The Giant Killers
GIANT KILLERS
1924
Corinthians 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
First round: Saturday January 12th 1924
Attendance: 20,000
Scorer: Graham Doggart {15}
Ranked at the time:12
Today: Inside the top 100
Corinthians: 1:Benjamin Howard Baker, 2:Alfred Bower, 3:John Morrison, 4:J Moulsdale, 5:L Blaxland, 6:Claude Ashton 7:Jackie Hagan, 8:Graham Doggart, 9:Norman Creek 10:Alan Phillips 11:F W H Nicholas
Blackburn Rovers: 1:Ronnie Sewell, 2:Dave Rollo, 3:Tom Wylie, 4:Jack Roskamp, 5:Harry Healless, 6:Jimmy McKinnell, 7:Jack Crisp, 8:Johnny McIntyre, 9:Ted Harper, 10:Jock McKay, 11:Jack Byers {Manager:Jack Carr}
Middlesbrough 0-1 Watford
First round: Saturday January 12th 1924
Attendance: 24,192
Scorer: Jimmy Stephenson {pen}
Ranked at the time:38
Today: outside the top 100
History may have made The Corinthian's victory over Blackburn more famous but it was Watford's defeat of relegation threatened Middlesbrough that made the biggest headlines as Jimmy Stephenson's penalty settled a deserved victory for the third division outfit who had demolished Newport County in a league game 8-2 the previous week. Fellow third division side Exeter proved tougher in round two before a replay set up a trip to top flight Newcastle where another close tie went against the Hornets.
Middlesbrough: 1:Jack Clough, 2:Reg Freeman, 3:Alf Maitland, 4:Joe Harris, 5:Maurice Webster, 6:Charlie Slade, 7:Billy Bottrill, 8:George Elliott, 9:Ian Dickson, 10:Russell Wainscoat, 11:Tommy Urwin
Watford: 1:Reg 'Skilly' Williams, 2:Joe Johnson, 3:, 4:George Toone, 5:Jimmy Eggleton, 6:, 7:Jimmy Stephenson, 8:, 9:Eddie Mummery, 10:Harry Anstiss, 11:Gregory Ford
Oldham Athletic 2-1 Sunderland
First round: Saturday January 12th 1924
Attendance: 24,725
Scorers: {Oldham} John Blair {?}, Chris Staniforth {38}: {Sunderland} Charles Buchan {75}
Ranked at the time:60
Today: outside the top 200
Despite being heavily involved in the title race Sunderland knew this would always be a tough assignment to a ground where they had been held to a goalless draw the previous season when Oldham had been relegated. Indeed the Latics hadn't lost in front of their own fans for twenty games, including eight visits from top flight clubs towards the end of the previous term and fielded five of their relegated side, along with four others with top flight experience. It was two new recruits that won the tie though as John Blair opened the scoring against the run of play before Staniforth gave them the perfect tonic before the break. Sunderland battered the Oldham goal but found the thirty-eight year old Latic's veteran, Howard Matthews in some of the best form of his career to restrict the Rokerites to a solitary strike from Buchan that set up a nervy ending. Oldham joined the ever growing list of second tier clubs to go from hero to zero when third division Swindon dumped them out in the next round.
Oldham Athletic: 1:Howard Matthews, 2:Sam Wynne, 3:Harry Grundy, 4:Bill Taylor, 5:Elliot Pilkington, 6:Jimmy Naylor, 7:George Douglas, 8:Billy Howson, 9:John Blair, 10:Chris Staniforth, 11:
Sunderland: 1:Albert McInroy, 2:Warney Cresswell, 3:Ernie England, 4:Billy Clunas, 5:Charlie Parker, 6:Robert Ferguson, 7:Billy Grimshaw, 8:Charlie Buchan, 9:Jock Patterson, 10:Arthur Hawes, 11:Billy Ellas
Crystal Palace 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
First round: Saturday January 12th 1924
Attendance: 17,000
Scorer: Billy Morgan {?, 55}
Ranked at the time:111
{See Crystal Palace vs Notts County below}
Crystal: 1:Jack Alderson, 2:Jack Little, 3:, 4:Roy McCracken, 5:Dick Cracknell, 6:?, 7:Bert Harry, 8:?, 9:Frank Hoddinott, 10:Billy Morgan, 11:Bill Hand
Tottenham: 1:Geordie Maddison, 2:Tommy Clay, 3:Matt Forster, 4:Bert Smith, 5:Harry Lowe, 6:Arthur Grimsdell, 7:Andy Thompson, 8:Fanny Walden, 9:Alex Lindsay, 10:Jack Elkes, 11:Charlie Handley

Blackpool 1-0 Sheffield United
First round: Saturday January 12th 1924
Attendance: 12,567
Scorer: Bert White {63}
Ranked at the time:117
These sides had clashed four times over the previous thirty years of cup football and Blackpool's only success had been achieved on a visit to Bramall Lane so the Blades must have felt confident of continuing their great record in the Seaside town. Blackpool were pushing hard for promotion to the top flight for the first time under the guidance of their young manager, Major Frank Buckley who was able to name England International Harry Bedford in the side. The Tangerines dominated the game but it wasn't until midway through the second half that Bert White saw his shot go in off Gough's left hand post. United briefly rallied but quickly wilted again and Blackpool proved easy winners. Promotion rivals Southampton ended Blackpool's cup ambitions in the next round, though neither managed to make it to the top flight at the end of the season. Young Frank Buckley later moved on where he built the great Wolves side of the period either side of world war two.
