1991–92 FA Cup

1991–92 FA Cup
Tournament details
Country England
 Wales
 Scotland
Defending championsTottenham Hotspur
Final positions
ChampionsLiverpool (5th title)
Runner-upSunderland
Tournament statistics
Top goal scorer(s) John Byrne (7)

The 1991–92 FA Cup was the 111th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. Liverpool beat Sunderland 2–0 in the final to take their 5th FA Cup trophy.

The appearance in the Cup Final of Sunderland, a Level 2 team, marked the first time in 10 years that a team outside Level 1 of the English football pyramid appeared in the final game. Sunderland is one of only eight non-Level 1 teams to win the FA Cup, a mark they achieved in the 1973 FA Cup Final.

This was the first FA Cup competition to use penalties to decide games still tied after extra time in a replayed match.

First round proper

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Grimsby Town and Tranmere Rovers from the Football League Second Division entered in this round along with all the Football League Third and Fourth Division teams plus three non-league clubs were given byes to this round: Wycombe Wanderers, Kidderminster Harriers and Woking. The first round matches were played on the weekend between 15 and 17 November 1991, with replays played midweek between 26 and 27 November. The tie between Huddersfield Town and Lincoln United was the largest gap in league places between two teams in the FA Cup until Marine and Tottenham Hotspur during the 2020-21 FA Cup.

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Blackpool 2–1 Grimsby Town
2 Chester City 1–0 Guiseley
3 Darlington 2–1 Chesterfield
4 AFC Bournemouth 3–1 Bromsgrove Rovers
5 Barnet 5–0 Tiverton Town
6 Burnley 1–1 Doncaster Rovers
Replay Doncaster Rovers 1–3 Burnley
7 Bury 0–1 Bradford City
8 Yeovil Town 1–1 Walsall
Replay Walsall 0–1 Yeovil Town
9 West Bromwich Albion 6–0 Marlow
10 Scarborough 0–2 Wigan Athletic
11 Wrexham 5–2 Winsford United
12 Tranmere Rovers 3–0 Runcorn
13 Stockport County 3–1 Lincoln City
14 Windsor & Eton 2–4 Woking
15 Kidderminster Harriers 0–1 Aylesbury United
16 Fulham 0–2 Hayes
17 Brentford 3–3 Gillingham
Replay Gillingham 1–3 Brentford
18 Maidstone United 1–0 Sutton United
19 Carlisle United 1–1 Crewe Alexandra
Replay Crewe Alexandra 5–3 Carlisle United
20 Witton Albion 1–1 Halifax Town
Replay Halifax Town 1–2 Witton Albion
21 Scunthorpe United 1–1 Rotherham United
Replay Rotherham United 3–3 Scunthorpe United
Rotherham United won 7–6 on penalties
22 Huddersfield Town 7–0 Lincoln United
23 Mansfield Town 0–1 Preston North End
24 Halesowen Town 2–2 Farnborough Town
Replay Farnborough Town 4–0 Halesowen Town
25 Morecambe 0–1 Hull City
26 Torquay United 3–0 Birmingham City
27 Kettering Town 1–1 Wycombe Wanderers
Replay Wycombe Wanderers 0–2 Kettering Town
28 Stoke City 0–0 Telford United
Replay Telford United 2–1 Stoke City
29 Aldershot 0–1 Enfield
30 Peterborough United 7–0 Harlow Town
31 Colchester United 0–0 Exeter City
Replay Exeter City 0–0 Colchester United
Exeter City won 4–2 on penalties
32 Leyton Orient 2–1 Welling United
33 Slough Town 3–3 Reading
Replay Reading 2–1 Slough Town
34 Crawley Town 4–2 Northampton Town
35 Bridlington Town 1–2 York City
36 Swansea City 2–1 Cardiff City
37 Emley 0–3 Bolton Wanderers
38 Hartlepool United 3–2 Shrewsbury Town
39 Gretna 0–0 Rochdale
Replay Rochdale 3–1 Gretna
40 Atherstone United 0–0 Hereford United
Replay Hereford United 3–0 Atherstone United

Second round proper

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The second round matches were played on the weekend between 7–9 December 1991, with replays played midweek on 17 December.

