The FA Cup got under way on 21st January with Everton being drawn at home to West Bromwich Albion and after a 4-1 victory the Blues they were given another home tie, this time against Nottingham Forest. Goals from Milward (2), E. Chadwick and Geary saw Everton eaily through to the next round with a 4-2 win. Yet another home game was awarded to Everton in the quarter finals with Sheffield Wednesday being the visitors, and goals from E. Chadwick Geary and Maxwell saw the Goodison outfit comfortably through to the semi final.
Opponents in the penultimate game of the competition were the mighty Preston North End who, during the four seasons of the league football, had not finished outside of the top two, and had done the double in 1888-89. The initial game was played at Bramhall Lane, Sheffield on 4th March and goals from E. Chadwick and Gordon ensured that Everton earned a 2-2 draw. The replay took place 12 days later at the Blackburn Rovers ground, Ewood Park, and ended in stalemate with neither side being able to break the deadlock. The third game of the protracted semi final took place at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, and took place just five days before the final itself and Everton finally managed progress to their first ever cup final thanks to goals from Gordon and Maxwell
Everton's opponents in the 1893 FA Cup Final were Wolverhampton Wanderers with the game taking place at the Manchester Athletic Club's ground at Fallowfield, it had been originally scheduled to be played at Kennington Oval, but the poor state of the pitch meant that the game had to be moved. A crowd of around 50,000, paying £2,559, crammed into a ground whose previous record attendance was half of that amount and consequently several barriers broke, spilling spectators onto the pitch. Many people were injured, some quite seriously but the game managed to kick off at the scheduled time of 3.30 pm. The teams representing their clubs on the day were:
Everton: Williams, Howarth, Kelso, Stewart, Holt, Boyle, Latta, Gordon, Maxwell, Chadwick, Milward.
Wolves: Rose; Baugh, Swift; Malpass, Allen, Kinsey; R. Topham, Wykes, Butcher, Wood, Griffin.
Referee: C. J. Hughes
Everton went into the final as firm favorites not only because they had beaten the fancied Preston on their way to the final but they had also beaten Wolverhampton twice in the league during the season. The second of these victories had come just a week before the final when Everton had sent a side comprising of eight reserves to face Wolves at Molineux and came home with a 4-2 win.
When the match got under way Everton had an early goal disallowed but had problems breaking down Wolverhampton's resistance from then on. Wolves' bustling tactics threw Everton completely out of their stride, the latter's close passing game proving totally ineffective. The match was won by a single, if fortuitous, Wolves goal when their captain Harry Allen fired a speculative shot towards the Everton goal and Williams, blinded by the sun, let the ball bounce into the goal. Inevitably Everton fought back but it was all in vain and the Wolverhampton defence held out valiantly.
At the time of the game 'Funeral Cards' were popular and of course Everton were not left out and several versions were sold at the end of the game. One recorded:
In memoriam of Everton Football Team, who departed from the Cup Competition through a severe attack of Wolves, and whose hopes were interred at the Football Cemetery, the same day.
Three verses followed
They came in all their glory, From that noted Toffy Town, To fight the famous 'Wolves', A team of English renown.The 'Toffys' came on boldly, Their victory for to seek, But now they go home gravely, O'er their troubles for to weep. Farewell, farewell, dear ols Everton, No more for the Pot you will dribble, You have lost it to-day through difficult play, And we'll shout farewell for ever and ever.
Two images of the 1892-93 FA Cup final between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves winning 1-0. The photographs above show the vast crowd that turned up to watch the game.
