1899 FA Cup Final Score: Sheffield United 4 Derby County 1
Venue: Crystal Palace, London
Date: Saturday 15th April 1899
Scorers: Sheffield United – Walter Bennett, Billy Beer, Jack Almond, Fred Priest. Derby County – John Boag.
Sheffield United Team: Willie Foulke, Harry Thickett, Peter Boyle, Harry Johnson, Tom Morren, Ernest Needham, Walter Bennett, Billy Beer, George Hedley, Jack Almond, Fred Priest.
Derby County Team: Jack Fryer, Jimmy Methven, Jonathon Staley, John Cox, Robert Paterson, Johnny May, Tommy Arkesden, Steve Bloomer, John Boag, Billy McDonald, Harry Allen.
Referee: Aaron Scragg
Attendance: 73,833
1899 FA Cup Final Match Report
After four tremendous semi-final matches with Liverpool Football Club, which included a 4—4 draw in the first replay, Sheffield United had fought their way to the 1899 FA Cup Final for the first time in their history.
Their opponents were Derby County, and its prospects being a case of first-time lucky for Sheffield, didn’t look bright at half-time. Center-forward John Boag had given Derby a first-half lead, and there should have been other goals. The England international Steve Bloomer, in particular, was guilty of missing some good chances.
Sheffield United always showed themselves as dangerous FA Cup fighters, and they came back with a vengeance in the second half, storming their way to a 4—1 victory with goals from Walter Bennett, Billy Beer, Jack Almond, and Fred Priest. Derby County could find no answer to that.
The quality of the football in an excellent Final was always high, and the most exciting feature was the duel between Ernest ‘Nudger’ Needham, Sheffield’s left-half, and Derby’s free-scoring inside-right Steve Bloomer. Needham was the clear winner of that particular argument by his hard tackling and never-say-die attitude.
Sheffield United, in the end, deserved their victory, not only for their fantastic second-half rally but also because they had had such a difficult path to the 1899 FA Cup Final.
1899 FA Cup Round By Round
First Round
Everton v Jarrow 3-1; Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa 2-1; SHEFFIELD UNITED v Burnley 2-2, 2-1; Preston North End v Grimsby Town 7-0; WBA v South Shore 8-0; Heanor Town v Bury 0-3; Liverpool v Blackburn Rovers 2-0; Glossop v Newcastle United 0-1; Notts County v Kettering 2-0; New Brompton v Southampton 0-1; Woolwich Arsenal v DERBY COUNTY 0-6; Bolton Wanderers v Wolves 0-0, 0-1; Small Heath v Manchester City 3-2; Stoke v Sheffield Wednesday 2-2, 2-0; Newton Heath v Spurs 1 -1, 3-5; Bristol City v Sunderland 2-4
Second Round
Everton v Nott’m Forest 0-1; SHEFFIELD UNITED v PNE 2-2, 2-1; WBA v Bury 2-1; Liverpool v Newcastle Utd 3-1; Notts Co v Southampton 0-1; DERBY COUNTY v Wolves 2-1; Small Heath v Stoke 2-2, 1 -2; Spurs v Sunderland 2-1
Third Round
Nott’m Forest v SHEFFIELD UNITED 0-1; WBA v Liverpool 0-2; Southampton v DERBY COUNTY 1 -2; Stoke v Spurs 4-1
Semi-Finals
SHEFFIELD UNITED v Liverpool 2-2, 4-4, 0-0, 1-0; DERBY COUNTY v Stoke 3-1
