1901 F A CUP FINAL

1901 F A CUP FINAL

1901 F A CUP FINAL

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2

SHEFFIELD UNITED 2

SCORERS-{TH} SANDY BROWN-23, 51

{SU} FRED PRIEST 10, WALTER BENNETT-52

20th APRIL-CRYSTAL PALACE-LONDON

ATTENDANCE-110,820

REPLAY

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3

SHEFFIELD UNITED 1

SCORERS-{TH} JOHN CAMERON-52, TOM SMITH-76, SANDY BROWN-87

{SU} FRED PRIEST-40

27th APRIL-BURNDEN PARK-BOLTON

ATTENDANCE-20,470

The Twentieth Century began with Britain still fighting the Boer war in South Africa and while the casualty list seemed heavy, it was nothing to the devastating casualties that Europe as a whole would suffer in the Century ahead. The first chapter in the story of the Century began as early as January when Victoria, Queen of England and the mother of the monarchs of the World, died at the age of 81. She had reigned for a record 67 years and left the Nation devastated by her passing.

Life went on though and the cinema remained the newest and hotest ticket in town as crowds flocked to watch "How it feels to be run over." A film which had one scene and depicted another major new invention, the motor car. Seventy five years before it featured in the film "Blazing Saddles", the song "I'm tired" was the biggest selling 75 in the Country.

Shocks had been few and far between in recent years in the cup with the exception of Southampton's great run to the final in 1900. All that changed in 1901 as four top flight clubs fell to lower opposition. Newcastle, Blackburn and Stoke all went down to second division Middlesbrough, Woolwich Arsenal and Small Heath respectively but it was Tottenham who stole the headlines. Spurs looked to have missed their chance when they were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation threatened Preston but Sandy Brown inspired the Southern league side to a fantastic 4-2 victory at Deepdale. Last seasons beaten finalists Southampton bowed out as they found top flight Everton too hot to handle in a 3-0 home defeat but Bury's defence of the trophy started well 1-0 at Sheffield Wednesday. League champions Aston Villa were one of three top flight clubs who put five past their inferior opponents 5-0 over Millwall. Nottingham Forest and Wolves also bagged five goals but Liverpool bowed out early 1-0 at Notts County although their early exit from the cup may well have helped them clinch their first league title.

Southern League Tottenham were among three non league clubs in the last sixteen and they were not finished with the giant killing either. They were drawn at home to the holders Bury and when McLuckie scored within two minutes for the visitors, Spurs were in trouble. They rallied to level through Sandy Brown but when Kirwan was injured, Bury were expected to finish the job. They didn't as Brown put Spurs in front and the Londoners had two goals disallowed for good measure. Spurs were upstaged by Reading who won 1-0 away to Bolton but Kidderminster failed to complete a trio of non league quarter finalists when second division Middlesbrough hammered them 5-0. Small Heath completed a duo of second division quarter finalists while Wolves won the tie of the round 3-2 at a Notts County side who wasted a hat full of chances. West Bromwich Albion ended Woolwich Arsenal's cup exploits and a quartet of top flight quarter finalists was completed by Sheffield United and Aston Villa

The quarter final draw was unkind to the non league clubs as they were paired to meet at Reading but both second division sides were more fortunate to gain home ties with top flight opponents. The biggest interest was naturally in Birmingham where Small Heath were tied with Aston Villa where the fear was that the gates would be broken by the huge volume wishing to attend. The Heathens decided to make the game all ticket and to their horror the local public responded with apathy as this was the poorest attended of the four ties. Those who stayed away missed nothing as the game ended without a goal despite several golden chances spurned by the Heathens.

nearby in Wolverhampton, the locals entertained Sheffield United in the only top flight clash of the day and it was no surprise that this game attracted the biggest gate of the day. The game turned on an incident midway through the first half when Wolves were awarded a penalty. United were leading 1-0 through Fred Priest but Wolves missed and followed that with a couple of missed sitters before Hedley made it 2-0. Barker completed the misery for the home side when he put through his own goal while Bennett's strike to make it 4-0 at half time just helped to make the result academic.

Up in the North East hopes were high that second division Middlesbrough could send first division West Brom packing. Albion were to end up being relegated at the end of the season and the idea of Boro reaching the semi finals attracted a full house with the gates closed half and hour before kick-off. Sadly for Boro they found themselves a goal down at half time through Buck and a pitch invasion midway through the second half only served to break up a period of total Boro domination. The replay seemed certain when Robertson found himself with an open goal in the final minute but to the amazement of all present, he missed and Albion were through.

In the all Southern League tie Tottenham's huge travelling support looked like being disappointed when Evans gave Reading the lead in the first half. In the second period Tottenham saw two nailed on penalty claims rejected before finally gaining a deserved replay with a late equaliser.

The replay at Tottenham was painfully one sided as Spurs ran out 3-0 winners to earn a tie with West Bromwich Albion. The other replay was a tense affair and Aston Villa had to pull out all the stops to score the only goal of the game to ensure a meeting with Sheffield United.

The Villa vs United clash at City ground in Nottingham was, not for the first or last time seen as a semi final to decide the destination of the cup. Many commentators felt that the other semi final was a pointless exercise to ensure a game at Crystal Palace. Villa were late arriving and it showed as they were caught sleeping after just five minutes when Lipsham sent in a fierce cross that Hedley flicked on to Fred Priest who slammed the ball in off the bar. Villa's equaliser was brilliant as Garraty left Johnson and Beers tackling shadows before letting go from long range to level the score. Right on half time Sheffield United were back in front when Lipsham finished off Bennett's cross but the last word went to John Devey to score the only goal of the second half and force a 2-2 draw.

