1927 FA Cup Final Score: Cardiff City Defeated Arsenal 1-0
Date: Saturday, 23 April 1927
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Referee: WF Bunnell (Preston)
Attendance: 91,206
Teams:
Cardiff City: Tom Farquharson, Jimmy Nelson, Tom Watson, Fred Keenor, Tom Sloan, Billy Hardy, Ernie Curtis, Sam Irving, Hughie Ferguson, Len Davies, George McLachlan
Cardiff City Goal Scorer: Hugie Ferguson 74
Arsenal: Dan Lewis, Tom Parker, Andy Kennedy Alf Baker, Jack Butler, Bob John, Joe Hulme, Charles Buchan, Jimmy Brain, Billy Blyth, Syd Hoar
The Cardiff Vs Arsenal Final
Cardiff’s fans were transported to Wembley by additional trains during the 1927 FA Cup final, while police reinforcements were deployed to discourage fake ticket buyers.
A performance of “Abide with Me” was held before the match; it has since become a tradition to sing this song before the match. In addition, British broadcaster BBC broadcasted the final live for the first time on the radio.
The number of applications for tickets exceeded 300,000, and the number of attendees at the final was 91,206.
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During the first half, there was an incident in the crowd when around 400 spectators outside the stadium rushed a gate guarded by four police officers. As the crowd approached the turnstiles, reinforcements arrived and managed to push them back.
Arsenal, under the magic touch of Herbert Chapman, was captained by the famous Charles Buchan and had other star players in Hulme, Parker, and John.
With practically the same defense as the 1925 FA Cup Final but now with a new forward line, Cardiff City was at the peak of its powers.
For Arsenal, however, only Buchan lived up to his reputation, setting up at least three clear chances for his colleagues. The Welsh supporters massed on the Wembley banks needed more to sing about, with both defenses well in command and play for the most part incoherent. Then, out of the blue, the decisive goal came in the seventy-third minute.
The Only Goal
Following a Cardiff throw-in, Ferguson tried a hurried shot at goal before he could be tackled. His drive was a hard one, low and diagonal, but Lewis, Arsenal’s Welsh international goalkeeper, appeared to have it covered.
However, with Davies and Irving challenging, the ball somehow twisted on Lewis’ chest and trickled slowly over the line. The Arsenal goalkeeper Lewis attributed the goal to a greasy new jersey, allowing the ball to slip from his grasp.
After the restart of the 1927 FA Cup Final, Arsenal attempted to attack, but Brain was caught offside. In the counterattack, Cardiff City had the opportunity to score a second goal. However, striker Curtis shot himself rather than passing to Davies, who would have had an open goal as Lewis was out of position. Cardiff City won the match by a 1-0 score.
It was a classic example of the luck that can win or lose a FA Cup Final. Fred Keenor and his men went on to take the Cup, and the trophy went out of England for the first time.
Cardiff’s captain Keenor received the trophy, and both teams’ players received medals from the King. The Welshmen’s 1927 FA Cup final victory is still the only time a team outside England has carried away the famous trophy.
Cardiff’s fortunes declined, and they did not return to the FA Cup final until 2008. In 1930, Arsenal returned to the FA Cup Final when they played Huddersfield Town, winning its first major trophy by two goals to nil.
1927 FA Cup Round By Round
Semi‑Finals
CARDIFF CITY v Reading 3‑0; ARSENAL v Southampton 2‑1
Sixth Round
