1981–82 FA Cup


The 1981–82 FA Cup was the 101st season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short.
The competition culminated with the FA Cup Final, held at Wembley Stadium, London on 22 May 1982. The match was contested by two London clubs, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, with Tottenham retaining the trophy with a 1–0 victory in a replay after a 1–1 draw in the first game.

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 Blyth Spartans, Horden Colliery Welfare, Bishop Auckland, Workington, Penrith, Runcorn, Mossley, Nuneaton Borough, Stafford Rangers, Kettering Town, Willenhall Town, Harlow Town, Boston United, Wycombe Wanderers, Hendon, Bedford Town, Dagenham, Barnet, Dover, Barking, Hastings United, Leytonstone & Ilford, Weymouth, Bideford, Minehead, Taunton Town, Dorchester Town and Yeovil Town.
Penrith and Willenhall Town were the only qualifying clubs appearing in the competition proper for the first time. Of the others, Hastings United had not featured at this stage since 1960–61, Dorchester Town since 1959-60, Horden Colliery Welfare since 1954-55 and Taunton Town since a predecessor club of the same name had successfully navigated the qualifying rounds in 1930-31.

First round proper

The 48 teams from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions entered in this round along with the 28 non-league clubs from the qualifying rounds and Altrincham, Bishop's Stortford, Sutton United and Enfield who were given byes. This round included six clubs from various competitions at Step 8 of the English football system: Blyth Spartans, Horden Colliery Welfare, Bishop Auckland and Penrith from the Northern League, Bideford from the Western League and Willenhall Town from the West Midlands League.
The initial matches were played over the weekend of 20–21 November 1981 with replays mainly staged on 23–25 November.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield 2–0Hastings United 21 November 1981
2Chesterfield4–1Preston North End21 November 1981
3Darlington2–2Carlisle United21 November 1981
ReplayCarlisle United3–1Darlington24 November 1981
4AFC Bournemouth1–0Reading21 November 1981
5Bristol City0–0Torquay United20 November 1981
ReplayTorquay United1–2Bristol City25 November 1981
6Burnley0–0Runcorn 21 November 1981
ReplayRuncorn1–2Burnley24 November 1981
7Dorchester Town 3–3Minehead 21 November 1981
ReplayMinehead0–4Dorchester Town23 November 1981
8Rochdale2–2Hull City21 November 1981
ReplayHull City2–2Rochdale24 November 1981
ReplayHull City1–0Rochdale30 November 1981
9Weymouth 0–0Northampton Town21 November 1981
ReplayNorthampton Town6–2Weymouth24 November 1981
10Lincoln City2–2Port Vale21 November 1981
ReplayPort Vale0–0Lincoln City30 November 1981
ReplayPort Vale2–0Lincoln City2 December 1981
11Stafford Rangers 1–2York City21 November 1981
12Swindon Town2–1Taunton Town 21 November 1981
13Sheffield United2–2Altrincham 21 November 1981
ReplayAltrincham3–0Sheffield United23 November 1981
14Bishop Auckland 4–1Nuneaton Borough 21 November 1981
15Tranmere Rovers1–1Bury21 November 1981
ReplayBury3–1Tranmere Rovers24 November 1981
16Stockport County3–1Mossley 21 November 1981
17Dover 0–2Oxford United21 November 1981
18Brentford2–0Exeter City21 November 1981
19Bristol Rovers1–2Fulham21 November 1981
20Portsmouth1–1Millwall21 November 1981
ReplayMillwall3–2Portsmouth25 November 1981
21Plymouth Argyle0–0Gillingham21 November 1981
ReplayGillingham1–0Plymouth Argyle24 November 1981
22Penrith 1–0Chester21 November 1981
23Scunthorpe United1–0Bradford City21 November 1981
24Blyth Spartans 1–2Walsall21 November 1981
25Bedford Town 0–2Wimbledon21 November 1981
26Mansfield Town0–1Doncaster Rovers21 November 1981
27Halifax Town0–3Peterborough United21 November 1981
28Workington 1–1Huddersfield Town21 November 1981
ReplayHuddersfield Town5–0Workington24 November 1981
29Hereford United3–1Southend United21 November 1981
30Bishop's Stortford 2–2Sutton United 21 November 1981
ReplaySutton United2–1Bishop's Stortford24 November 1981
31Bideford 1–2Barking 21 November 1981
32Aldershot2–0Leytonstone & Ilford 21 November 1981
33Horden CW 0–1Blackpool21 November 1981
34Wigan Athletic2–2Hartlepool United21 November 1981
ReplayHartlepool United1–0Wigan Athletic25 November 1981
35Boston United 0–1Kettering Town 21 November 1981
36Harlow Town 0–0Barnet 21 November 1981
ReplayBarnet1–0Harlow Town24 November 1981
37Colchester United2–0Newport County21 November 1981
38Hendon 1–1Wycombe Wanderers 21 November 1981
ReplayWycombe Wanderers2–0Hendon24 November 1981
39Dagenham 2–2Yeovil Town 21 November 1981
ReplayYeovil Town0–1Dagenham25 November 1981
40Willenhall Town 0–1Crewe Alexandra21 November 1981

Second round proper

The Second Round was intended to be played on 12 December 1981, although many were not played until 15 December or even 2 January or 9 January. Replays were played on various dates after these games. Step 8 clubs Bishop Auckland and Penrith were the lowest-ranked teams in the round.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield 4–1Wimbledon15 December 1981
2Chesterfield0–1Huddersfield Town12 December 1981
3Barnet 2–0Wycombe Wanderers 15 December 1981
4Bristol City3–0Northampton Town15 December 1981
5Bury1–1Burnley2 January 1982
ReplayBurnley2–1Bury4 January 1982
6Dorchester Town 1–1AFC Bournemouth12 December 1981
ReplayAFC Bournemouth2–1Dorchester Town15 December 1981
7Gillingham1–1Barking 15 December 1981
ReplayGillingham3–1Barking2 January 1982
8Crewe Alexandra1–3Scunthorpe United2 January 1982
9Swindon Town2–1Sutton United 15 December 1981
10Doncaster Rovers3–0Penrith 12 December 1981
11Brentford1–1Colchester United16 December 1981
ReplayColchester United1–0Brentford30 December 1981
12Hull City2–0Hartlepool United4 January 1982
13Carlisle United1–0Bishop Auckland 9 January 1982
14Port Vale4–1Stockport County2 January 1982
15York City0–0Altrincham 12 December 1981
ReplayAltrincham4–3York City2 January 1982
16Hereford United1–0Fulham2 January 1982
17Kettering Town 0–3Blackpool2 January 1982
18Aldershot2–2Oxford United15 December 1981
ReplayOxford United4–2Aldershot30 December 1981
19Peterborough United2–1Walsall2 January 1982
20Dagenham 1–2Millwall30 December 1981