Blackpool: 1:Harry Mingay, 2:Jimmy Leaver, 3:Herbert Jones, 4:Andy Curran, 5:Sandy McGinn, 6:Billy Benton, 7:John Charles, 8:Bert White, 9:Harry Bedford {image above}, 10:Matt Barress, 11:Georgie Mee: {Manager: Major Frank Buckley}
Sheffield United: 1:Harold Gough, 2:Bill Cook, 3:Ernest Milton, 4:Harry Pantling, 5:Jimmy Waugh, 6:George Green, 7:Albert Partridge, 8:Tommy Sampy, 9:Harry Johnson, 10:Billy Gillespie, 11:Fred Tunstall
Southampton 2-0 Chelsea
First round replay: Wednesday January 16th 1924
Attendance:
Scorers: Arthur Dominy {47}, Bill Rawlings {87}
Ranked at the time:157
Prior to sending Blackpool tumbling out of the cup Southampton dished out a bad case of De Ja Vous to Chelsea, the Blues losing to the second division Saints for the second year in a row. the cup run took Saints to defending League Champions, Liverpool in round three where they almost pulled off a major upset, holding the Reds to a draw before going down at Anfield in the replay.
Southampton: 1:Tommy Allen, 2:Tom Parker, 3:Fred Titmuss, 4:Albert Shelley, 5:Alec Campbell, 6:Bill Turner, 7:?, 8:Arthur Dominy, 9:Bill Rawlings, 10:Cliff Price, 11:Jimmy Carr
Chelsea: 1:Wilson Marsh, 2:George Smith, 3:Jack Harrow, 4:Jock Priestley, 5:Harry Wilding, 6:Tommy Mehan, 7:?, 8:Andy Wilson, 9:Harold Miller, 10:Bobby McNeill, 11:Willie Ferguson
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-2 Everton
Second round: Saturday February 2nd 1924
Attendance:
Scorers: {Brighton}:Tommy Cook {3}, Wally Little, Andy Neil, {Everton}: Jack Cock, Wilf Chadwick
Ranked at the time:20
Today: Outside the top 100
Everton had become something of an easy target for giant killing by the mid twenties and for the second time in three years they found themselves not only beaten but comprehensively torn apart by lower division opponents. Yet in the first half this clash at the old Goldstone Ground it was a classic cup tie in which the third division side had done brilliantly to stay in the game, twice coming back to equalise after going behind. The second half was embarrassingly one sided as the home side roared into a well deserved three goal lead, which included a hat-trick for Tommy Cook, who would go on to become a legend at The Goldstone, being the club's first England International. Today locals can travel around the town on a bus named in Cook's honour.
Brighton & Hove Albion: 1:Billy Hayes, 2:Jack Thompson, 3:Jack Jenkins, 4:Billy McAllister, 5:George Coomber, 6:Wally Little, 7:Jack Nightingale, 8:Andy Neil, 9:Tommy Cook, 10:Jimmy Hopkins, 11:Ernie 'Tug' Wilson {Manager:Charles Webb}
Everton: 1:Alfie Harland, 2:Jock McDonald, 3:Duggie Livingstone, 4:William Brown, 5:Neil McBain, 6:?, 7:Sam Chedgzoy, 8:Bobby Irvine, 9:Jack Cock, 10:Wilf Chadwick, 11:Alec Troop
Leeds United 1-0 West Ham United
Second round replay: Wednesday February 6th 1924
Attendance: 31,071
Scorer: Jack Harris {73}
Ranked at the time:155
A year after experiencing the highs of a cup final and promotion and West Ham felt the lows as they fluffed two gilt edged chances to see off Leeds before the Peacocks caused this shock. In the first half Billy Down made a fantastic stop to deny Billy Moore who should still have never allowed Down any chance in the first place. In the second half Ruffell did give Down no chance but missed the target when it would have been easier to score. The Hammers were punished with seventeen minutes remaining when Percy Whipp's cross was finished off by Jack Harris.
Leeds United: 1:Billy Down, 2:Bert Duffield, 3:?, 4:Harry Sherwin, 5:Ernie Hart, 6:Jim Baker, 7:?, 8:Percy Whipp, 9:Joe Richmond, 10:Jack Swan, 11:Jack Harris
West Ham United: 1:Tommy Hampson, 2:Billy Henderson, 3:Jack Young, 4:George Carter, 5:George Kay, 6:Albert Caldwell, 7:?, 8:Billy Brown, 9:?, 10:Billy Moore, 11:Jimmy Ruffell
Crystal Palace 2-1 Notts County
Second round, third replay: Monday February 18th 1924
Villa Park, Birmingham
Attendance:
Scorers: {Crystal}: Frank Hoddinott, Bill Hand, {Notts}: Widdowson
Ranked at the time:155
In the modern age the suggestion of two major cup ties taking place within a mile of each other wouldn't even be entertained by a local police force before being rejected for many various reasons but back in 1924 the police in South Norwood had no issues with Corinthians and Crystal Palace both playing matches at opposite ends of the Selhurst Road. It was Palace who suffered as their Nest ground could probably have expected a crowd nearer thirty thousand rather than the seventeen thousand who attended. That included a healthy Tottenham contingent who journeyed across London but found their team easily beaten by Billy Morgan's brace either side of half time.Another thing that's changed about the cup is the good old fashioned cup marathon where teams played to a finish, without a penalty shootout in sight. Palace held Notts County three times in the second round before the issue was finally settled in their favour at Villa Park.
Crystal: 1:Jack Alderson, 2:Jack Little, 3:, 4:Bobby McCracken, 5:Dick Cracknell, 6:?, 7:Bert Harry, 8:?, 9:Frank Hoddinott, 10:Billy Morgan, 11:Bill Hand
Notts: 1:Albert Iremonger, 2:Bill Ashurst, 3:, 4:, 5:Norman Dinsdale, 6:Haydn Kemp, 7:, 8:, 9:, 10:Harold Hill