1972–73 FA Cup


The 1972–73 FA Cup was the 92nd season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Second Division Sunderland won the competition for the second time, beating holders Leeds United 1–0 in the final at Wembley, London with a goal from Ian Porterfield.
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.

Qualifying rounds

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 28 places available in the first round.
The winners from the fourth qualifying round were South Shields, Spennymoor United, Scarborough, Altrincham, Lancaster City, Rhyl, Wigan Athletic, South Liverpool, Bangor City, Nuneaton Borough, Bilston, Telford United, Grantham, Boston United, Kettering Town, Chelmsford City, Bishop's Stortford, Hillingdon Borough, Margate, Bognor Regis Town, Guildford City, Hayes, Walton & Hersham, Tonbridge, Banbury United, Alton Town, Yeovil Town and Barnstaple Town.
Bognor Regis Town and Alton Town were appearing in the competition proper for the first time. Of the others, Hayes had last featured at this stage in 1964–65, Banbury United had last done so in 1961-62, Barnstaple Town had last done so in 1959-60 and Lancaster City had last done so in 1947-48.
In a season in which only three non-league clubs managed to progress past the second round, Walton & Hersham played ten matches across seven rounds of the tournament. They defeated Metropolitan Police, Staines Town, Leytonstone, Wycombe Wanderers, Dartford and Exeter City before going out to Margate at Stompond Lane.

Results

First round proper

At this stage the 48 clubs from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions joined the non-league clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. To complete this round, four additional non-league clubs were given byes to this stage. Stafford Rangers and Barnet were the finalists from the previous season's FA Trophy, while Hendon and Enfield were the finalists from the previous season's FA Amateur Cup.
Matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 18 November 1972. Nine matches were drawn and went to replays, while Scunthorpe United and Hartlepool needed a second replay which was played at Roker Park.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield1–1Bishop's Stortford18 November 1972
ReplayBishop's Stortford1–0Enfield21 November 1972
2Chesterfield4–2Rhyl18 November 1972
3Darlington1–1Wrexham18 November 1972
ReplayWrexham5–0Darlington22 November 1972
4Hartlepool0–0Scunthorpe United18 November 1972
ReplayScunthorpe United0–0Hartlepool21 November 1972
ReplayHartlepool1–2Scunthorpe United27 November 1972
5AFC Bournemouth5–1Cambridge United18 November 1972
6Banbury United0–2Barnet18 November 1972
7Rochdale1–2Bangor City18 November 1972
8Tonbridge0–5Charlton Athletic18 November 1972
9Watford4–2Guildford City18 November 1972
10Yeovil Town2–1Brentford18 November 1972
11Walsall3–3Kettering Town18 November 1972
ReplayKettering Town1–2Walsall22 November 1972
12Gillingham1–2Reading18 November 1972
13Bolton Wanderers1–1Chester18 November 1972
ReplayChester0–1Bolton Wanderers22 November 1972
14Grimsby Town2–1Wigan Athletic18 November 1972
15Crewe Alexandra1–0Stafford Rangers18 November 1972
16Lincoln City2–2Blackburn Rovers18 November 1972
ReplayBlackburn Rovers4–1Lincoln City27 November 1972
17Doncaster Rovers3–1Bury18 November 1972
18Stockport County1–0Workington18 November 1972
19Barnsley1–1Halifax Town18 November 1972
ReplayHalifax Town2–1Barnsley21 November 1972
20South Liverpool0–2Tranmere Rovers18 November 1972
21Plymouth Argyle1–0Hendon18 November 1972
22Bradford City3–0Grantham18 November 1972
23Oldham Athletic1–1Scarborough18 November 1972
ReplayScarborough2–1Oldham Athletic22 November 1972
24Spennymoor United1–1Shrewsbury Town18 November 1972
ReplayShrewsbury Town3–1Spennymoor United21 November 1972
25Altrincham0–1Notts County18 November 1972
26Southend United0–2Aldershot18 November 1972
27Port Vale2–1Southport18 November 1972
28Newport County5–1Alton Town18 November 1972
29Margate1–0Swansea City18 November 1972
30Torquay United3–0Hereford United18 November 1972
31York City2–1Mansfield Town18 November 1972
32Rotherham United4–0South Shields18 November 1972
33Hayes1–0Bristol Rovers18 November 1972
34Boston United1–2Lancaster City18 November 1972
35Peterborough United1–0Northampton Town18 November 1972
36Colchester United6–0Bognor Regis Town18 November 1972
37Chelmsford City2–0Hillingdon Borough18 November 1972
38Walton & Hersham2–1Exeter City18 November 1972
39Barnstaple Town0–2Bilston18 November 1972
40Telford United3–2Nuneaton Borough18 November 1972

