The FA Amateur Challenge Cup

The top prize in English amateur football was the Amateur Cup which was introduced in 1894. From 1949 the Final was played at Wembley and at the height of it's popularity the Amateur Cup final was able to attract a capacity 100,000 crowd every year from 1951 to 1955. Its status took a dent in 1969 when the FA Challenge Trophy was introduced for the top semi-professional non-league clubs who were ineligble to compete in the Amateur Cup. After several years of allegations of 'shamteurism' (i.e. under-the-counter payments to ostensibly amateur players) the end came in 1974 when the FA decided the designation 'amateur' no longer had any significant meaning and replaced the Amateur Cup with the FA Challenge Vase. This never gained the prestige of the Amateur Cup as the top 'amateur' teams switched their attention to the Trophy.

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Finals 1894-1974

1894  Old Carthusians           2  Casuals                   1
1895  Middlesbrough             2  Old Carthusians           1
1896  Bishop Auckland           1  Royal Artillery (P'tsm'th)0
1897  Old Carthusians         1:4  Stockton                1:1
1898  Middlesbrough             2  Uxbridge                  1
1899  Stockton                  1  Harwich & Parkeston       0
1900  Bishop Auckland           5  Lowestoft Town            1
1901  Crook Town              1:3  King's Lynn             1:0
1902  Old Malvernians           5  Bishop Auckland           1
1903  Stockton                0:1  Oxford City             0:0
1904  Sheffield                 3  Ealing                    1
1905  West Hartlepool           3  Clapton                   2
1906  Oxford City               3  Bishop Auckland           0
1907  Clapton                   2  Stockton                  1
1908  Royal Engineers (Depot)   2  Stockton                  1
1909  Clapton                   6  Eston United              0
1910  RMLI (Gosport)            2  South Bank                1
1911  Bromley                   1  Bishop Auckland           0
1912  Stockton                1:0  Eston United            0:0
1913  South Bank              1:1  Oxford City             1:0
1914  Bishop Auckland           1  Northern Nomads           0
1915  Clapton                   1  Bishop Auckland           0
1916-1919  Not contested due to war
1920  Dulwich Hamlet            1  Tufnell Park              0  aet
1921  Bishop Auckland           4  Swindon Victoria          2
1922  Bishop Auckland           5  South Bank                2  aet
1923  London Caledonians        2  Evesham Town              1
1924  Clapton                   3  Erith & Belvedere         0
1925  Clapton                   2  Southall                  1
1926  Northern Nomads           7  Stockton                  1
1927  Leyton                    3  Barking Town              1
1928  Leyton                    3  Cockfield                 1
1929  Ilford                    3  Leyton                    1
1930  Ilford                    5  Bournemouth Gasworks Ath  1
1931  Wycombe Wanderers         1  Hayes                     0
1932  Dulwich Hamlet            7  Marine                    1
1933  Kingstonian             1:4  Stockton                1:1
1934  Dulwich Hamlet            2  Leyton                    1
1935  Bishop Auckland         0:2  Wimbledon               0:1
1936  Casuals                 1:2  Ilford                  1:0
1937  Dulwich Hamlet            2  Leyton                    0
1938  Bromley                   1  Erith & Belvedere         0
1939  Bishop Auckland           3  Willington                0  aet
1940-45  Not contested due to war
1946  Barnet                    3  Bishop Auckland           2
1947  Leytonstone               2  Wimbledon                 1
1948  Leytonstone               1  Barnet                    0
1949  Bromley                   1  Romford                   0
1950  Willington                4  Bishop Auckland           0
1951  Pegasus                   2  Bishop Auckland           1
1952  Walthamstow Avenue        2  Leyton                    1  aet
1953  Pegasus                   6  Harwich & Parkeston       0
1954  Crook Town            2:2:1  Bishop Auckland       2:2:0
1955  Bishop Auckland           2  Hendon                    0
1956  Bishop Auckland         1:4  Corinthian-Casuals      1:1  aet
1957  Bishop Auckland           3  Wycombe Wanderers         1
1958  Woking                    3  Ilford                    0
1959  Crook Town                3  Barnet                    2
1960  Hendon                    2  Kingstonian               1
1961  Walthamstow Avenue        2  West Auckland Town        1
1962  Crook Town              1:4  Hounslow Town           1:0
1963  Wimbledon                 4  Sutton United             2
1964  Crook Town                2  Enfield                   1
1965  Hendon                    3  Whitby Town               1
1966  Wealdstone                3  Hendon                    1
1967  Enfield                 0:3  Skelmersdale United     0:0
1968  Leytonstone               1  Chesham United            0
1969  North Shields             2  Sutton United             1
1970  Enfield                   5  Dagenham                  1
1971  Skemersdale United        4  Dagenham                  1
1972  Hendon                    2  Enfield                   0
1973  Walton & Hersham          1  Slough Town               0
1974  Bishop's Stortford        4  Ilford                    1

English Competitions


Summary 1894-1974 (71 Cups)

                        Wins  Finals
Bishop Auckland	         10     18
Clapton	                  5      6
Crook Town                5      5
Dulwich Hamlet            4      4
Stockton                  3      8
Hendon                    3      5
Bromley                   3      3
Leytonstone               3      3
Leyton                    2      6
Ilford                    2      5
Enfield                   2      4
Old Carthusians           2      3
Middlesbrough             2      2
Pegasus                   2      2
Walthamstow Avenue        2      2
Barnet                    1      3
Oxford City               1      3
South Bank                1      3
Wimbledon                 1      3
Casuals                   1      2
Kingstonian               1      2
Northern Nomads           1      2
Willington                1      2
Wycombe Wanderers         1      2
Bishop's Stortford        1      1
London Caledonians        1      1
North Shields             1      1
Old Malvernians           1      1
RMLI (Gosport)            1      1
Royal Engineers (Depot)   1      1
Sheffield                 1      1
Skemersdale United        1      1
Walton & Hersham          1      1
Wealdstone                1      1
West Hartlepool           1      1
Woking                    1      1
Dagenham                  -      2
Erith & Belvedere         -      2
Eston United              -      2
Harwich & Parkeston       -      2
Sutton United             -      2
Barking Town              -      1
Bournemouth Gasworks Ath  -      1
Chesham United            -      1
Cockfield                 -      1
Corinthian-Casuals        -      1
Ealing                    -      1
Evesham Town              -      1
Hayes                     -      1
Hounslow Town             -      1
King's Lynn               -      1
Lowestoft Town            -      1
Marine                    -      1
Romford                   -      1
Royal Artillery (P'tsm'th)-      1
Skelmersdale United       -      1
Slough Town               -      1
Southall                  -      1
Swindon Victoria          -      1
Tufnell Park              -      1
Uxbridge                  -      1
West Auckland Town        -      1
Whitby Town               -      1

English Competitions


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Prepared and maintained by James M. Ross

Author: James M. Ross
Last updated: 22 Jul 1997

Copyright © 1996,1997 James M. Ross
You are free to use the data within this document in whole or part for non-commercial use providing that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. Copying of the document itself or replication on any other web site is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.