THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Ever since its formation in 1863, the Football Association has shown a talent for organization. In 1905 it turned itself into a limited liability company, although no dividends may be paid to the shareholders nor may the directors be paid for their services, and has managed its affairs with an ability which would have done credit to any great company.
In its early days the Association was not without its struggles against adversity. Its rules were not generally adopted, and the newly formed Scottish Association would not allow the claim of the Football Association to be the lawmakers, and the Irish and Welsh associations insisted on certain rules of their own. Finally the Football Association, anxious to put the game on a perfectly sound basis, suggested that an International Board should be elected, consisting of two representatives each from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. This proposal was adopted in 1882, and there has been complete peace since then. After the legal ization of professionalism, the Football Association settled down to its task of reorganizing the game, rendered necessary by the admission of professionals, and since then it has had no trouble except a few disagreements with the professional leagues, which were always increasing in power. Until i886 Mr. C. W. Alcock was honorary secretary of the Football Association, and he was then made secretary. He retained the office until he retired in 1895, when he was succeeded by Mr. F. J. Wall, who had been honorary secretary of the Middlesex Association.
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 Associa tion cup, the Wanderers were the winners, and there were only 15 entries. Until the 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 South ern 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 the 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 Wem bley 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 ordinary matches. Often the cup has been won by a team which in league games could make no head way at all, but by sheer rush and boldness could force itself through the numerous, preliminary and grimly-fought rounds of the cup competition.
Up to 1937 the cup has been won six times by Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers, five times by Wan derers (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, Tot tenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal 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 Sunderland. Amateur clubs won the cup between 1872 and 1885, since when the winners have been professional clubs.
