Wolverhampton Wanderers
The ball
With the exception of the replay in 1886 the Cup Finals had all been played in London, and all bar one at The Oval. This cricket ground was, however, becoming unfit for purpose as the game grew in popularity. 25,000 had watched the 1892 final. As yet there were no big clubs in London, so there was no suitable venue in the capital.
And so it was that in 1893 the Fallowfield Stadium (also known as Manchester Athletics Stadium) hosted the FA cup final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton.
45,000 paid to get in but it is estimated that 60,000 were in attendance. 192 police officers were deployed to deal with this crowd.
Contemporary accounts describe the crowd as having a direct influence on the game, with the wingers being hampered by encroaching fans. Both sides protested against the game being played as a competitive fixture before the kick off. Everton later appealed again that the game had been played in unfit conditions.The referee Mr C.J Hughes overruled the protest stating that, In his opinion, that there had not been sufficient interference with play to justify another match. The Everton protest was then withdrawn A contemporary report in the describes some conflict between the police and spectators and liberal use of the baton, but rather dubiously commends the way the crowd stayed behind the ropes.
Northern Daily Telegraph, 21.3.1893.
Everton were expected to win. They fielded a reserve team against Wolverhampton's first XI the week before the final and had won . Wanderers, however, provided a shock, winning the chaotic final 1-0 with a long range effort from Harry Allen.
Public sympathy lay with Wolverhampton. There were a number of reasons for this- Manchester Merseyside rivalry existed even then, so many locals would have plumped for Wolves, who could also depend on neutrals to support them on account of their position as underdogs. There was also the matter of nationalism- the illustrations above and contemporary accounts of the match refer to 'play up England ' favours being worn by some spectators: Wolverhampton fielded an English born XI whilst Everton had 6 Scotsmen on the park.
Public sympathy lay with Wolverhampton. There were a number of reasons for this- Manchester Merseyside rivalry existed even then, so many locals would have plumped for Wolves, who could also depend on neutrals to support them on account of their position as underdogs. There was also the matter of nationalism- the illustrations above and contemporary accounts of the match refer to 'play up England ' favours being worn by some spectators: Wolverhampton fielded an English born XI whilst Everton had 6 Scotsmen on the park.
