The Football Association Challenge Cup, known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout competition in domestic English football and the oldest national football competition in the world. It was first played in the 1871-72 season and is organised by the Football Association. Clubs down to level 9 of the English league system may enter, and a record 763 clubs took part in 2011-12. The tournament runs through 12 drawn rounds, then the semi-finals and the final, with byes that let higher ranked clubs enter later. Arsenal are the most successful club with fourteen titles, and winners earn a place in the UEFA Europa League and the FA Community Shield. Giant-killing runs by small clubs draw much of the attention.
Facts
Frequency
Frequency (category) Founding Year Connections
Competitors Include
Source Adam Morgan (English footballer) (Wikipedia)
Source Alexandre Lacazette (Wikipedia)
Source Alfred Lyttelton (Wikipedia)
Source Bacary Sagna (Wikipedia)
Source Eddie Gray (footballer, born 1948) (Wikipedia)
Source Fitz Hall (Wikipedia)
Source Fred Keenor (Wikipedia)
Source Gavin Mahon (Wikipedia)
Source Geoffrey Mujangi Bia (Wikipedia)
Source Glenn Loovens (Wikipedia)
Source Ian Porterfield (Wikipedia)
Source Jonathan Bond (source article)
Source Lars Jacobsen (Wikipedia)
Source Laurent Koscielny (Wikipedia)
Source Lloyd Doyley (Wikipedia)
Source Manuel Almunia (source article)
Source Middlesbrough F.C. (Wikipedia)
Source Nathaniel Chalobah (Wikipedia)
Source Rob Page (Wikipedia)
Source Robert Mills-Roberts (Wikipedia)
Source Ryan Giggs (Wikipedia)
Source Steve Bloomer (Wikipedia)
Source Terry Venables (Wikipedia)
Source Thiago Alcântara (Wikipedia)
Source Tommy Smith (footballer, born 1980) (Wikipedia)
Source Tony Dunne (Wikipedia)
Features
Source FA Cup (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. FA Cup (Wikipedia)
Lead paragraph of the English Wikipedia article
First played during the 1871
Lead paragraph of the English Wikipedia article [frequency-category]
is an annual knockout football competition in domestic English football
Lead paragraph of the English Wikipedia article [scope]
it is the oldest national football competition in the world
View the SourceBacary Sagna (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Bacary Sagna, Lead paragraph [competed-in 3]Quote, Competitors Include: Bacary Sagna, Lead paragraph [competed-in 3]
shortly after winning the FA Cup
Laurent Koscielny (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Laurent Koscielny, Lead paragraph [competed-in 3]Quote, Competitors Include: Laurent Koscielny, Lead paragraph [competed-in 3]
winning another FA Cup and the FA Community Shield twice
Thiago Alcântara (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Thiago Alcântara, Lead paragraph [competed-in 2]Quote, Competitors Include: Thiago Alcântara, Lead paragraph [competed-in 2]
won the FA Cup in 2022
Alexandre Lacazette (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Alexandre Lacazette, Lead paragraph 2 [competed-in]Quote, Competitors Include: Alexandre Lacazette, Lead paragraph 2 [competed-in]
won the FA Cup in 2020
Manuel Almunia (source article)
Competitors Include: Manuel Almunia, Lead [competed-in]Quote, Competitors Include: Manuel Almunia, Lead [competed-in]
going on to play 175 official matches and winning the 2005 FA Cup
Terry Venables (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Terry Venables, LeadQuote, Competitors Include: Terry Venables, Lead
He reached the 1982 FA Cup Final with Queens Park Rangers
Steve Bloomer (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Steve Bloomer, LeadQuote, Competitors Include: Steve Bloomer, Lead
played on the losing side in four FA Cup semi-finals
Tony Dunne (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Tony Dunne, LeadQuote, Competitors Include: Tony Dunne, Lead
the FA Cup in 1963
Jonathan Bond (source article)
Competitors Include: Jonathan Bond, Career sectionQuote, Competitors Include: Jonathan Bond, Career section
After starting Watford's FA Cup defeat to Manchester City on 5 January 2013
Ian Porterfield (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Ian Porterfield, Lead, second paragraphQuote, Competitors Include: Ian Porterfield, Lead, second paragraph
Porterfield scored the only goal of the 1973 FA Cup final as Sunderland memorably overcame the odds to beat Leeds United
Lars Jacobsen (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Lars Jacobsen, Club career, EvertonQuote, Competitors Include: Lars Jacobsen, Club career, Everton
He went on to play in the 2009 FA Cup Final
Glenn Loovens (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Glenn Loovens, Honours, Cardiff CityQuote, Competitors Include: Glenn Loovens, Honours, Cardiff City
FA Cup runner-up: 2007-08
Fred Keenor (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Fred Keenor, Lead [competed-in]Quote, Competitors Include: Fred Keenor, Lead [competed-in]
leading the team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final later in the season, in which they defeated Arsenal 1-0.
