1985–86 FA Cup


The 1985–86 FA Cup was the 105th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup. The competition was won by Liverpool, who defeated local rivals Everton 3–1 at Wembley in the first ever Merseyside derby final. Liverpool thus became only the fifth club to win the league and FA Cup double.

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 Frickley Athletic, South Liverpool, Whitby Town, Scarborough, Morecambe, Chorley, Macclesfield Town, Runcorn, Enfield, Dagenham, Nuneaton Borough, Leyton-Wingate, Wycombe Wanderers, Chelmsford City, VS Rugby, Halesowen Town, Bishop's Stortford, Aylesbury United, Dartford, Yeovil Town, Farnborough Town, Slough Town, Bath City, Windsor & Eton, Fareham Town, Maidstone United, Bognor Regis Town and Weymouth.
For only the third time since the introduction of qualifying rounds, all 28 clubs advancing to the first round had appeared in the competition proper before. However, Bath City had not featured at this stage since 1977–78, South Liverpool had not done so since 1972-73, Halesowen Town and Leyton-Wingate had not done so since 1955-56, and Aylesbury United had not done so since 1951-52.
On the other hand, Yeovil Town was advancing from the qualifying rounds for a new record-establishing 36th time. They did this in the absence from this season's main draw of Kettering Town, who had jointly set the previous marks with Yeovil in each of the preceding five tournaments.

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 Wealdstone, Boston United, Altrincham and Telford United who were given byes. The first round of games were played over the weekend 16–17 November 1985. Replays were played on the 19th-20th. The round included two clubs from Step 8 of the English football pyramid: Whitby Town from the Northern League and Halesowen Town from the West Midlands (Regional) League.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield 0–2Bognor Regis Town 16 November 1985
2AFC Bournemouth0–0Dartford 16 November 1985
ReplayDartford0–2AFC Bournemouth19 November 1985
3Bury2–0Chester City16 November 1985
4Rochdale2–1Darlington16 November 1985
5Yeovil Town 2–4Hereford United16 November 1985
6Reading1–0Wealdstone 16 November 1985
7Walsall7–3Preston North End16 November 1985
8Gillingham3–0Northampton Town16 November 1985
9Notts County6–1Scarborough 17 November 1985
10Macclesfield Town 1–2Hartlepool United16 November 1985
11Derby County5–1Crewe Alexandra16 November 1985
12Lincoln City0–1Blackpool16 November 1985
13Swindon Town0–0Bristol City17 November 1985
ReplayBristol City4–2Swindon Town20 November 1985
14Wrexham3–1Bolton Wanderers16 November 1985
15Tranmere Rovers2–2Chesterfield16 November 1985
ReplayChesterfield0–1Tranmere Rovers19 November 1985
16Stockport County0–1Telford United 16 November 1985
17Windsor & Eton 1–1Torquay United16 November 1985
ReplayTorquay United3–0Windsor & Eton19 November 1985
18Chorley 0–2Altrincham 16 November 1985
19Wycombe Wanderers 2–0Colchester United16 November 1985
20Brentford1–3Bristol Rovers16 November 1985
21Plymouth Argyle1–0Aldershot16 November 1985
22Southend United0–1Newport County16 November 1985
23Exeter City2–1Cardiff City16 November 1985
24Mansfield Town1–1Port Vale16 November 1985
ReplayPort Vale1–0Mansfield Town18 November 1985
25Halifax Town1–3Scunthorpe United16 November 1985
26Runcorn 2–2Boston United 16 November 1985
ReplayBoston United1–1Runcorn20 November 1985
ReplayRuncorn4–1Boston United25 November 1985
27York City0–0Morecambe 16 November 1985
ReplayMorecambe0–2York City19 November 1985
28Bishop's Stortford 2–2Peterborough United16 November 1985
ReplayPeterborough United3–1Bishop's Stortford20 November 1985
29Rotherham United6–0Wolverhampton Wanderers16 November 1985
30Wigan Athletic4–1Doncaster Rovers16 November 1985
31Chelmsford City 1–0Weymouth 16 November 1985
32Nuneaton Borough 2–3Burnley16 November 1985
33Slough Town 2–2Aylesbury United 16 November 1985
ReplayAylesbury United2–5Slough Town19 November 1985
34Whitby Town 1–0South Liverpool 16 November 1985
35Dagenham 2–1Cambridge United16 November 1985
36Fareham Town 0–3Maidstone United 16 November 1985
37Swansea City2–0Leyton-Wingate 16 November 1985
38Farnborough Town 0–4Bath City 16 November 1985
39Frickley Athletic 1–1Halesowen Town 16 November 1985
ReplayHalesowen Town1–3Frickley Athletic19 November 1985
40VS Rugby 2–2Orient16 November 1985
ReplayOrient4–1VS Rugby19 November 1985

