1899 FA Cup Final: Sheffield United 4 Defeats Derby County 1

1899 FA Cup Final Score: Sheffield United 4 Derby County 1

Match Venue: Crystal Palace, London

Date: Saturday 15th April 1899

Sheffield United Scorers: Walter Bennett, Billy Beer, Jack Almond, and Fred Priest. Derby County Scorer: 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, and 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 semi-final, Sheffield United had fought their way to the 1899 FA Cup Final for the first time in their history. In order to settle the semi-final tie, three replays were necessary.

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. In particular, the England international Steve Bloomer was guilty of missing some good chances.

Derby’s quick thinking and record goalscoring forward Steve Bloomer kept the Yorkshire defenders on their toes throughout the final. He never played in a winning Football Association Challenge Cup team as he lost three finals and four semi-finals during his career.

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 Captain

As captain of Sheffield United, Ernest Needham played sixteen international football matches for England. During his time at Sheffield United from 1891 to 1910, he was an outstanding left-half who gave defenders plenty of problems.

During the 1892–93 promotion campaign, he played an important role and led the team from 1895 to 1905. As United’s captain, he won the First Division of the Football League in 1898 and the FA Cup in 1899 and 1902.

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. The 73,833 spectators left the Crystal Palace venue happy after watching two northern teams battle it out to the last minute of the 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