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1896 F A CUP FINAL
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2
VS
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1
SCORERS-{SW} FRED SPIKSLEY-56 SECONDS, 18 MINUTES
{WW} DAVID BLACK-8 MINUTES
18th APRIL-CRYSTAL PALACE-LONDON
ATTENDANCE-48,836
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By 1896 it seemed clear that first division status was vital to a clubs chances of winning the cup. All sixteen top flight clubs had the honour of not having to qualify for the first round while their second division counterparts would have to scrap through the qualifiers. That left just sixteen places in round one for those clubs not among the elite and so the draw for the first round could be vital for the chances of any team hoping to outdo the elite and win the cup while not in the top flight. Over half the first division were drawn to play each other this year in the first round, meaning at least a quarter of the top flight would be out of the competition before round two. It was up to the lower division clubs to put paid to the rest but in six games between top flight and non top flight opposition, not one shock happened. Southern league Tottenham were humbled 0-5 at Stoke while Arsenal fared little better at Burnley where they lost 1-6. These two high scoring top flight sides would be drawn to meet in round two where, after a draw at Burnley, Stoke romped into a quarter final visit to Wolves, 7-1 with four goals from Hyslop and a hat-trick from Maxwell.
For the second consecutive season the cup holders bowed out at the first hurdle when Steve Bloomer inspired Derby to a 4-2 victory over Aston Villa. The cup holders revenge would come when they pipped Derby for the league title. Derby meanwhile booked a place in the quarter finals when they easily beat Newton Heath 7-1 in a second round replay thanks to a hat-trick from Millar. Having knocked out the cup holders, Derby would be up against last seasons runners up West Bromwich Albion. League champions Sunderland yet again failed to make an impression on the cup when they lost in round two at Sheffield Wednesday 1-2. Wednesday had earlier come through a tight first round clash at Southampton 3-2 and would be in the last eight for the ninth consecutive season and once again faced the side they beat in last seasons quarter final, Everton. The last quarter final tie saw Bolton face the only non first division side to make it through, Bury. Not one first division side had fallen to lower division opposition and when goals from Wright and Gunn earned a 2-0 victory for Bolton on Feburary 29th it made sure that for the first time in history the entire cup run saw no top flight casualties to lower graded teams. Sheffield Wednesday were the most convincing quarter final winners when Bell and Brash each scored twice at Olwerton in a 4-0 victory over Everton. Tonks, Henderson and Malpas were the heroes of Wolve's 3-0 win over Stoke while the tightest tie was at Derby where a clean sweep was completed for the homesters when Archie Goodall's goal defeated West Brom.
Derby were now installed as favourites to win the cup for the first time in their history when they were drawn to play Wolves at Perry Barr in Birmingham while Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton would clash at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Despite the presence of and a goal from Steve Bloomer, the curse that was said to haunt Derby in the cup struck again as goals from Tonks and Malpas secured a 2-1 win for Wolves and took the black country outfit to their third cup final. In Liverpool, Sheffield Wednesday were playing in the semi finals for the third year in a row and the anxiety to put to rest their own hoodoo showed as they were fortunate to hold Bolton to a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal from Archie Brash. The replay was played six days later at Nottingham's Town Ground. Tannahill scored for Bolton as he had done in the first game but Wednesday replied this time through Tom Crawshaw, Harry Davis and Fred Spiksley for a 3-1 victory.
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THE FINAL
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A record 48,000 crowd travelled down from the Midlands and Yorkshire to Sydenham to see if Wednesday {they didn't add the name Sheffield until 1930} could lift the cup for the first time in their history or if Wolves could end an otherwise miserable season, they avoided the relegation play offs by a solitary point, with a trophy.
Despite being tagged as underdogs, Wolves fans had little to fear in their mid table opposition as they had witnessed their side beat Wednesday 4-0 the previous September. The following Month Wednesday had won the return league encounter 3-1 at Owlerton though and most neutrals expected a repeat. Wolves did have all the experience though with Dick Baugh and Harry Wood both returning for a third final having played in Wolve's 1889 and 1893 finals while Billy Malpas had also played in the '93 victory over Everton.
For the second year in succession the match was less than a minute old when it exploded into life. With the fans still taking their places on the terraces, Fred Spiksley and Harry Davis carved open the Wolves defence before the latter fired Wednesday in front. Wolves had been up against it as underdogs before kick off but now they had a mountain to climb as a side that lacked confidence at the best of times. It wasn't surprising that their tactics were more raw braun than tactical brains and it may not have been pretty as referee Lt Simpson was forced to constantly stop the game for fouls but after just eight minutes it proved effective.
When a Wednesday defender handled just outside the penalty area it was left to Wolves Scottish International David Black to fire in a sweetly struck free kick which gave Wednesday keeper, Jimmy Massey no chance. Wolves were level and for a short time were slightly on top as they played some of their best football of the afternoon but just when they were starting to look comfortable in their surroundings they were hit by a killer blow, and what a killer blow it was. Fred Spiksley was known for spectacular goals and was the Mark Hughes of his day in technique if not stature. He picked up a stray Wolves pass, controlled the ball on one foot before striking a powerful volley with the other that rocketed past Tennant into the net, hit the stantion and bounced back out. For a moment there was a dramatic goalmouth scramble as Wednesday tried to make certain before Lieutenant Simpson signalled the goal. In the melee, Wolves Keeper Tennant was injured and required treatment. The goal was later described as the best of the 19th Century cup finals and it is a shame for Spiksley that this was the era before motion pictures or it would still rank among the best ever scored.
There were still a full seventy two minutes to play in what had been a highly exciting final that many had believed would be a drab affair. The remainder of the game continued in the same way as Wolves came close on several occasions to equalising but spent far too much time using heavy handed tactics to stop Wednesday from increasing their lead at the other end. The match had been a very even one throughout but as the game moved into the final fifteen minutes Wednesday physically wilted and Wolves went all out for an equaliser. Billy Beats came closest when he forced a fine save from Jimmy Massey with seconds remaining but it wasn't to be and overall Wednesday deserved their victory having played the more talented football.
At the final whistle, Wednesday captain Jack Earp began the rounds of congratulating his team mates and shaking hands with the vanquished Wolves players but he was surprised when he approached Wolves keeper Tennant. "When's the replay?" asked Tennant, who had not realised Spiksley had scored twice. "There is no replay. We won as you will see when we collect the medals" replied Earp.
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To Tennant's dismay he soon found that Earp wasn't joking and it required his team mates to explain what had happened as the Wednesday players recieved the cup and of course the medals.
The following day the trophy travelled to the City of Sheffield for the first time but Wednesday came in for scathing criticism from the press as many of the fans missed the victory parade due to poor organisation. Fortunately the next time the cup came to the City, things were better planned.
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THE TEAMS
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SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
JIMMY MASSEY
JACK EARP {CAPTAIN}
AMBROSE LANGLEY
HARRY BRANDON
TOMMY CRAWSHAW
BOB PETRIE
ARCHIE BRASH
ALEC BRADY
LAWRENCE BELL
HARRY DAVIS
FRED SPIKSLEY
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WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
TENNANT
{CAPTAIN} RICHARD BAUGH
DUNN
OWEN
BILLY MALPAS
GRIFFITHS
TONKS
HENDERSON
WILLIAM BEATS
HARRY WOOD
DAVID BLACK
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