Second round proper

The second round of games were played over 7–9 December 1985, with replays being played on the 10th. Whitby Town from the Northern League was again the lowest-ranked team in the draw.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool1–2Altrincham 7 December 1985
2AFC Bournemouth4–1Dagenham 7 December 1985
3Bristol City1–2Exeter City7 December 1985
4Reading2–0Hereford United7 December 1985
5Gillingham6–1Bognor Regis Town 7 December 1985
6Notts County2–2Wrexham7 December 1985
ReplayWrexham0–3Notts County10 December 1985
7Derby County6–1Telford United 9 December 1985
8Tranmere Rovers1–1Bury7 December 1985
ReplayBury2–1Tranmere Rovers10 December 1985
9Wycombe Wanderers 2–0Chelmsford City 7 December 1985
10Plymouth Argyle3–0Maidstone United 7 December 1985
11Scunthorpe United2–2Rochdale7 December 1985
ReplayRochdale2–1Scunthorpe United10 December 1985
12Port Vale0–0Walsall8 December 1985
ReplayWalsall2–1Port Vale10 December 1985
13Newport County1–1Torquay United7 December 1985
ReplayTorquay United2–3Newport County10 December 1985
14Runcorn 1–1Wigan Athletic7 December 1985
ReplayWigan Athletic4–0Runcorn10 December 1985
15York City3–1Whitby Town 7 December 1985
16Rotherham United4–1Burnley7 December 1985
17Peterborough United1–0Bath City 7 December 1985
18Orient2–2Slough Town 7 December 1985
ReplaySlough Town2–3Orient10 December 1985
19Swansea City1–2Bristol Rovers7 December 1985
20Hartlepool United0–1Frickley Athletic 7 December 1985

Third round proper

Teams from the Football League First and Second Divisions entered in this round. Most of the third round of games in the FA Cup were played over the weekend 4–6 January 1986, however various matches and replays were played as late as 16 January. Wycombe Wanderers, Altrincham and Frickley Athletic from the Alliance Premier League at Step 5 of English football were the lowest-ranked teams in the round.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bury 2–0Barnsley 13 January 1986
2Liverpool 5–0Norwich City 4 January 1986
3Walsall 1–3Manchester City 4 January 1986
4Gillingham 1–1Derby County 4 January 1986
ReplayDerby County3–1Gillingham13 January 1986
5Nottingham Forest 1–1Blackburn Rovers 4 January 1986
ReplayBlackburn Rovers3–2Nottingham Forest13 January 1986
6Sheffield Wednesday 2–2West Bromwich Albion 13 January 1986
ReplayWest Bromwich Albion2–3Sheffield Wednesday16 January 1986
7Grimsby Town 3–4Arsenal 4 January 1986
8Middlesbrough 1–3Southampton 13 January 1986
9Sunderland 2–0Newport County 4 January 1986
10Everton 1–0Exeter City 5 January 1986
11Shrewsbury Town 0–1Chelsea 4 January 1986
12Sheffield United 2–0Fulham 13 January 1986
13Ipswich Town 4–4Bradford City 4 January 1986
ReplayBradford City0–1Ipswich Town13 January 1986
14Newcastle United 0–2Brighton & Hove Albion 4 January 1986
15Bristol Rovers 3–1Leicester City 4 January 1986
16Coventry City 1–3Watford 4 January 1986
17Portsmouth 2–2Aston Villa 4 January 1986
ReplayAston Villa3–2Portsmouth13 January 1986
18Manchester United 2–0Rochdale 9 January 1986
19Millwall 3–1Wimbledon 4 January 1986
20Hull City 2–2Plymouth Argyle 4 January 1986
ReplayPlymouth Argyle0–1Hull City7 January 1986
21Carlisle United 1–0Queens Park Rangers 13 January 1986
22Oldham Athletic 1–2Orient 6 January 1986
23Crystal Palace 1–2Luton Town 6 January 1986
24Huddersfield Town 0–0Reading 4 January 1986
ReplayReading2–1Huddersfield Town13 January 1986
25Charlton Athletic 0–1West Ham United 5 January 1986
26York City 2–0Wycombe Wanderers 4 January 1986
27Stoke City 0–2Notts County 13 January 1986
28Wigan Athletic 3–0AFC Bournemouth 4 January 1986
29Peterborough United 1–0Leeds United 4 January 1986
30Birmingham City 1–2Altrincham 14 January 1986
31Oxford United 1–1Tottenham Hotspur 4 January 1986
ReplayTottenham Hotspur2–1Oxford United8 January 1986
32Frickley Athletic 1–3Rotherham United 4 January 1986

