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1895 F A CUP FINAL
ASTON VILLA 1
VS
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0
SCORER- JOHN DEVEY-35 SECONDS
20th APRIL-CRYSTAL PALACE-LONDON
ATTENDANCE-42,560
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For the third consecutive year the Football Association chose a new venue for the cup final. Fortunately this time their choice was a sensible one when they selected the natural bowl situated at the lare Victorian pleasure park at the Crystal Palace grounds in Sydenham in London. The Crystal Palace itself had been moed here after the great exhibition and the huge glass building dominated the area, also noted for it's famous switchback roller coaster ride. Spectators would once again be able to enjoy a day trip to London and be able to take in all the attractions the grounds had to offer before the game itself. The only down side to this venue was that the natural banks which surrounded the pitch offered very poor views of the action for those not lucky enough to be at the front while some fans would find their position was quite some way from the pitch itself. Despite this, the final of 1895 would prove to be a huge success and led the F A to make the Palace the home of the cup final for the next twenty years.
The competition itself was not one for great shocks this year as all eight quarter finalists hailed from the top flight, the first time since the league was formed that this had happened. Sheffield Wednesday were among them for the eighth consecutie time but had still not managed to get their hands on the cup. Wednesday put paid to the cup holders Notts County 5-1 in the first round before non league Middlesbrough suffered at the hands of Davis, whoe scored a hat-trick, and Fred Spikesley, with two in a 6-1 win. Wednesday hung on to home advantage again in the quarter finals with a much tougher test against title chasing Everton.
Everton's rivals for the championship were Sunderland and they too were chasing a league and cup double which began with five goals from Miller and a hat-trick from Hannah in an 11-1 romp against non league Fairfield in round one before Preston were knocked out in round two. Bolton would be making the trip to Newcastle Road in the quarter finals in their bid to bounce back from last years defeat. So far they had quietly progressed with a couple of 1-0 wins over Arsenal and Bury.
League Champions Aston Villa were also in this strong looking last eight having started their cup run with a 2-1 over Derby in one of the few all first division ties. Next up they had met the only giant killers of round one, Newcastle. The Geordies had stunned Burnley with a 2-1 win but the second division side came unstuck at Villa Park when the Champions ran out easy 7-1 winners to book a home quarter final against Nottingham Forest.
The last eight was completed by another Midlands club, West Bromwich Albion who got this far the hard way, coming through an away tie at Small Heath and then earning a replay at Sheffield United before winning at Stoney Lane. Local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers lay in wait in the quarter finals.
All four ties were settled atthe first time of asking on March 2nd with Aston Villa making the headlines. Bob Chatt and Steve Smith helped themselves to a brace each in an easy 6-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Sunderland's bid for the league and cup double remained on course at Newcastle Road where they eased past last years beaten finalists Bolton 2-1. Title rivals Everton saw their cup dream die at Owlerton as Sheffield Wednesday won 2-0. The tightest tie was the local derby between Albion and Wolves at Stoney Lane where Roddy McLeod's goal settled the tie in the home sides favour.
Sunderland were now installed as favourites for the cup but the dream final against Aston Villa was dashed when the two clubs were paired in the semis. Sunderland would go on to take Villa's crown as League Champions and their fans felt they had never had a better chance of laying their semi final hoodoo, they had lost all three of their previous semi finals including a 4-1 mauling by Villa in 1892. Things didn't change when the sides met at Ewood Park in Blackburn on March 16th. The clubs had battled out a 4-4 draw in the league two months earlier so goals were expected while Sunderland had a massive incentive that if the league and cup double was performed they would each earn an extra £20. Steve Smith was the hero for Villa though with both goals in a 2-1 win, Hannah scored Sunderland's consolation.
At Derby cricket ground West Bromwich Albion made a little piece of history as they booked their place in the final at luckless Sheffield Wednesday's expense. Hutchinson had already put Albion in front when they were awarded the first ever semi final penalty. Williams took the responsibility and calmly slotted home the second and killer goal for a 2-0 victory to set up a Midlands final.
