1894 FA Cup final

Route to the final

Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers, a First Division club, began their 1893–94 FA Cup campaign with a first round tie away at Small Heath of the Second Division. Small Heath led 2–0 at half time, but Bolton had equalised within six minutes of the start of the second half. Small Heath then took a 3–2 lead, but Bolton ultimately prevailed 4–3, equalising through an own goal before Jim Wilson scored the winner. Bolton were drawn against another Second Division club, Newcastle United, in the second round, and were required to travel to Newcastle upon Tyne despite lodging a protest that the ground was unfit to host an FA Cup tie. Di Jones and Jimmy Turner of Bolton each scored within two minutes of each other, and the away team led 2–0 at half time. Newcastle would have two goals disallowed for offside during the second half, but a third was allowed with about 10 minutes remaining. There was no further scoring, and Bolton won 2–1.

Bolton were drawn at home against Liverpool of the Second Division in the third round. Here, Bolton were drawn to play fellow First Division side The Wednesday, with the tie being played at the neutral ground of Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester.

Notts County

Notts County, a Second Division club, also entered the FA Cup in the first round, where they were drawn to play a home tie against the First Division side Burnley. In the second round, Notts were drawn to play an away match against Burton Wanderers of the Midland Football League. Notts led 2–0 at half time through a goal from Sam Donnelly and a penalty from Logan. Burton Wanderers pulled a goal back in the second half, but struck the post twice and were unable to find an equaliser, Notts County winning the tie 2–1.

In the third round, Notts County were drawn to play a Nottingham derby at First Division neighbours Nottingham Forest. Tom McInnes gave Forest a 1–0 lead in the first half, but Notts quickly equalised through Dan Bruce. There was no further scoring despite extra time being played, making a replay necessary. Notts County were ahead through Logan within three minutes of the start of the replay, and they led 3–0 at half time following further goals from Donnelly and Bruce. Donnelly gained his second goal of the game during the second half to put his side 4–0 up, before McInnes scored for Forest, and Notts won the replay 4–1. Notts County faced Blackburn Rovers in the semi-final, played at the neutral ground of Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Harry Daft gave Notts a 1–0 lead, after which their goal came under significant pressure as their First Division opponents sought an equaliser. During the second half, Harry Chippendale headed a chance against the crossbar for Blackburn, and his team forced eleven corners altogether, but Notts held firm to win the match 1–0 and progress to their second FA Cup final.

Pre-match

On the Monday before the final, Notts County played a United Counties League match with Derby County, and Notts County's directors opted against fielding its first team; a "curious eleven" deputised in its place. Instead, the first team spent the week training at West Kirby at the ground of West Kirby Football Club, and was well rested and without injury. except for a First Division match, coincidentally against Everton at Goodison Park, played on the Monday before the final. Alex Paton and Jimmy Turner were reported as doubts to start the final due to injury, with both men receiving specialist care in Manchester in an effort to have them available. Turner, however, was forced to withdraw from the team on the day of the game, Harry Gardiner replacing him.

Notts County were making their second appearance in the FA Cup final, having previously lost to Blackburn Rovers in 1891. Meanwhile, Bolton were playing in the final for the first time in their history. Bolton Wanderers and Notts County had previously met in the FA Cup in the 1883–84 season, with Notts winning 2–1 at Pike's Lane in a replay following a 2–2 draw at Trent Bridge. Bolton began the week before the final as the strong favourite to win, but opinion became more evenly divided as the week progressed. Bolton entered the match while third from bottom in the First Division, while Notts County were third in the Second Division. The progress of two unfancied teams to the final attracted some comment: "Never, perhaps, in the history of the game have two outsiders like Notts County and Bolton Wanderers reached the last stage of the competition", as The Sketch put it. "It is difficult to explain why two second-rate clubs should have come to the top in the manner they have done", they continued.

Match

Summary

Soon afterwards, Jack Hendry of Notts appeared to trip an opponent within the penalty area, but appeals for a penalty kick were ignored, and Notts instead broke, with Bruce going clean through and narrowly putting his shot wide. At the other end, Joe Dickenson of Bolton sent the ball over the bar "with the goal at his mercy", before Logan had the first of a series of chances for Notts. He put the first two shots wide, the second being close enough that many spectators thought he had scored, before beating Sutcliffe with his third and scoring with a hard shot. Some in the crowd "half anticipated the point being disallowed for off-side", but the goal was awarded, and Notts led 2–0 at about the half hour point. Notts pressed continuously through the remainder of the half; Daft put a shot over, was caught off-side shortly thereafter, and then barely a minute later had another chance eventually cleared by Sutcliffe. Watson had two chances to score his second goal of the match, while Donnelly and Bruce also came close, the latter being denied by good defending from Paton. Bolton finished the half on the attack, but Calderhead cleared for Notts, and the half-time whistle went shortly thereafter with the Second Division side leading 2–0.

Logan kicked off the second half for Notts after a break of about eight minutes. Bolton had the first chance of the half, with Bentley striking the post and Hendry clearing the rebound. Another chance for Bolton followed shortly after, Logan was soon on the attack again, put through by Daft, and hit the ball straight at Sutcliffe. Such was the force of the shot, Sutcliffe was unable to gather it, and the ball instead fell to his feet. Logan dashed in to beat Sutcliffe to the loose ball and fired it into the goal to score his second of the match and give his side a 3–0 lead.