Fitz Hall (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Fitz Hall, Club career, Queens Park RangersQuote, Competitors Include: Fitz Hall, Club career, Queens Park Rangers
Hall made his debut for Queens Park Rangers, playing the full match in a 1-0 loss against Chelsea in the third round of the FA Cup.
Tommy Smith (footballer, born 1980) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Tommy Smith (footballer, born 1980), Club career, Watford [competed-in]Quote, Competitors Include: Tommy Smith (footballer, born 1980), Club career, Watford [competed-in]
This included crucial goals in Watford's 2003 FA Cup run.
Gavin Mahon (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Gavin Mahon, Career sectionQuote, Competitors Include: Gavin Mahon, Career section
Five of those appearances came in Watford's FA Cup run
Geoffrey Mujangi Bia (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, Career section [competed-in]Quote, Competitors Include: Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, Career section [competed-in]
He made his debut in the FA Cup against Crystal Palace on 23 January 2010
Nathaniel Chalobah (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Nathaniel Chalobah, Article textQuote, Competitors Include: Nathaniel Chalobah, Article text
On 24 January 2015, Chalobah made his debut in a FA Cup match against Cardiff City, as the team won 2-1 to advance into the fifth round.
Middlesbrough F.C. (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Middlesbrough F.C., Lead, 1997 cup finalsQuote, Competitors Include: Middlesbrough F.C., Lead, 1997 cup finals
The club were runners-up in the FA Cup and League Cup in 1997
Eddie Gray (footballer, born 1948) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Eddie Gray (footballer, born 1948), Playing careerQuote, Competitors Include: Eddie Gray (footballer, born 1948), Playing career
won the 1972 FA Cup Final against Arsenal
Robert Mills-Roberts (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Robert Mills-Roberts, CareerQuote, Competitors Include: Robert Mills-Roberts, Career
FA Cup Finalists in 1888 and FA Cup Winners in 1889
Ryan Giggs (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Ryan Giggs, Lead, FA Cup winsQuote, Competitors Include: Ryan Giggs, Lead, FA Cup wins
four FA Cups
Rob Page (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Rob Page, Lead, Sheffield UnitedQuote, Competitors Include: Rob Page, Lead, Sheffield United
as well the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup
Lloyd Doyley (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Lloyd Doyley, Club career, Watford, FA CupQuote, Competitors Include: Lloyd Doyley, Club career, Watford, FA Cup
FA Cup semi-final defeat
Adam Morgan (English footballer) (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Adam Morgan (English footballer), Club career, Curzon AshtonQuote, Competitors Include: Adam Morgan (English footballer), Club career, Curzon Ashton
he scored a late goal that earned Curzon an FA Cup first round replay against Westfields
Alfred Lyttelton (Wikipedia)
Competitors Include: Alfred Lyttelton, Football sectionQuote, Competitors Include: Alfred Lyttelton, Football section
he turned out for Etonians in the FA Cup final of 1876
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