1947–48 FA Cup


The 1947–48 FA Cup was the 67th staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Manchester United won the competition for only the second time, beating Blackpool 4–2 in the final at Wembley.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.

Calendar

Qualifying rounds

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 25 places available in the first round.
The 25 winners from the fourth qualifying round were Bishop Auckland, Stockton, South Shields, Workington, Lancaster City, Marine, Runcorn, Stalybridge Celtic, Bromsgrove Rovers, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, Grantham, Vauxhall Motors, Colchester United, Great Yarmouth Town, Banbury Spencer, Gillingham, Bromley, Horsham, Dartford, Guildford City, Trowbridge Town, Cheltenham Town, Merthyr Tydfil and Street.
Those appearing in the competition proper for the first time were Bromsgrove Rovers, Vauxhall Motors, Great Yarmouth Town, Banbury Spencer, Horsham and the re-formed South Shields. Bromsgrove's surprise qualification marked the first time the club had progressed past the preliminary round since 1921–22.
Banbury Spencer was the only club to progress from the extra preliminary round to the competition proper, defeating Oxford City, Osberton Radiator, the team from the Cowley-based Metal & Produce Recovery Depot, Maidenhead United, Southall and Grays Athletic before losing to Colchester United in that club's historic run to the fifth round.

First round proper

At this stage 41 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs that came through the qualifying rounds. Rotherham United, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea Town were given byes to the third round. To make the number of matches up, non-league Leytonstone and Wimbledon, the previous season's F. A. Amateur Cup winners and runners-up, were given byes to this round.
34 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 29 November 1947. Six were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chester3–1Bishop Auckland29 November 1947
2Dartford0–0Bristol City29 November 1947
ReplayBristol City9–2Dartford6 December 1947
3Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic2–0Guildford City29 November 1947
4Barrow3–2Carlisle United29 November 1947
5Watford1–1Torquay United29 November 1947
ReplayTorquay United3–0Watford6 December 1947
6Gillingham1–0Leyton Orient29 November 1947
7Notts County9–1Horsham29 November 1947
8Crewe Alexandra4–1South Shields29 November 1947
9Lincoln City0–2Workington29 November 1947
10Swindon Town4–2Ipswich Town29 November 1947
11Stockton2–1Grantham29 November 1947
12Wrexham5–0Halifax Town29 November 1947
13Tranmere Rovers2–0Stalybridge Celtic29 November 1947
14Stockport County3–1Accrington Stanley29 November 1947
15Trowbridge Town1–1Brighton & Hove Albion29 November 1947
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion5–0Trowbridge Town6 December 1947
16Bristol Rovers3–2Leytonstone29 November 1947
17Bromley3–3Reading29 November 1947
ReplayReading3–0Bromley6 December 1947
18Great Yarmouth Town1–4Shrewsbury Town29 November 1947
19Norwich City3–0Merthyr Tydfil29 November 1947
20Hull City1–1Southport29 November 1947
ReplaySouthport2–3Hull City6 December 1947
21Oldham Athletic6–0Lancaster City29 November 1947
22Crystal Palace2–1Port Vale29 November 1947
23Wimbledon0–1Mansfield Town29 November 1947
24Exeter City1–1Northampton Town29 November 1947
ReplayNorthampton Town2–0Exeter City6 December 1947
25Hartlepools United1–0Darlington29 November 1947
26Newport County3–2Southend United29 November 1947
27Cheltenham Town5–0Street29 November 1947
28Runcorn4–2Scunthorpe & Lindsey United29 November 1947
29Vauxhall Motors 1–2Walsall29 November 1947
30New Brighton4–0Marine29 November 1947
31York City0–1Rochdale29 November 1947
32Aldershot2–1Bromsgrove Rovers29 November 1947
33Gateshead1–3Bradford City29 November 1947
34Colchester United2–1Banbury Spencer29 November 1947

Second round proper

The matches were played on Saturday, 13 December 1947. Seven matches were drawn, with replays taking place the following Saturday. One of these then went to a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic1–0Bradford City13 December 1947
2Bristol City0–1Crystal Palace13 December 1947
3Rochdale1–1Gillingham13 December 1947
ReplayGillingham3–0Rochdale20 December 1947
4Reading3–0Newport County13 December 1947
5Notts County1–1Stockton13 December 1947
ReplayStockton1–4Notts County20 December 1947
6Tranmere Rovers0–1Chester13 December 1947
7Stockport County1–1Shrewsbury Town13 December 1947
ReplayShrewsbury Town2–2Stockport County20 December 1947
ReplayStockport County3–2Shrewsbury Town22 December 1947
8Bristol Rovers4–0New Brighton13 December 1947
9Northampton Town1–1Torquay United13 December 1947
ReplayTorquay United2–0Northampton Town20 December 1947
10Norwich City2–2Walsall13 December 1947
ReplayWalsall3–2Norwich City20 December 1947
11Hull City4–2Cheltenham Town13 December 1947
12Oldham Athletic0–1Mansfield Town13 December 1947
13Hartlepools United1–1Brighton & Hove Albion13 December 1947
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion2–1Hartlepools United20 December 1947
14Runcorn0–1Barrow13 December 1947
15Workington1–2Crewe Alexandra13 December 1947
16Aldershot0–0Swindon Town13 December 1947
ReplaySwindon Town2–0Aldershot20 December 1947
17Colchester United1–0Wrexham13 December 1947