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Enfield 1–4 Barnet
2 Blackpool 0–1 Hull City
3 Darlington 1–2 Hartlepool United
4 AFC Bournemouth 2–1 Brentford
5 Burnley 2–0 Rotherham United
6 Preston North End 5–1 Witton Albion
7 Rochdale 1–2 Huddersfield Town
8 Woking 3–0 Yeovil Town
9 Bolton Wanderers 3–1 Bradford City
10 Crewe Alexandra 2–0 Chester City
11 Wrexham 1–0 Telford United
12 Aylesbury United 2–3 Hereford United
13 Maidstone United 1–2 Kettering Town
14 Exeter City 0–0 Swansea City
Replay Swansea City 1–2 Exeter City
15 Torquay United 1–1 Farnborough Town
Replay Farnborough Town 4–3 Torquay United
16 York City 1–1 Tranmere Rovers
Replay Tranmere Rovers 2–1 York City
17 Hayes 0–2 Crawley Town
18 Wigan Athletic 2–0 Stockport County
19 Peterborough United 0–0 Reading
Replay Reading 1–0 Peterborough United
20 Leyton Orient 2–1 West Bromwich Albion

Third round proper

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Teams from the Football League First and Second Division (except Grimsby Town and Tranmere Rovers) entered in this round. The third round matches were played on the weekend between 4 and 6 January 1992, with replays played midweek between 14 and 15 January. However, the Newcastle United–AFC Bournemouth match was replayed on 22 January, while the Derby County–Burnley match was replayed on 25 January.

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 AFC Bournemouth 0–0 Newcastle United
Replay Newcastle United 2–2 AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth won 4–3 on penalties
2 Bristol City 1–1 Wimbledon
Replay Wimbledon 0–1 Bristol City
3 Burnley 2–2 Derby County
Replay Derby County 2–0 Burnley
4 Preston North End 0–2 Sheffield Wednesday
5 Southampton 2–0 Queens Park Rangers
6 Woking 0–0 Hereford United
Replay Hereford United 2–1 Woking
7 Leicester City 1–0 Crystal Palace
8 Notts County 2–0 Wigan Athletic
9 Nottingham Forest 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
10 Blackburn Rovers 4–1 Kettering Town
11 Aston Villa 0–0 Tottenham Hotspur
Replay Tottenham Hotspur 0–1 Aston Villa
12 Bolton Wanderers 2–0 Reading
13 Crewe Alexandra 0–4 Liverpool
14 Middlesbrough 2–1 Manchester City
15 Sunderland 3–0 Port Vale
16 Everton 1–0 Southend United
17 Swindon Town 3–2 Watford
18 Wrexham 2–1 Arsenal
19 Sheffield United 4–0 Luton Town
20 Ipswich Town 1–1 Hartlepool United
Replay Hartlepool United 0–2 Ipswich Town
21 Bristol Rovers 5–0 Plymouth Argyle
22 Coventry City 1–1 Cambridge United
Replay Cambridge United 1–0 Coventry City
23 West Ham United 1–1 Farnborough Town
Replay West Ham United 1–0 Farnborough Town
24 Brighton & Hove Albion 5–0 Crawley Town
25 Norwich City 1–0 Barnsley
26 Hull City 0–2 Chelsea
27 Oldham Athletic 1–1 Leyton Orient
Replay Leyton Orient 4–2 Oldham Athletic
28 Exeter City 1–2 Portsmouth
29 Huddersfield Town 0–4 Millwall
30 Charlton Athletic 3–1 Barnet
31 Leeds United 0–1 Manchester United
32 Oxford United 3–1 Tranmere Rovers

Fourth round proper

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The fourth round matches were played on the weekend between 25 and 27 January 1992, with replays played midweek between 4–5 February. However, the Bristol Rovers-Liverpool match was played on 5 February, and replayed on 11 February.

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Southampton 0–0 Manchester United
Replay Manchester United 2–2 Southampton
Southampton won 4–2 on penalties
2 Leicester City 1–2 Bristol City
3 Notts County 2–1 Blackburn Rovers
4 Nottingham Forest 2–0 Hereford United
5 Sheffield Wednesday 1–2 Middlesbrough
6 Bolton Wanderers 2–1 Brighton & Hove Albion
7 Derby County 3–4 Aston Villa
8 Ipswich Town 3–0 AFC Bournemouth
9 Bristol Rovers 1–1 Liverpool
Replay Liverpool 2–1 Bristol Rovers
10 Portsmouth 2–0 Leyton Orient
11 West Ham United 2–2 Wrexham
Replay Wrexham 0–1 West Ham United
12 Norwich City 2–1 Millwall
13 Chelsea 1–0 Everton
14 Charlton Athletic 0–0 Sheffield United
Replay Sheffield United 3–1 Charlton Athletic
15 Cambridge United 0–3 Swindon Town
16 Oxford United 2–3 Sunderland

Fifth round proper

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The fifth round matches were played on the weekend between 15 and 16 February 1992, with replays played midweek on 26 February.