Archie Hughes had Bolton's next opportunity with a free kick after Shelton had fouled Bentley. However, Hughes sent his effort well over the bar. Notts were immediately back on the attack, and Daft once again centred a pass to Logan, who completed his hat-trick and put his side 4–0 up. The Notts attack continued to make chances, with Daft shooting wide and Watson forcing a corner from which Bramley headed over. Notts forced two further corners, before Sutcliffe was forced to fist the ball clear after Daft was able to send the ball well into the goal area. In their next attack, Watson made a pass to Logan at centre, who was denied a fourth goal of the game by a fine save from Sutcliffe. In the final moments of the match, Bentley had a shot for Bolton. The Notts goalkeeper George Toone fell with the ball loose, allowing Cassidy to fire into an empty net and register Bolton's only goal. The final whistle went shortly afterwards, and Notts County won the FA Cup with a 4–1 victory. The cup was presented to the team about half an hour after the match's conclusion.

Details

Logan

|}

Post-match and legacy

The Birmingham Gazette dubbed the final "Logan's final" on account of his hat-trick, but also praised his teammates. "All the Notts forwards played well", it said. "Watson on the outside developed extraordinary talent, and the whole bunch were finely supported by the halves, Calderhead and Shelton especially. The backs, too, were in good form, whilst Toone... never kept goal better." The Bolton Daily Chronicle lamented the failure of Bolton's half-backs: "They failed utterly and completely", it said, "and because they failed here there was not a single part of the team who could play well." Paton, it felt, had not recovered from his injury, and should not have played. Bolton's season ultimately ended with them 13th in the First Division, enough to avoid relegation. Notts County ended the season 3rd in the Second Division, but lost a "test match" with Preston North End, and so were not promoted. To conclude their season, Notts County played Rangers, the winners of the 1893–94 Scottish Cup, in what the Scottish Referee described as a "championship match". Rangers won 3–1, with Logan scoring for Notts.

Notts County became the first Second Division club to win the FA Cup, and today they are one of only eight clubs to win the FA Cup while playing outside of the highest level of the English football league system. It is Notts County's only triumph in the competition, and they have not returned to the final since. Bolton Wanderers would also lose in their next final appearance, to Manchester City in 1904, before winning the competition for the first time in 1923, beating West Ham United in the first final at Wembley Stadium. Further triumphs followed for Bolton in 1926, 1929 and 1958. coincidentally also against Bolton.

Two years after the final, Logan was playing for Loughborough. His team mislaid its kits on the way to a game against Newton Heath, and was consequently forced to play the match in the same clothes they had travelled in. It rained, and the Loughborough players returned home without a fresh change of clothes. Soon afterwards, Logan developed pneumonia, and he died aged 25. He was buried in a pauper's grave in Loughborough that for many years remained unmarked. Logan's gravesite was eventually located by Notts County supporters, who erected a headstone for him in 2016 following a fundraising campaign.

References

General

Specific

References

1. "England FA Challenge Cup 1893–94".
2. (29 January 1894). ""The Third Time Pays for All": Bolton Wanderers at Small Heath". Athletic News.
3. (10 February 1894). "Newcastle United v. Bolton Wanderers". Football News.
4. (24 February 1894). "Bolton Wanderers v. Liverpool". Football News.
5. (10 February 1894). "Burton Wanderers v. Notts County". Football News.
6. (24 February 1894). "Notts Forest v. Notts". Nottingham Evening Post.
7. (3 March 1894). "Notts v. Notts Forest". Nottingham Evening Post.
8. (10 March 1894). "This Day's Football – Association Challenge Cup – Notts v. Blackburn Rovers – Brilliant Victory for Notts". Nottingham Evening Post.
9. (16 March 1894). "The Association Cup". St James's Gazette.
10. (19 March 1894). "Notts. and The Final Tie". Nottingham Evening Post.
11. (16 March 1894). "Football Fancies". Sheffield Evening Telegraph.
12. (29 March 1894). "Sports and Pastimes". Nottingham Evening Post.
13. (31 March 1894). "Holyoke and West Kirby Notes". Birkenhead News.
14. (29 March 1894). "Bolton Wanderers and the English Cup". Bolton Daily Chronicle.
15. (27 March 1894). "Football". Bolton Daily Chronicle.
16. (30 March 1894). "Teams for To-morrow's Matches". Lancashire Evening Post.
17. (31 March 1894). "Scene on the Ground". Football News.
18. (31 March 1894). "Football Association Challenge Cup". Nottingham Evening Post.
19. (31 March 1894). "The First Meeting of Notts and the Wanderers". Football News (Nottingham).
20. (30 March 1894). "To-morrow's Football". Echo (London).
21. (28 March 1894). "The World of Sport". The Sketch.
22. (31 March 1894). "Notes on the Game". Football News.
23. (31 March 1894). "The Game". Football News.
24. (31 March 1894). "Epitome of the Game". Nottingham Evening Post.
25. (2 April 1894). "The Winners of the Cup". Nottingham Evening Post.
26. (2 April 1894). "The Great Cup Tie". Nottingham Evening Post.
27. (2 April 1894). "Notes on Saturday's Football". Bolton Daily Chronicle.
28. "England 1893–94".
29. (4 May 1894). "English v. Scotch Cupholders". Scottish Referee.
30. "Minnows in Cup Finals".
31. "England FA Challenge Cup Finals".
32. Dawkes, Phil. "The White Horse Final: 100 years on".
33. Evens, Chris. (1 November 2024). "How FA Cup final hat-trick hero finally got a headstone". BBC Sport.
34. (10 May 2001). "1953 - The Matthews final". BBC Sport.
35. (25 July 2019). "Notts County 1894 FA Cup winner's medal up for auction". BBC News.