1956–57 FA Cup


The 1956–57 FA Cup was the 76th staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Aston Villa won the competition, beating Manchester United 2–1 in the final at Wembley, London.
Matches were played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. 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 at neutral venues 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.

Qualifying rounds

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 30 places available in the first round.
The winners from the fourth qualifying round were Billingham Synthonia, South Shields, Evenwood Town, Blyth Spartans, Scarborough, Morecambe, Wigan Athletic, New Brighton, Rhyl, Bromsgrove Rovers, Hereford United, Boston United, Selby Town, Goole Town, Ilkeston Town, Burton Albion, Peterborough United, Dunstable Town, Ely City, Walthamstow Avenue, Margate, Guildford City, Yiewsley, Tooting & Mitcham United, Hastings United, Newport (IOW), Dorchester Town, Weymouth, Yeovil Town and Cheltenham Town.
Those appearing in the competition proper for the first time were Evenwood Town, Dunstable Town, Ely City and Yiewsley. Of the others, South Shields had last featured at this stage in 1947-48 and Morecambe had last done so in 1936-37.
New Brighton, who had been in the Football League from 1923 until 1951, became the first club since Chelmsford City in 1938-39 to feature in nine rounds of an FA Cup tournament. They progressed from the preliminary round to the fourth round proper, defeating Prescot Cables, Marine, Earlestown, South Liverpool, Hyde United, Stockport County, Derby County and Torquay United before going out to Burnley at Turf Moor.

Results

First round proper

At this stage the 48 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 30 non-league clubs that came through the qualifying rounds. To complete this round Bishop Auckland and Bedford Town were given byes to this round, with Bishop Auckland being the champions from the previous season's FA Amateur Cup and Bedford Town having taken Arsenal to a third-round replay in the previous season's FA Cup.
Matches were played on Saturday, 17 November 1956. Eight matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateAttendanceNotes
1Ely City2–6Torquay United17 November 1956
2Chester0–0Barrow17 November 1956
ReplayBarrow3–1Chester22 November 1956
3Darlington7–2Evenwood Town17 November 1956
4Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic8–0Burton Albion17 November 1956
5Southampton2–0Northampton Town17 November 1956
6Weymouth1–0Shrewsbury Town17 November 1956
7Yeovil Town1–3Peterborough United17 November 1956
8Walsall0–1Newport County17 November 195612,085
9Crewe Alexandra2–2Wrexham17 November 1956
ReplayWrexham2–1Crewe Alexandra21 November 1956
10Derby County2–1Bradford City17 November 1956
11Swindon Town2–1Coventry City17 November 1956
12Bishop Auckland2–1Tranmere Rovers17 November 1956
13Ipswich Town4–0Hastings United17 November 195613,481
14Queens Park Rangers4–0Dorchester Town17 November 1956
15Accrington Stanley4–1Morecambe17 November 1956
16Brentford3–0Guildford City17 November 1956
17Brighton & Hove Albion1–1Millwall17 November 1956
ReplayMillwall3–1Brighton & Hove Albion19 November 1956
18Rhyl3–2Scarborough17 November 1956
19Norwich City2–4Bedford Town17 November 1956
20Hull City4–0Gateshead17 November 1956
21Carlisle United6–1Billingham Synthonia17 November 1956
22Crystal Palace2–0Walthamstow Avenue17 November 1956
23Exeter City0–2Plymouth Argyle17 November 1956
24Yiewsley2–2Gillingham17 November 1956
ReplayGillingham2–0Yiewsley21 November 1956
25Hartlepools United3–1Selby Town17 November 1956
26Scunthorpe & Lindsey United1–0Rochdale17 November 1956
27Mansfield Town1–1Workington17 November 1956
ReplayWorkington2–1Mansfield Town21 November 1956
28Halifax Town2–3Oldham Athletic17 November 1956
29Margate3–1Dunstable Town17 November 1956
30Cheltenham Town1–2Reading17 November 1956
31Southport0–0York City17 November 1956
ReplayYork City2–1Southport21 November 1956
32New Brighton3–3Stockport County17 November 1956
ReplayStockport County2–3New Brighton21 November 1956
33Hereford United3–2Aldershot17 November 1956
34Newport (IOW)0–6Watford17 November 1956
35Tooting & Mitcham United2–1Bromsgrove Rovers17 November 1956
36Wigan Athletic1–2Goole Town17 November 1956
37Boston United0–2Bradford Park Avenue17 November 1956
38South Shields2–2Chesterfield17 November 1956
ReplayChesterfield4–0South Shields21 November 1956
39Colchester United1–4Southend United17 November 1956
40Ilkeston Town1–5Blyth Spartans17 November 1956

Second round

The matches were played on Saturday, 8 December 1956. Three matches were drawn, with replays taking place on the following Wednesday. Derby County went out at this stage to non-league opposition for the second consecutive season.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateAttendanceNotes
1Chesterfield4–1Barrow8 December 1956
2Southampton3–2Weymouth8 December 1956
3Watford1–3Ipswich Town8 December 195613,913
4Reading1–0Bedford Town8 December 1956
5Gillingham1–2Newport County8 December 19568,700
6Derby County1–3New Brighton8 December 1956
7Swindon Town0–1Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic8 December 1956
8Accrington Stanley2–1Oldham Athletic8 December 1956
9Brentford1–1Crystal Palace8 December 1956
ReplayCrystal Palace3–2Brentford12 December 1956
10Rhyl3–1Bishop Auckland8 December 1956
11Millwall4–0Margate8 December 1956
12Hull City2–1York City8 December 1956
13Carlisle United2–1Darlington8 December 1956
14Goole Town2–2Workington8 December 1956
ReplayWorkington0–1Goole Town12 December 1956
15Scunthorpe & Lindsey United0–0Wrexham8 December 1956
ReplayWrexham6–2Scunthorpe & Lindsey United12 December 1956
16Blyth Spartans0–1Hartlepools United8 December 1956
17Torquay United1–0Plymouth Argyle8 December 1956
18Hereford United2–3Southend United8 December 1956
19Tooting & Mitcham United0–2Queens Park Rangers8 December 1956
20Peterborough United3–0Bradford Park Avenue8 December 1956