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THE FINAL
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For the first time in the history of the competition two sides met in a final for the third time as Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion clashed for the cup. Villa had won the first encounter in 1887 while Albion had crushed their Midlands rivals in the second meeting in 1892. It would be 103 years before two clubs would notch up three finals against eachother again when Arsenal and Newcastle clashed for a third time in 1998. As on the previous two occasions, Villa were the tipsters favourites to win but after their poor showing against Albion three years earlier, few were taking the tie for granted this time. Villa just shaded Albion in terms of cup final experience with Jas Cowan, Charlie Athersmith, John Devey and Dennis Hodgetts all returning from the side beaten three years previously. Hodgetts also had a winners medal from the first meeting between the two sides in 1887 but he was not the only cup winner in the side. John Reynolds was the fifth player in the side with cup final experience and in turning out for Villa, created a unique record of being the first, and still only player to have represented two clubs in the final that he had also played against in the final. In 1892 Reynolds had played for Albion in their victory over Villa. Reynolds was lining up against three of his team mates from 1892 in the Albion side. Keeper, Joe Reader, Roddy McLeod and Billy Bassett had all been winners in 1892. Bassett was chasing a third winners medal having also played in Albion's victorious 1888 side. It was in this final that the first signs of Albion wanting to distance themselves from being regarded as a Birmingham club came to light. The directors of Albion arranged for the club to return home from the final by train but organised the longer journey through Worcester rather than direct to Birmingham as they were adamant that the trophy would not be going into the City for even a second. That idea has remained ever since as Albion fans do not regard themselves as a Birmingham club and prefer to think of Wolves as their local rivals and not Villa or Birmingham.
The fans were greeted on their arrival in London by a beautiful spring day which made it ideal for picnics in the huge Crystal Palace grounds and there were many fans still filing into the ground when Villa got the game underway. Bob Chatt kicked off and John Devey set off on a run into the heart of the Albion defence. Not surprisingly this was checked by Tom Perry but under pressure from Charlie Athersmith, he was forced back towards his own goal before trying a wayward pass in the direction of Billy Bassett which went out for a throw. Dennis Hodgetts took it and the ball fell to Bob Chatt who sent the ball goalwards on a stunning half volley. Just over half a minute had been played and because many of the press had not taken their seats in the pressbox yet, they were forced to ask colleagues what happened next. For over a Century it has led to huge confusion over what remains the fastest cup final goal of all time. Depending on which report you read, the goal was scored by either Bob Chatt, John Devey or even as an own goal by Jack Horton. The press have always maintained the goal was Chatt's while the players on the field all credited Devey. many years later Albion's Billy Bassett recalled that as he saw it, Bob Chatt's shot was heading goalwards when Joe Reader managed to get the faintest of touches. The ball hurtled towards Jack Horton who swung a leg at it but was unable to control the ball and only managed to send it spinning back towards goal. Bassett though was convinced that the ball would have gone wide only for John Devey inadvertantly steering the ball into the net. Devey was honest enough to say later that the ball hit him but he knew nothing about it. Certainly Bob Chatt never made any attempt in later years to claim that the goal was his. Whoever did get the final touch, the ball is reported to have crossed the line after 35 seconds of the game had elapsed and although the timing is not as accurate as today, it is fair to say that it was, and remains the fastest cup final goal of all time.
It made for a great final and although neither side managed to add to the scoring, the game was regarded by those who witnessed it as one of the best pre war finals. Albion were the irrisistable force as they attacked in wave after wave in an attempt to equalise. Villa were the immovable object as their defence held firm throughout. When Villa did get the ball they set off on lightning counter attacks that constantly left Albion stretched defensively. The two keepers deserve much credit. While Joe Reader of Albion made a string of excellent saves to keep his side in the contest, his opposite number, Tom Wilkes was equally busy preventing Albion getting an equaliser that on balance they probably deserved on the day.
Villa held out to win the cup but it proved to be the last time anyone got to lift the little tin idol. In September Villa agreed to allow William Shilcock to display the cup in his shop window. It was from here that it was stolen and most probably melted down to make half crowns. Down the years there have been four prime suspects for the theft but none of them were ever arrested for it. John "Stosher" Stait did boast about stealing the cup to his children while Harry Burge went as far as going to the papers in 1958 to proclaim that he was the thief. At over 80- years of age, Burge felt safe enough to confess and the police, as he expected took no action.
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THE TEAMS
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ASTON VILLA
THOMAS WILKES
HOWARD SPENCER
JAMES WELFORD
JOHN REYNOLDS
JAMES COWAN
RUSSELL
CHARLIE ATHERSMITH
BOB CHATT
JOHN DEVEY
DENNIS HODGETTS {CAPTAIN}
STEVE SMITH
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WEST BROMWICH ALBION
JOE READER
WILLIAM WILLIAMS
JACK HORTON
TOM PERRY
HIGGINS
TAGGART
{CAPTAIN} BILLY BASSETT
RODDY MCLEOD
RICHARDS
HUTCHINSON
JOHN BANKS
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