ASSOCIATION CODE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 151, 27 May 1938, Page 12

ASSOCIATION CODE.

WORKING WELL. LOCAL COMPETITIONS. (By “Centre-Half.”) It was a pleasure to watch, the Thistle forward line at work on. Saturday afternoon last. The finesse with which they carried the game into their opponents’ half spoke eloquently of much practice, and the manner m which they supported one another evoked praise from the spectators. They had formidable opposition in the Rovers B. team, who, m spite of their inexperience, played a good game. Football Association Cup. One of the most famous trophies Jin the world, the Football Association Cup, was won this year by Huddersfield, who heat Preston North End in the final at Wembley Stadium, in a gruelling matsh. The competition for this trophy, which was once stolen and replaced, has been the cause of much enthusiastic rivalry. It began in a humble way in 1871, and the Scottish Cup, instituted two years later, had many more entries for several years. In the first year of the Football Association Cup, Wanderers were the winners and there were only 15 entries. Until trie season 1882-83 the cup had always been won by a southern, club, but times were changing Although professionalism was illegal, the amateur status of some of the northern clubs was so questionable that gradually the best southern clubs began to drop out. The cup was won in 1883 by the Blackburn Olympic Club, and when two years later professionalism became legal, the big amateur clubs practically dropped out. With the formation of the Football League, the competition for the cup so rapidly increased that in 1888 it was divided into two parts ; a qualifying ‘competition and tlie competition proper. As the years went by even the matches in the qualifying competition attracted spectators from all parts of the district. The matches in which the chief league clubs were concerned filled the grounds to their utmost capacity, and when the final began to be played at the Crystal Palace, the spectators sometimes mustered about 120,000. By the time that the final tie was transferred to Wembley, the enthusiasm of the public had increased so much that for the first match many thousands had to be turned away. The consequence was that the Association was compelled to take the hitherto unknown step of reserving the ground for the holders of special tickets, which have always been sold out long before the date of the match. Success or failure means so much to the professional clubs that the actual players often become too much excited to be able to do themselves justice and “cup-tie” play has become a thing quite apart from play in the ordinary matches Often the cup has been won by a team which in deague games could make no headway at all, blit by sheer rush and boldness could force itself through the numerous preliminary and grimly-fought rounds or

cup competition. The Cup Winners. Up to 1935 the cup had been won six times by Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers, five times by Wanderers (amateur), four times by Sheffield United, three times by Bolton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United, and Sheffield Wednesday, twice by Old Etonians (amateur), Bury, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Everton, and once by Oxford University (amateur), Royal Engineers (amateur), Clapham Rovers (amateur) Old Carthusians (amateur), Blackburn Olympic, Preston North End, Notts County, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Bradford City, Barnsley, Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, and Arsenal. Amateur clubs won the cup between 1872 and 1885, since when the winners have been professional clubs.