The Road to Wembley

[Donnywolf]

They didn't enter because they were playing to become world club champions

That hasn't stopped other clubs entering the FA Cup in similar circumstances?

True including "them" in 2008 who managed to win the World Club but not the FA Cup

[silent majority]

They didn't enter because they were playing to become world club champions

That hasn't stopped other clubs entering the FA Cup in similar circumstances?

They came under a lot of pressure from the FA to represent English football in the World Club tournament and that was the deal they came up with.

[idler]

They didn't enter because they were playing to become world club champions

So they opted out of a competition that had run since 1972 to enter one that never really got off the ground.
They couldn't win that but I'm sure that the break helped them win the league that season.

[Donnywolf]

I know you know and you only did a typo but its 1872 of course

[IDM]

They didn't enter because they were playing to become world club champions

That hasn't stopped other clubs entering the FA Cup in similar circumstances?

They came under a lot of pressure from the FA to represent English football in the World Club tournament and that was the deal they came up with.

I can't remember but at what point was the world club tournament staged?  Manchester Utd could quite easily have fielded a reserve team (if they were permitted to) in the FA cup and then used their first team squad in later rounds?

[RoversAlias]

Wasn't it the first ever tournament? I seem to remember matches against the likes of Necaxa and Vasco de Gama being screened live on terrestrial tv, it was meant to be a big deal and something to equate to the World Cup but for clubs, it just never turned out that way. I actually think fielding a reserve team in Round 3 would've been more disrespectful to the FA Cup than withdrawing altogether.

[Dutch Uncle]

Do people realise there is another football league club which withdrew from the FA Cup well before MU, and because of potential fixture congestion? That club - Doncaster Rovers in 1923-24. We were expecting to play in the Midland League in season 1923-24 and were drawn at Home to Fryston Colliery in an FA Cup preliminary round. However at the last moment we were invited to play in the Football League Division 3 North when its size was increased to 22 clubs. Rovers may have felt that as a League club they should no longer have to play a preliminary match, but the reason from withdrawing from the competition was disruption of fixtures. 

DRFC Trendsetters!

[The Red Baron]

I believe AFC Bournemouth, or Boscombe Athletic as they were then known, did the same.

[Dutch Uncle]

I believe AFC Bournemouth, or Boscombe Athletic as they were then known, did the same.

Just looked that up TRB - I hadn't realised. It was the same season as well - 1923-24 their first season as a league club in Div 3 South - so presumably they scratched for the same reason as Rovers. They were drawn against Portsea in a Preliminary round. Interestingly New Brighton, who were elected to Div3 N at the same time as Rovers, did play in the FA Cup, but their first match was a round later.

[Bentley Bullet]

Congratulations mrfrostsdad. You reached the road to Wembley, and WON!

[mrfrostsdad]

Congratulations mrfrostsdad. You reached the road to Wembley, and WON!

And I got the score correct in the final!!! 😇😄

[mrfrostsdad]

Well well!!

I'll go for Man United. 2-1 😃

[rich1471]

Congratulations mrfrostsdad. You reached the road to Wembley, and WON!

And I got the score correct in the final!!! 😇😄

This has to be the only time I have seen Mr Frost dad post a comment without t been a moan how long can this last

[Sammy Chung was King]

Well done MrFrostsDad

[mrfrostsdad]

Congratulations mrfrostsdad. You reached the road to Wembley, and WON!

And I got the score correct in the final!!! 😇😄

This has to be the only time I have seen Mr Frost dad post a comment without t been a moan how long can this last

I could moan that the useless kitsons only won 2-1 after extra time and not in the 90 minutes 😂⚽️😄

[Bentley Bullet]

Makes no difference mate, you got to Wembley AND predicted the winning team AND the final score!