Fourth round proper

The fourth round of games were played over the weekend 25–26 January 1986. Replays took place on 28–29 January, or 3–6 February. Altrincham was the lowest-ranked team in the draw and the last non-league club left in the competition.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Southampton3–0Wigan Athletic25 January 1986
2Reading1–1Bury25 January 1986
ReplayBury3–0Reading28 January 1986
3Notts County1–1Tottenham Hotspur25 January 1986
ReplayTottenham Hotspur5–0Notts County29 January 1986
4Aston Villa1–1Millwall25 January 1986
ReplayMillwall1–0Aston Villa29 January 1986
5Sheffield Wednesday5–0Orient25 January 1986
6Sunderland0–0Manchester United25 January 1986
ReplayManchester United3–0Sunderland29 January 1986
7Luton Town4–0Bristol Rovers25 January 1986
8Everton3–1Blackburn Rovers25 January 1986
9Sheffield United0–1Derby County25 January 1986
10Manchester City1–1Watford25 January 1986
ReplayWatford0–0Manchester City3 February 1986
ReplayManchester City1–3Watford6 February 1986
11West Ham United0–0Ipswich Town25 January 1986
ReplayIpswich Town1–1West Ham United4 February 1986
ReplayIpswich Town0–1West Ham United6 February 1986
12Hull City2–3Brighton & Hove Albion25 January 1986
13Chelsea1–2Liverpool26 January 1986
14Arsenal5–1Rotherham United25 January 1986
15York City2–0Altrincham 25 January 1986
16Peterborough United1–0Carlisle United25 January 1986

Fifth round proper

The fifth round of games were intended to be played on 15 February 1986, but, due to bad weather and an amazing 8 replays over the 8 ties, some of the ties were not determined until just under a month later. Holders Manchester United were eliminated by West Ham United. Fourth Division side Peterborough United was the lowest-ranked team in the round.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Southampton0–0Millwall15 February 1986
ReplayMillwall0–1Southampton5 March 1986
2Watford1–1Bury5 March 1986
ReplayBury0–3Watford8 March 1986
3Derby County1–1Sheffield Wednesday26 February 1986
ReplaySheffield Wednesday2–0Derby County5 March 1986
4Luton Town2–2Arsenal15 February 1986
ReplayArsenal0–0Luton Town3 March 1986
ReplayLuton Town3–0Arsenal5 March 1986
5Tottenham Hotspur1–2Everton4 March 1986
6West Ham United1–1Manchester United5 March 1986
ReplayManchester United0–2West Ham United9 March 1986
7York City1–1Liverpool15 February 1986
ReplayLiverpool3–1York City18 February 1986
8Peterborough United2–2Brighton & Hove Albion15 February 1986
ReplayBrighton & Hove Albion1–0Peterborough United3 March 1986

Sixth round proper

The sixth round of FA Cup games were played either at the weekend on 8 March or midweek on 11-12 1986. Replays were played in the following midweek fixture.
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Replays

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Semi-finals

Everton reached their third consecutive FA Cup final.
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