Posted on 2nd November 2012
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
Surrey County Cricket Club will restage the first FA Cup final between the Wanderers and the Royal Engineers at the Oval, home of the competition’s inaugural final 140 years ago. The match will take place on Wednesday 7th November and money will be donated to the Haig Housing Trust, the Royal British Legion and other local football charities.
Both the Wanderers and the Royal Engineers still compete at non-league level. The Wanderers play in the Surrey South Eastern Combination after reforming in 2009 while the Royal Engineers currently sit fourth in the military’s Massey League.
Colonel Andy Phillips of the Royal Engineers said: “It really is a great honour for the players involved in the match. Next year is the club’s 150th anniversary and this is fantastic curtain raiser for that. We have a long and illustrious history as a football club and it will be a source of enormous pride for the players that will be going out at the Kia Oval that evening. “
22 of the first 24 FA Cup finals (including replays) took place at the Oval. The Wanderers will hope for a repeat of the 1872 final which they won 1-0 thanks to a 15th minute goal from Morton Betts. Reports from the match tell of “some of the best play, individually and collectively, that has ever been shown in an Association game.”
Buy tickets from: www.kiaoval.com/1872-fa-challenge-cup
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Everton Women take on Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup final next month but following a change to Sky Sport’s broadcasting schedule that now clashes with Everton vs Newcastle United in the men’s game – leaving those who wanted to see both with a tough choice. Young Toffee Anna Mallanaphy is calling on the broadcasters to accommodate both fixtures and avoid the clash…
Plans for this month’s League Cup final have been criticised by supporters of the competing finalists over a lack of “logic or common sense”.
Supporters organisations at Liverpool and Manchester City are calling on the FA to move their semi-final in April from Wembley after learning of rail disruption.
At today’s League Two play-off final Exeter City will face Northampton Town and, while it will take place in front of near empty stands, it’s actually a fixture that has special significance for supporters.