Chelsea v CARDIFF CITY 0‑0, 2‑3; Swansea Town v Reading 1‑2; ARSENAL v Wolves 2‑1; Millwall v Southampton 0‑0, 0‑2
Fifth Round
Chelsea v Burnley 2‑1; Bolton Wanderers v CARDIFF CITY 0‑2; South Shields v Swansea Town 2‑2,1‑2; Reading v Brentford 1‑0; ARSENAL v Liverpool 2‑0; Wolves v Hull City 1 ‑0; Millwall v Middlesbrough 3‑2; Southampton v Newcastle United 2‑1
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Fourth Round
Chelsea v Accrington Stanley 7‑2; Fulharn v Burnley 0‑4; Leeds United v Bolton Wand 0‑0, 0‑3; Darlington v CARDIFF CITY 0‑2; Sheff Wed v South Shields 1 ‑1, 0‑ 1; Barnsley v Swansea T 1‑3; Reading v Portsmouth 3‑ 1; W. Ham v Brentford 1‑1, 0‑2; Port Vale v ARSENAL 2‑2, 0‑1; Liverpool v Southport 3‑ 1; Wolves v Nott’m Forest 2‑0; Hull C v Everton 1‑1, 2‑2, 3‑2; Derby Co, v Millwall 0‑3; PNE v Middlesbro 0‑2; Southampton v Birmingham 4‑3; Corinthians v Newcastle Utd 1‑3
Third Round
Chelsea v Luton T 4‑0; Exeter C v Accrington S 0‑2; Fulharn v Chesterfield 4‑3; Burnley v Grimsby T 3‑ 1; Leeds Utd v Sunderland 3‑2; Blackpool v Bolton Wand 1‑21; Darlington v Rhyl Ath 2‑ 1; CARDIFF CITY v Aston Villa 2‑ 1; Sheff Wed v Brighton & H Alb 2‑0; South Shields v Plymouth Arg 3‑1; Barnsley v Crewe Alex 6‑ 1; Swansea T v Bury 4‑11; Reading v Man Utd 1‑ 1, 2‑2, 2‑1; Bristol R v Portsmouth 3‑3,0‑4; W. Ham v Spurs 3‑2; Oldham v Brentford 2‑2, 2‑4; Clapton Orient v Port Vale 1‑1, 1‑5; Sheff Utd v ARSENAL 2‑5; Bournemouth & Bos Ath v Liverpool 1‑1, 1‑4; Southport v Blackburn R 2‑0; Carlisle Utd v Wolves 0‑2; Ashington v Nott’m Forest 0‑2; Hull C v WBA 2‑1; Everton v Poole 3‑1; Bradford C v Derby C 2‑1; Millwall vHuddersfield T 3‑1; Lincoln C v PNE 2‑4; Middlesbro v Leicester C 5‑21; Southampton v Norwich C 3‑0; Birmingham v Man C 4‑1; Walsall v Corinthians 0‑4; Newcastle Utd v Notts Co 8‑1
Second Round
Ashington v Nelson 2‑1; Bristol C v Bournemouth & Bos Ath 1‑1, 0‑2; Bristol R v Charlton Ath 4‑1; Carlisle Utd v Bedlington Utd 4‑0; CreweAlex V Wigan Borough 4‑1; Coventry C v Lincoln C 1‑1, 1‑2; Doncaster R v Chesterfield 0‑1; Chilton Colliery v Accrington S 0‑3; Exeter C v Northampton T 1 ‑0; Gillingham v Brentford 1‑1, 0‑1; Grimsby T v York C 2‑1; Luton T v Northfleet Utd 6‑2; Norwich C v Chatham 5‑0; Nunhead v Poole 1‑2; Reading v Southend Utd 3‑2; Rhyl Ath v Wrexham 3‑1; Southport v Crook T 2‑0; Walsall v Mansfieid T 2‑0; Watford v Brighton & H Alb 0‑1
First Round
Accrington S v Rochdale 4‑3; Annfield Plain v Chilton Colliery 2‑4; Barking T v Gillingham 0‑0, 0‑2; Bishop Auckland v Bedlington Utd 1 ‑0; Boston T v Northampton T 1‑1, 1‑2; Bournemouth & Bos Ath v Swindon T 1‑1, 4‑3; Brighton & H Alb v Barnet 3‑0; Carlisle Utd v Hartlepools Utd 6‑2; Chatham v St Albans C 3‑1; Chesterfield v Mexborough 0‑0, 2‑1; Clapton v Brentford 1‑1, 3‑7; Crewe Alex v Northern Nomads 0‑0, 4‑1; Crystal Palace v Norwich C 0‑0, 0‑1; Desborough v Doncaster R 0‑3, Dulwich Hamlet v Southend Utd 1‑4; Exeter C v Aberdare Ath 3‑0; GrimsbyTv Halifax T3‑2; Kettering Tv Coventry C 2‑3; Lincoln C v Rotherham Utd 2‑0; Luton T v London Caledonians 4‑2; Merthyr T v Bristol C 0‑2; Nelson v Stockport Co 4‑ 1; Nunhead v Kingstonian 9‑0; Poole v Newport Co 1 ‑0; Reading v Weymouth 4‑4, 5‑0; Rhyl Athletic v Stoke C 1‑1, 1‑1, 2‑1; Sittingbourne v Northfleet Utd 1‑3; Southport v Tranmere R 1‑1, 2‑1; Stockton v Ashington 1‑2; Torquay Utd v Bristol R 1 ‑1, 0‑1; Watford v Lowestoft 10‑1; Walsall v Bradford PA 1 ‑0; Wellington T v Mansfield T 1‑2; Wigan Borough v Barrow 0‑0, 2‑2, 1 ‑0; Woking v Chariton Ath 1‑3; Workington v Crook T 1‑2; Wrexham v New Brighton 1‑1, 2‑2,3‑1; York C v Worksop T 1‑1, 4‑1