Tie no Home team Score Away team
1 Nottingham Forest 4–1 Bristol City
2 Bolton Wanderers 2–2 Southampton
Replay Southampton 3–2 Bolton Wanderers
3 Sunderland 1–1 West Ham United
Replay West Ham United 2–3 Sunderland
4 Swindon Town 1–2 Aston Villa
5 Ipswich Town 0–0 Liverpool
Replay Liverpool 3–2 Ipswich Town
6 Portsmouth 1–1 Middlesbrough
Replay Middlesbrough 2–4 Portsmouth
7 Norwich City 3–0 Notts County
8 Chelsea 1–0 Sheffield United

Sixth round proper

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The sixth round matches were played on the weekend beginning 7–8 March 1992, with replays being played on 18 March.

Liverpool began to compensate for a sub-standard league season by eliminating Aston Villa and booking themselves a seemingly easy semi-final tie with a Portsmouth side who defeated League Cup finalists Nottingham Forest and ending their hopes of a unique FA Cup/League Cup double.

Norwich City reached the semi-finals for the second time in four seasons after beating Southampton in a replay.

Sunderland joined fellow Second Division side Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-finals thanks to a 2–1 replay win over Chelsea after a 1–1 draw.

Portsmouth1–0Nottingham Forest
McLoughlin 2'
Referee: Stephen Lodge
Liverpool1–0Aston Villa
Thomas 67' [1]
Attendance: 29,109
Referee: Philip Don
Chelsea1–1Sunderland
Allen 37' Byrne 82'
Attendance: 33,948
Referee: Terry Holbrook

Replays

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Sunderland2–1Chelsea
Davenport 20'
Armstrong 88'
Wise 86'
Attendance: 26,039
Referee: Terry Holbrook

Semi-finals

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The semi-finals were played on 5 April 1992. It was the first time that Hillsborough was used as a semi-final venue since the Hillsborough Disaster at a previous FA Cup semi-final in 1989. This time it was Second Division Sunderland and First Division Norwich City who were competing for a place in the final. Sunderland went through with John Byrne scoring the only goal of the game to take the Wearsiders to their first cup final since 1973.

Portsmouth held Liverpool to a 1–1 draw in the other semi-final at Highbury, with the replay being held at Villa Park, which went to penalties after a goalless draw. Liverpool emerged as victors in the shootout to reach the FA Cup final for the fourth time in seven seasons.

Liverpool1–1
(a.e.t)
Portsmouth
Whelan 116' Report Anderton 111'
Attendance: 41,869
Norwich City0–1Sunderland
Byrne 34'
Attendance: 40,102
Referee: Neil Midgley (Bolton)

Replay

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Portsmouth0–0
(a.e.t)
Liverpool
Report
Attendance: 40,077

Liverpool won 3–1 on penalties

Final

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Liverpool won the FA Cup for the fifth time with a 2–0 victory to compensate for their worst league season (sixth place) for more than 20 years. Ian Rush scored his fifth goal in FA Cup Finals, a record.

Liverpool2–0Sunderland
Thomas 47'
Rush 68'
Attendance: 79,544
Liverpool
Sunderland

Media coverage

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For the fourth consecutive season in the United Kingdom, the BBC was the free to air broadcaster. For the first full season following its absorption of BSB's Sports Channel, Sky Sports was the subscription broadcaster.

The live matches on the BBC were:

Leeds United 0-1 Manchester United (R3)

Chelsea 1-0 Everton (R4)

Swindon Town 1-2 Aston Villa (R5)

Liverpool 1-0 Aston Villa (QF)

Liverpool 1-1 Portsmouth (SF)

Norwich City 0-1 Sunderland (SF)

Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland (Final)


The live matches on Sky Sports were:

Mansfield Town 0-0 Preston North End (R1)

Brentford 3-3 Gillingham (R1)

Mansfield Town 0-1 Preston North End (R1 Replay)

York City 1-1 Tranmere Rovers (R2)

Leyton Orient 2-1 West Bromwich Albion (R2)

Farnborough Town 4-3 Torquay United (R2 Replay)

Crewe Alexandra 0-4 Liverpool (R3)

Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Aston Villa (R3 Replay)

Southampton 0-0 Manchester United (R4)

Wrexham 0-1 West Ham United (R4 Replay)

Ipswich Town 0-0 Liverpool (R5)

Liverpool 3-2 Ipswich Town (R5 Replay)

Chelsea 1-1 Sunderland (QF)

Sunderland 2-1 Chelsea (QF Replay)

Portsmouth 0-0 Liverpool (SF Replay)

The first round match between Mansfield Town and Preston North End was abandoned after 32 minutes due to heavy fog. The game was replayed 11 days later and it was shown live on Sky Sports as planned after they previously showed the abandoned match.

The third round match between Leeds United and Manchester United was postponed and shown live on the Wednesday evening initially intended for replays. On the original day, the BBC showed instead extended coverage of Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur which had been played earlier in the day.

References

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