Third round

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage and the matches were played on Saturday, 5 January 1957. Eleven matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week, and two ties required second replays, which were both played on Monday, 14 January 1957.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateAttendanceNotes
1Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic2–0Accrington Stanley5 January 1957
2Bristol City4–1Rotherham United5 January 1957
3Burnley7–0Chesterfield5 January 1957
4Bury1–3Portsmouth5 January 1957
5Preston North End0–0Sheffield Wednesday5 January 1957
ReplaySheffield Wednesday2–2Preston North End9 January 1957
2nd replayPreston North End5–1Sheffield Wednesday14 January 1957
6Notts County1–3Rhyl5 January 1957
7Nottingham Forest6–0Goole Town5 January 1957
8Bolton Wanderers2–3Blackpool5 January 1957
9Wolverhampton Wanderers5–3Swansea Town5 January 1957
10Middlesbrough1–1Charlton Athletic5 January 1957
ReplayCharlton Athletic2–3Middlesbrough10 January 1957
11Sunderland4–0Queens Park Rangers5 January 195730,557
12Luton Town2–2Aston Villa5 January 195720,094
ReplayAston Villa2–0Luton Town7 January 195728,356
13Everton1–0Blackburn Rovers5 January 195756,293
14Doncaster Rovers1–1West Bromwich Albion5 January 1957
ReplayWest Bromwich Albion2–0Doncaster Rovers9 January 1957
15Wrexham1–1Reading5 January 1957
ReplayReading1–2Wrexham9 January 1957
16Ipswich Town2–3Fulham 5 January 195722,199
17Newcastle United1–1Manchester City5 January 195757,921
ReplayManchester City4–5Newcastle United9 January 195746,990
18Tottenham Hotspur2–0Leicester City5 January 195756,492
19Barnsley3–3Port Vale5 January 1957
ReplayPort Vale0–1Barnsley7 January 1957
20West Ham United5–3Grimsby Town5 January 1957
21Millwall2–0Crystal Palace5 January 1957
22Hull City3–4Bristol Rovers5 January 1957
23Carlisle United3–3Birmingham City5 January 195727,445
ReplayBirmingham City2–0Carlisle United9 January 195756,458
24Southend United2–1Liverpool5 January 1957
25Hartlepools United3–4Manchester United5 January 1957
26Huddersfield Town0–0Sheffield United5 January 1957
ReplaySheffield United1–1Huddersfield Town7 January 1957
2nd replayHuddersfield Town2–1Sheffield United14 January 1957
27Newport County3–3Southampton5 January 195718,562
ReplaySouthampton0–1Newport County9 January 195722,372
28Arsenal4–2Stoke City5 January 1957
29Leeds United1–2Cardiff City5 January 1957
30New Brighton2–1Torquay United5 January 1957
31Peterborough United2–2Lincoln City5 January 1957
ReplayLincoln City4–5Peterborough United9 January 1957
32Leyton Orient0–2Chelsea5 January 1957

Fourth round

The matches were played on Saturday, 26 January 1957. No replays were necessary. Rhyl, New Brighton and Peterborough United were the last non-league clubs left in the competition.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateAttendanceNotes
1Blackpool6–2Fulham26 January 1957
2Bristol City3–0Rhyl26 January 195729,438
3Burnley9–0New Brighton26 January 1957
4Wolverhampton Wanderers0–1Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic26 January 195741,752
5Middlesbrough2–3Aston Villa26 January 195742,396
6West Bromwich Albion4–2Sunderland26 January 195748,010
7Everton2–1West Ham United26 January 195755,245
8Wrexham0–5Manchester United26 January 195734,445
9Tottenham Hotspur4–0Chelsea26 January 195766,398
10Bristol Rovers1–4Preston North End26 January 1957
11Portsmouth1–3Nottingham Forest26 January 1957
12Millwall2–1Newcastle United26 January 195745,646
13Southend United1–6Birmingham City26 January 195730,000
14Huddersfield Town3–1Peterborough United26 January 1957
15Cardiff City0–1Barnsley26 January 1957
16Newport County0–2Arsenal26 January 195722,450

Fifth round

The matches were played on Saturday, 16 February 1957. Two matches were drawn and replayed later the same week.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDateAttendanceNotes
1Blackpool0–0West Bromwich Albion16 February 195732,707
ReplayWest Bromwich Albion2–1Blackpool20 February 195758,054
2Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic3–1Tottenham Hotspur16 February 195725,892
3Preston North End3–3Arsenal16 February 1957
ReplayArsenal2–1Preston North End19 February 1957
4Aston Villa2-1Bristol City16 February 195763,099
5Barnsley1–2Nottingham Forest16 February 1957
6Manchester United1–0Everton16 February 195761,803
7Millwall1–4Birmingham City16 February 195741,000
8Huddersfield Town1–2Burnley16 February 195755,168

Sixth Round

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Semifinals

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Final

The final took place on Saturday, 4 May 1957 at Wembley and ended in a victory for Aston Villa over Manchester United by 2–1. The attendance was 100,000.