1968–69 FA Cup


The 1968–69 FA Cup was the 88th season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Manchester City won the competition for the fourth time, beating Leicester City 1–0 in the final at Wembley, through a goal from Neil Young.
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. The 1968–69 tournament was remarkable in that no second replays were required at any point throughout the main event.

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 Tow Law Town, South Shields, Goole Town, Altrincham, Morecambe, Skelmersdale United, Bangor City, Hereford United, Kidderminster Harriers, Macclesfield Town, Bilston, Kettering Town, Grantham, St Albans City, King's Lynn, Bury Town, Chelmsford City, Margate, Brentwood Town, Dartford, Ware, Oxford City, Barnet, Wealdstone, Canterbury City, Woking, Cheltenham Town, Weymouth, Yeovil Town and Waterlooville.
Bilston, Bury Town, Brentwood Town, Ware and Waterlooville were appearing in the competition proper for the first time, while Woking had last featured at this stage in 1958–59 and St Albans City had last done so in 1926-27. Brentwood Town was the first club from that centre to participate in the main draw of the FA Cup since 1885–86, the season before the original Brentwood FC moved to Leyton and was renamed Crusaders.

Results

First round proper

At this stage the 48 clubs from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions joined the 30 non-league clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. The final two non-league sides in the competition proper, Leytonstone and Chesham United were given byes to this round as the champions and runners-up from the previous season's FA Amateur Cup.
Matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 16 November 1968. Ten were drawn and went to replays two, three or four days later.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chesterfield2–0Skelmersdale United16 November 1968
2Darlington2–0Grimsby Town16 November 1968
3Dartford3–1Aldershot16 November 1968
4Hartlepool1–1Rotherham United16 November 1968
ReplayRotherham United3–0Hartlepool19 November 1968
5Barnet1–1Brentwood Town16 November 1968
ReplayBrentwood Town1–0Barnet18 November 1968
6Grantham2–1Chelmsford City16 November 1968
7Weymouth2–1Yeovil Town16 November 1968
8Reading1–0Plymouth Argyle16 November 1968
9Macclesfield Town1–3Lincoln City16 November 1968
10Luton Town6–1Ware16 November 1968
11Swindon Town1–0Canterbury City16 November 1968
12Shrewsbury Town1–1Port Vale16 November 1968
ReplayPort Vale3–1Shrewsbury Town18 November 1968
13Doncaster Rovers1–0Notts County16 November 1968
14Wrexham4–2Oldham Athletic16 November 1968
15Tranmere Rovers0–1Southport16 November 1968
16Stockport County3–0Bradford Park Avenue16 November 1968
17Oxford City2–3Swansea Town16 November 1968
18Leytonstone0–1Walsall16 November 1968
19Bangor City2–3Morecambe16 November 1968
20Barnsley0–0Rochdale16 November 1968
ReplayRochdale0–1Barnsley18 November 1968
21Brentford2–0Woking16 November 1968
22Bristol Rovers3–1Peterborough United16 November 1968
23Northampton Town3–1Margate16 November 1968
24Brighton & Hove Albion2–2Kidderminster Harriers16 November 1968
ReplayKidderminster Harriers0–1Brighton & Hove Albion20 November 1968
25Bradford City1–2Chester16 November 1968
26Goole Town1–3Barrow16 November 1968
27Altrincham0–1Crewe Alexandra16 November 1968
28Southend United9–0King's Lynn16 November 1968
29Exeter City0–0Newport County16 November 1968
ReplayNewport County1–3Exeter City18 November 1968
30Mansfield Town4–1Tow Law Town16 November 1968
31Wealdstone1–1St Albans City16 November 1968
ReplaySt Albans City1–0Wealdstone19 November 1968
32Cheltenham Town0–4Watford16 November 1968
33Workington2–0Scunthorpe United16 November 1968
34Hereford United0–0Torquay United16 November 1968
ReplayTorquay United4–2Hereford United20 November 1968
35Bury Town0–0Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic16 November 1968
ReplayBournemouth & Boscombe Athletic3–0Bury Town20 November 1968
36South Shields0–6York City16 November 1968
37Colchester United5–0Chesham United16 November 1968
38Bilston1–3Halifax Town16 November 1968
39Waterlooville1–2Kettering Town16 November 1968
40Orient1–1Gillingham16 November 1968
ReplayGillingham2–1Orient20 November 1968

Second round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 7 December 1968. Nine matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Chester1–1Lincoln City7 December 1968
ReplayLincoln City2–1Chester11 December 1968
2Chesterfield2–1Wrexham7 December 1968
3Darlington0–0Barnsley7 December 1968
ReplayBarnsley1–0Darlington10 December 1968
4Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic0–0Bristol Rovers7 December 1968
ReplayBristol Rovers1–0Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic10 December 1968
5Grantham0–2Swindon Town7 December 1968
6Watford1–0Brentford7 December 1968
7Weymouth1–1Swansea Town7 December 1968
ReplaySwansea Town2–0Weymouth10 December 1968
8Reading0–0Torquay United7 December 1968
ReplayTorquay United1–2Reading11 December 1968
9Luton Town3–1Gillingham7 December 1968
10Doncaster Rovers2–1Southport7 December 1968
11Stockport County2–0Barrow7 December 1968
12Brighton & Hove Albion1–2Northampton Town7 December 1968
13Southend United10–1Brentwood Town7 December 1968
14St Albans City1–1Walsall7 December 1968
ReplayWalsall3–1St Albans City10 December 1968
15Port Vale0–0Workington7 December 1968
ReplayWorkington1–2Port Vale11 December 1968
16Halifax Town1–1Crewe Alexandra7 December 1968
ReplayCrewe Alexandra1–3Halifax Town11 December 1968
17York City2–0Morecambe7 December 1968
18Kettering Town5–0Dartford7 December 1968
19Rotherham United2–2Mansfield Town7 December 1968
ReplayMansfield Town1–0Rotherham United9 December 1968
20Colchester United0–1Exeter City7 December 1968

