Fascinating facts
Did you know that…
A British regiment played in the first FA Cup Final in 1872?
A crowd of 2000 watched the first final at the Kennington Oval in London and saw The Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1-0.
Did you know that…
The Army has won the FA Cup?
Between 1872 and 1878 the Royal Engineers played in four FA Cup Finals at the Kennington Oval. They lost three of the finals, but in 1875 beat Old Etonians 2-0 in a replay after the first game had ended 1-1.
Did you know that…
Munitions workers formed Arsenal Football Club in 1886?
Although Arsenal now play their matches in North London they were originally based in South East London at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
In 1891 ‘Woolwich Arsenal’ turned professional and joined the Football League two years later. They have been nicknamed the ‘Gunners’ ever since.
Did you know that…
England once played the whole world at a German POW camp?
Billed as the ‘Great International Match’ between England and The Rest of the World, the game took place at the Ruhleben camp near Berlin in 1915. England were captained by Steve Bloomer of Derby County and Middlesbrough fame. A former international player, Bloomer was visiting Germany when the war started and was interned. His 28 goals in 23 appearances for England were a record until 1956. Also interned at Ruhleben was John Cameron, a Scottish international who scored the winner in the 1901 FA Cup Final for Tottenham.
Did you know that…
The 1915 FA Cup Final is known as the ‘khaki final’? The match between Sheffield United and Chelsea was so-called due to the large number of soldiers in the crowd. The competition was not held again until the 1919-1920 season.
Did you know that…
A German paratrooper was once named English footballer of the year? In 1956 Bert Trautmann won the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year Award. That year he had helped Manchester City win the FA Cup final while heroically playing with a broken vertebra in his neck. Trautmann was a paratrooper during World War Two, serving on the Russian Front and at Arnhem, before being captured by the British. A holder of the Iron Cross first class, he was sent to a POW camp near Manchester, where he remained when the war ended.