Second round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 9 December 1972, with the exception of the Walsall–Charlton Athletic game which was played three days later. Five matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week.

Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1AFC Bournemouth0–0Colchester United9 December 1972
ReplayColchester United0–2AFC Bournemouth11 December 1972
2Barnet1–1Bilston9 December 1972
ReplayBilston0–1Barnet12 December 1972
3Watford2–0Aldershot9 December 1972
4Yeovil Town0–2Plymouth Argyle9 December 1972
5Reading0–0Hayes9 December 1972
ReplayHayes0–1Reading12 December 1972
6Walsall1–2Charlton Athletic12 December 1972
7Notts County2–1Lancaster City9 December 1972
8Blackburn Rovers0–1Crewe Alexandra9 December 1972
9Bolton Wanderers3–0Shrewsbury Town9 December 1972
10Grimsby Town2–2Chesterfield9 December 1972
ReplayChesterfield0–1Grimsby Town13 December 1972
11Scarborough1–2Doncaster Rovers9 December 1972
12Bangor City2–3York City9 December 1972
13Bradford City2–1Tranmere Rovers9 December 1972
14Scunthorpe United3–2Halifax Town9 December 1972
15Port Vale1–0Wrexham9 December 1972
16Torquay United0–1Newport County9 December 1972
17Bishop's Stortford2–2Peterborough United9 December 1972
ReplayPeterborough United3–1Bishop's Stortford11 December 1972
18Rotherham United0–1Stockport County9 December 1972
19Chelmsford City5–0Telford United9 December 1972
20Walton & Hersham0–1Margate9 December 1972

Third round proper

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage. The matches were scheduled Saturday, 13 January 1973, with the exception of the Reading–Doncaster Rovers game, which was played on the following Wednesday. Eleven matches were drawn, of which two required a second replay.
The first attempted replay between Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion was abandoned in the 81st minute with the score at 1–1 due to fog at the City Ground. It was successfully re-staged six days later but was drawn 0–0, necessitating a second replay at Filbert Street.
Barnet, Chelmsford City and Margate were the last non-league sides left in the competition.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Burnley0–0Liverpool13 January 1973
ReplayLiverpool3–0Burnley16 January 1973
2Watford0–1Sheffield United13 January 1973
3Reading2–0Doncaster Rovers17 January 1973
4Notts County1–1Sunderland13 January 1973
ReplaySunderland2–0Notts County16 January 1973
5Sheffield Wednesday2–0Fulham13 January 1973
6Grimsby Town0–0Preston North End13 January 1973
ReplayPreston North End0–1Grimsby Town15 January 1973
7Wolverhampton Wanderers1–0Manchester United13 January 1973
8West Bromwich Albion1–1Nottingham Forest13 January 1973
ReplayNottingham Forest1a1West Bromwich Albion16 January 1973
ReplayNottingham Forest0–0West Bromwich Albion22 January 1973
2nd replayWest Bromwich Albion3–1Nottingham Forest29 January 1973
9Luton Town2–0Crewe Alexandra13 January 1973
10Everton3–2Aston Villa13 January 1973
11Swindon Town2–0Birmingham City13 January 1973
12Stockport County0–0Hull City13 January 1973
ReplayHull City2–0Stockport County23 January 1973
13Newcastle United2–0AFC Bournemouth13 January 1973
14Manchester City3–2Stoke City13 January 1973
15Queens Park Rangers0–0Barnet13 January 1973
ReplayBarnet0–3Queens Park Rangers16 January 1973
16Portsmouth1–1Bristol City13 January 1973
ReplayBristol City4–1Portsmouth16 January 1973
17Brighton & Hove Albion0–2Chelsea13 January 1973
18Norwich City1–1Leeds United13 January 1973
ReplayLeeds United1–1Norwich City17 January 1973
ReplayNorwich City0–5Leeds United29 January 1973
19Plymouth Argyle1–0Middlesbrough13 January 1973
20Bradford City2–1Blackpool13 January 1973
21Millwall3–0Newport County13 January 1973
22Carlisle United2–2Huddersfield Town13 January 1973
ReplayHuddersfield Town0–1Carlisle United16 January 1973
23Crystal Palace2–0Southampton13 January 1973
24Scunthorpe United2–3Cardiff City13 January 1973
25Port Vale0–1West Ham United13 January 1973
26Margate0–6Tottenham Hotspur13 January 1973
27Charlton Athletic1–1Bolton Wanderers13 January 1973
ReplayBolton Wanderers4–0Charlton Athletic17 January 1973
28Arsenal2–2Leicester City13 January 1973
ReplayLeicester City1–2Arsenal17 January 1973
29York City0–1Oxford United13 January 1973
30Peterborough United0–1Derby County13 January 1973
31Chelmsford City1–3Ipswich Town13 January 1973
32Orient1–4Coventry City13 January 1973

