs were entitled to enter the competition from the first round proper.

Sheffield United 2-1 Burnley

First round: 18th January 1890

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 2,000

Scorers: {Sheffield} Robertson, T Wilson: {Burnley} William Bury

Ranked at the time: 2

It was partly due to the huge interest created by the 1889 F A cup semi final staged at Bramall Lane that Sheffield United came into being. The team had no league to compete in during their first season so their only preparation for their first ever F A cup tie came at them as essentially their first ever competitive fixture. United couldn't have dreamt of a more out of form top flight team to visit Bramall Lane than Burnley, who had so far failed to secure a victory from any of their fifteen league games. United were brought back down to earth with a record bump in the next round when they lost 0-13 at Bolton.

Burnley: 1:James McConnell, 2:William Bury, 3:Sandy lang, 4:Bill McFettridge, 5:Tom White, 6:Jack Keenan, 7:Robert Haresnape, 8:William McColl, 9:Jimmy Crabtree, 10:L Heyes, 11:J Campbell

Wednesday 2-1 Accrington

Second round: 1st February 1890

Scorers: {Sheffield} Tom Cawley, Winterbottom, {Accrington} Arthur Wilkinson

Ranked at the time: 3

Accrington: 1:John Lindsay, 2:John Stevenson, 3:3:Jack McLellan, 4:Luthur Pemberton, 5:George Haworth, 6:James Tattersall, 7:Jack Kirkham, 8:Pat Gallocher, 9:Billy Barbour, 10:Jonty Entwistle, 11:Arthur Wilkinson

Notts County 1-2 Wednesday

Quarter final: 3rd March 1890

The Racecourse, Derby

Scorers: {Notts} Tom McInnes, {Sheffield} Tom Cawley 2

Ranked at the time: 5

Notts: 1:George Toone, 2:Tom McLean, 3:James McMillan, 4:C Hibbert, 5:Sandy Ferguson, 6:Alf Shelton, 7:Tom McInnes, 8:Teddy May, 9:Tinsley Lindley, 10:William 'Tich' Smith, 11:Harry Daft

Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Wednesday

Semi Final: 8th March 1890

Perry Barr, Aston

Att:15,000

Scorers: {Bolton} Jack McNee: {Sheffield} Mumford 2

Ranked at the time: 3

For the second consecutive year Sheffield Wednesday set about beating League opposition and this year became the first to beat more than one elite club in one cup run and they became the first non league cup finalist as well. The victory over Bolton at Aston Villa's Perry Barr was the most impressive of the three wins but it was the quarter final against Notts County which proved the most action packed. The two sides already had a history as Wednesday had knocked County out of the 1889 competition but their victory this time round was even more emphatic as they easily won 5-0 at Olive Grove. County this time protested to the FA who ordered that the match be replayed. This time it was County who won through to the quarter finals 3-2 only for Wednesday to lodge a counter protest. The F A this time decided that the game be played at a neutral venue, Derby's Racecourse ground, where Tom Cawley finally settled the issue in the Alliance league club's favour. Wednesday's victory over Bolton at Perry Barr gave them the honour of being the first non league side to reach the cup final since the Football League had been formed but they were outclassed at the Oval by Blackburn Rovers who ran out easy 6-1 winners.

Bolton: 1:James Parkinson, 2:Bethel Robinson, 3:Di Jones, 4:Peter Bollough, 5:Kenny Davenport, 6:Bob Roberts, 7:John Sutcliffe, 8:James Brogan, 9:Jimmy Cassidy, 10:Davie Weir, 11:Jack Mcnee