The other semi final happened in midweek and saw Tottenham's Sandy Brown set a record as he bagged all four goals in the easy 4-0 demolition of hapless West Bromwich Albion and kill off the hope of a fourth Albion-Villa final.

Villa were equally hapless in their replay with United as a Fred Priest brace was complimented by a Bennett goal in a 3-0 win.

THE FINAL

If the idea of a Southern finalist had appealed to the London crowd in 1900 then the appearance of London's own Tottenham Hotspur in the final caused pandemonium. The last London team to play in the final had been Clapham Rovers twenty years before. The prospect of a huge crowd at Sydenham was heightened by the glorious spring weather in cup final week and on the day itself the sun shone from dawn. As is the custom, Sheffield arrived in London on the Friday night and checked into a nearby hotel but Tottenham did not see the need to do the same and their cup final side gathered at the clubs home ground before travelling together to the Palace. United came out on to the pitch first with nine of their eleven that had won the cup two years earlier and as a result they were overwhelming favourites. Tottenham followed with no cup final experience but they were making history as John Cameron became the first cup final player manager.

The game kicked off at 3.30 in front of the guests of honour, Lord and Lady Butler. With the wind at their backs, United started the game the better of the two sides and it wasn't long before Walter Bennett found himself with a golden chance to open the score only to fluff his lines. To Bennett's relief Fred Priest was not going to be as wasteful when he intercepted Harry Erentz's poor headed clearance in the tenth minute and fired in a daisey cutter to beat George Clawley and open the scoring. The fear among many Spurs fans was that they might fold in the same way Southampton had last year and it seemed to be the case as United turned the screw in search of a killer second goal. United paid for their failure to put Tottenham out of reach when Erentz's free kick was headed home by Sandy Brown in the twenty-third minute. Win or lose, Brown had made history as the first player to score in every round of the competition and he wasn't satisfied to rest at that. Within a minute of equalising, Brown rattled the United bar with a long range shot. There was no doubt that United were the side more grateful to hear the half time whistle.

Spurs started the second half as they had finished the first and it was a crucial period of the game for United who needed to hang on and wear Spurs down. United managed it for just six minutes as The entire Spurs forward line combined to rip open the United defence before Brown yet again fired the ball onto the bar. This time the ball carried on into the goal to give Spurs the lead but within a minute the game was level again but in very controversial circumstances. United kicked off in the fifty-second minute and straight away they were putting Spurs under pressure when a Fred Priest shot was charged down. Boots flew in everywhere in a goalmouth scramble before George Clawley finally got his hands on the ball to take the sting out of a mishit punt from Walter Bennett. Bennett tried to charge the keeper but Clawley simply side stepped him and punted the ball upfield only for the referee, Arthur Kingscott to signal for a goal. Everyone in the ground was shocked at the decision although the United players were not going to complain. To the credit of the Tottenham players they didn't surround Kingscott hurling oaths and pointing fingers in the way that

players today do. It was however the first case of trial by film footage as the Pathe cameraman caught the incident on film and it was clear that Kingscott's belief that Clawley had carried the ball over the line to avoid Bennet was a bad call. Sadly today the film of the incident has been lost but Kingscott's decision had denied Spurs the cup they deserved. The fans didn't need to see the film, they knew Spurs were robbed already and hooted and booed every time United crossed the half way line. Had a third goal been scored goodness knows what would have happened but thankfully the match ended 2-2 and a replay at Goodison Park in Liverpool was arranged for the following Saturday. In a new twist to the tail, Liverpool complained to the F A because they were playing a vital league game at home to Nottingham Forest less than a mile away at Anfield and that the cup final replay would affect their gate. So while Everton hastily arranged a friendly with Third Lanark to fill the now vacant fixture date in their programme, which for the record still attracted a higher gate than Liverpool, The cup bandwagon moved to Bolton's Burnden Park.

The move was a disaster as just 20,470 turned up for the replay, one of them being the guest of honour, nine times cup finalist, Lord Kinnaird. The knocks that both sides had collected the previous Saturday had cleared up and the same twenty-two players took the field for the match which was kicked off by Tottenham side who had made no secret of their disgust at the draw seven days earlier. Tottenham's sense of injustice went against them initially as it was United who took the lead five minutes before the break through Fred Priest. This replay was all about the second half display of Tottenham however. John Cameron provided a captains example to level the game in the fifty-second minute. If anything, United were the better side after that but yet again they didn't take advantage when on top and Smith gave Spurs the lead in the seventy-sixth minute. It was a killer blow to United who seemed to sense the fates were against them. Tottenham dominated the closing stages and it was no surprise when Sandy Brown chipped in with the third goal three minutes from time.

The cup had gone out of the football league for the first time since the league was formed and it is likely that it will never happen again. In a footnote, Tottenham fans have always been very proud of the idea that they were the first to tie riboons to the cup. Well they were the first to be presented with the trophy with ribbons attached but seven years earlier Notts County were photographed with ribbons on the cup. The tradition did not catch on until the Wembley era however.

TEAMS

TOTTENHAM HOSTPUR

GEORGE CLAWLEY

HARRY ERENTZ

SANDY TAIT

TOM MORRIS

TED HUGHES

JACK JONES {CAPTAIN}

TOM SMITH

JOHN CAMERON {PLAYER-MANAGER}

SANDY BROWN

DAVID COPELAND

JOHN KIRWAN

SHEFFIELD UNITED

BILLY FOULKE

HENRY THICKETT

PETER BOYLE

HAROLD JOHNSON

THOMAS MORREN

ERNEST NEEDHAM {CAPTAIN}

WALTER BENNETT

FIELD

GEORGE HEDLEY

FRED PRIEST

LIPSHAM

BOTH SIDES WERE UNCHANGED IN THE REPLAY.

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