Fourth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 3 February 1973. Five matches were drawn, of which two required a second replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool0–0Manchester City3 February 1973
ReplayManchester City2–0Liverpool7 February 1973
2Sheffield Wednesday1–1Crystal Palace3 February 1973
ReplayCrystal Palace1–1Sheffield Wednesday6 February 1973
ReplaySheffield Wednesday3–2Crystal Palace19 February 1973
3Bolton Wanderers2–2Cardiff City3 February 1973
ReplayCardiff City1–1Bolton Wanderers7 February 1973
ReplayBolton Wanderers1–0Cardiff City12 February 1973
4Wolverhampton Wanderers1–0Bristol City3 February 1973
5West Bromwich Albion2–0Swindon Town3 February 1973
6Sunderland1–1Reading3 February 1973
ReplayReading1–3Sunderland7 February 1973
7Derby County1–1Tottenham Hotspur3 February 1973
ReplayTottenham Hotspur3–5Derby County7 February 1973
8Everton0–2Millwall3 February 1973
9Newcastle United0–2Luton Town3 February 1973
10Coventry City1–0Grimsby Town3 February 1973
11Hull City1–0West Ham United3 February 1973
12Carlisle United2–1Sheffield United3 February 1973
13Chelsea2–0Ipswich Town3 February 1973
14Arsenal2–0Bradford City3 February 1973
15Leeds United2–1Plymouth Argyle3 February 1973
16Oxford United0–2Queens Park Rangers3 February 1973

Fifth round proper

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 24 February 1973 with one replay played three days later.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Sheffield Wednesday1–2Chelsea24 February 1973
2Bolton Wanderers0–1Luton Town24 February 1973
3Wolverhampton Wanderers1–0Millwall24 February 1973
4Derby County4–2Queens Park Rangers24 February 1973
5Manchester City2–2Sunderland24 February 1973
ReplaySunderland3–1Manchester City27 February 1973
6Coventry City3–0Hull City24 February 1973
7Carlisle United1–2Arsenal24 February 1973
8Leeds United2–0West Bromwich Albion24 February 1973

Sixth round proper

The four quarter-final ties were played on the 17 March 1973. There was one replay three days later.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Wolverhampton Wanderers2–0Coventry City17 March 1973
2Sunderland2–0Luton Town17 March 1973
3Derby County0–1Leeds United17 March 1973
4Chelsea2–2Arsenal17 March 1973
ReplayArsenal2–1Chelsea20 March 1973

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 7 April 1973 with no replays being needed. Sunderland and Leeds United won their respective matches to go on to the final at Wembley.

Third place playoff

Between 1970 and 1974, a third place playoff between the two losing semi-finalists was held.

Final

The final took place on Saturday, 5 May 1973 at Wembley and ended in a victory for Sunderland over Leeds United by one goal to nil. The attendance was 100,000.