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage. The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 4 January 1969. Seven matches were drawn and went to replays. Kettering Town was the last non-league club left in the competition.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Burnley3–1Derby County4 January 1969
2Bury1–2Huddersfield Town4 January 1969
3Liverpool2–0Doncaster Rovers4 January 1969
4Preston North End3–0Nottingham Forest4 January 1969
5Watford2–0Port Vale4 January 1969
6Walsall0–1Tottenham Hotspur4 January 1969
7Blackburn Rovers2–0Stockport County4 January 1969
8Aston Villa2–1Queens Park Rangers4 January 1969
9Sheffield Wednesday1–1Leeds United4 January 1969
ReplayLeeds United1–3Sheffield Wednesday8 January 1969
10Bolton Wanderers2–1Northampton Town4 January 1969
11Middlesbrough1–1Millwall4 January 1969
ReplayMillwall1–0Middlesbrough6 January 1969
12West Bromwich Albion3–0Norwich City4 January 1969
13Sunderland1–4Fulham4 January 1969
14Everton2–1Ipswich Town4 January 1969
15Swindon Town0–2Southend United4 January 1969
16Newcastle United4–0Reading4 January 1969
17Manchester City1–0Luton Town4 January 1969
18Barnsley1–1Leicester City4 January 1969
ReplayLeicester City2–1Barnsley8 January 1969
19Bristol Rovers1–1Kettering Town4 January 1969
ReplayKettering Town1–2Bristol Rovers8 January 1969
20Coventry City3–1Blackpool4 January 1969
21Portsmouth3–0Chesterfield4 January 1969
22West Ham United3–2Bristol City4 January 1969
23Hull City1–3Wolverhampton Wanderers4 January 1969
24Chelsea2–0Carlisle United4 January 1969
25Exeter City1–3Manchester United4 January 1969
26Mansfield Town2–1Sheffield United4 January 1969
27Cardiff City0–0Arsenal4 January 1969
ReplayArsenal2–0Cardiff City7 January 1969
28Swansea Town0–1Halifax Town4 January 1969
29Charlton Athletic0–0Crystal Palace4 January 1969
ReplayCrystal Palace0–2Charlton Athletic8 January 1969
30York City0–2Stoke City4 January 1969
31Birmingham City2–1Lincoln City4 January 1969
32Oxford United1–1Southampton4 January 1969
ReplaySouthampton2–0Oxford United8 January 1969

Fourth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 25 January 1969. Six matches were drawn and went to replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool2–1Burnley25 January 1969
2Preston North End0–0Chelsea25 January 1969
ReplayChelsea2–1Preston North End3 February 1969
3Southampton2–2Aston Villa25 January 1969
ReplayAston Villa2–1Southampton29 January 1969
4Blackburn Rovers4–0Portsmouth25 January 1969
5Sheffield Wednesday2–2Birmingham City25 January 1969
ReplayBirmingham City2–1Sheffield Wednesday28 January 1969
6Bolton Wanderers1–2Bristol Rovers25 January 1969
7Everton2–0Coventry City25 January 1969
8Newcastle United0–0Manchester City25 January 1969
ReplayManchester City2–0Newcastle United29 January 1969
9Tottenham Hotspur2–1Wolverhampton Wanderers25 January 1969
10Fulham1–2West Bromwich Albion25 January 1969
11Manchester United1–1Watford25 January 1969
ReplayWatford0–2Manchester United3 February 1969
12Millwall0–1Leicester City25 January 1969
13Huddersfield Town0–2West Ham United25 January 1969
14Mansfield Town2–1Southend United25 January 1969
15Arsenal2–0Charlton Athletic25 January 1969
16Stoke City1–1Halifax Town25 January 1969
ReplayHalifax Town0–3Stoke City28 January 1969

Fifth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 8 February 1969. However, for the first time in history, the entire fifth round draw for the FA Cup was unable to be played due to heavy snowfall across England, and the matches were replayed at various times after this date. Most took place by the following Wednesday, two were played a fortnight later, but the final match was not played until 1 March and required a replay two days later.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Leicester City0–0Liverpool1 March 1969
ReplayLiverpool0–1Leicester City3 March 1969
2Blackburn Rovers1–4Manchester City24 February 1969
3West Bromwich Albion1–0Arsenal12 February 1969
4Everton1–0Bristol Rovers12 February 1969
5Tottenham Hotspur3–2Aston Villa12 February 1969
6Chelsea3–2Stoke City12 February 1969
7Mansfield Town3–0West Ham United26 February 1969
8Birmingham City2–2Manchester United11 February 1969
ReplayManchester United6–2Birmingham City24 February 1969

Sixth round proper

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on 1 March 1969, although due to the late completion of Leicester City's fifth round tie, their match with Mansfield Town was not played until 8 March. There were no replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Manchester City1–0Tottenham Hotspur1 March 1969
2Manchester United0–1Everton1 March 1969
3Chelsea1–2West Bromwich Albion1 March 1969
4Mansfield Town0–1Leicester City8 March 1969

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday 22 March and Saturday 29 March 1969.

Final

The 1969 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester City and Leicester City at Wembley on Saturday 26 April 1969. The match finished 1–0 to Manchester City who, behind West Ham United in 1975, are the second-last all-English team to win the FA Cup.