1995–96 FA Cup

Calendar

Qualifying rounds

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Premier League or Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 28 places available in the first round.

The winners from the fourth qualifying round were Blyth Spartans, Spennymoor United, Marine, Telford United, Barrow, Northwich Victoria, Colwyn Bay, Witton Albion, Runcorn, Nuneaton Borough, Rushden & Diamonds, Canvey Island, Stevenage Borough, Wisbech Town, Hayes, Burton Albion, Hitchin Town, Bromsgrove Rovers, Slough Town, Kingstonian, Farnborough Town, Bognor Regis Town, Sutton United, Newport (IOW), Gravesend & Northfleet, Dorchester Town, Ashford Town (Kent) and Cinderford Town.

Rushden & Diamonds, Canvey Island, Stevenage Borough and Cinderford Town were appearing in the competition proper for the first time, although the emergence of Rushden & Diamonds sparked an interest in predecessor outfit Irthlingborough Town's unexpected Cup qualification back in 1906-07. Of the others, Colwyn Bay and Burton Albion had not featured at this stage since 1987–88 and Wisbech Town had not done so since 1965-66.

Gravesend & Northfleet completed a seven-round run through this season's tournament, defeating Godalming & Guildford, Molesey, Carshalton Athletic and Marlow to earn their place in the main draw. They then saw off Colchester United and Cinderford Town before going out to Premier League side Aston Villa at Villa Park.

First round proper

The 48 teams from the Football League Second and Third Divisions entered in this round along with the 28 non-league clubs from the qualifying rounds and Woking, Kidderminster Harriers, Altrincham and Enfield who were given byes. The round included two clubs from Step 8 of the English football pyramid: Canvey Island from the Isthmian League Second Division and Wisbech Town from the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.

The matches were played on 11 November 1995. There were ten replays, with two ties requiring a penalty shootout to settle them. Fulham's 7–0 victory over Swansea City was an FA Cup record margin of victory against a team from a higher division.

Second round proper

The second round of the competition featured the winners of the first round ties. The matches were played on 2 December 1995, with six replays and one penalty shootout required. The round featured two teams from Step 7 of English football: Bognor Regis Town from the Isthmian League First Division and Cinderford Town from the Southern League Southern Division.

Third round proper

Teams from the Premier League and the Football League First Division entered the competition in this round. The initial matches were played on the weekend of 6-7 January 1996, with fourteen ties going to replays and one of those requiring penalties to settle the result. Gravesend & Northfleet, from the Southern League Premier Division at Step 6 of English football, was the lowest-ranked team in the draw.

Fourth round proper

The fourth round ties were played with the thirty-two winners of the previous round. The matches were originally scheduled for Saturday, 27 January, although only four matches were played that weekend, and only two of these matches resulted in a victory for one side. There were seven replays but no penalty shootouts. The round included seven clubs from the Second Division (Step 3): Walsall, Crewe Alexandra, Swindon Town, Shrewsbury Town, Brentford, Oxford United and Peterborough United.

Fifth round proper

The fifth-round matches were scheduled for 17 February. There were five replays and one penalty shootout. Swindon Town was again the lowest-ranked team in the round.

Sixth round

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on the weekend of 9 and 10 March 1996. There were two replays, between Liverpool and Leeds and Wimbledon & Chelsea. These were played on 20 March 1996.

This was a rare occurrence of all eight quarter-finalists being from the top division.

date= 9 March 1996 15:00 GMT| team1= Chelsea | score= 2–2 | team2= Wimbledon | report= | goals1= M. Hughes Gullit | goals2= Earle Holdsworth | stadium= Stamford Bridge, London | attendance= 30,805 | referee=|}}

date= 10 March 1996 16:00 GMT| team1= Leeds United | score= 0–0 | team2= Liverpool | report= | goals1= | goals2= | stadium=Elland Road, Leeds | attendance= 24,632| referee=|}}

date= 11 March 1996 20:00 GMT| team1= Manchester United | score= 2–0 | team2= Southampton | report= | goals1= Cantona Sharpe | goals2= | stadium= Old Trafford, Manchester | attendance= 45,446 | referee=|}}

date= 13 March 1996 19:45 GMT| team1= Nottingham Forest | score= 0–1 | team2= Aston Villa | report= | goals1= | goals2= Carr | stadium= City Ground, Nottingham | attendance= 21,067| referee=|}}

Replays

date= 20 March 1996 19:45 GMT| team1= Wimbledon | score= 1–3 | team2= Chelsea | report= | goals1= Goodman | goals2= Petrescu Duberry M. Hughes | stadium= Selhurst Park, London | attendance= 21,380| referee=|}}

date= 20 March 1996 19:45 GMT| team1= Liverpool | score= 3–0 | team2= Leeds United | report= | goals1= McManaman Fowler | goals2= | stadium=Anfield, Liverpool | attendance= 30,812| referee=|}}

Semi-finals

The semi final ties were played at neutral venues on 31 March 1996. Manchester United and Liverpool beat Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively to reach the final. At this stage, Manchester United were top of the league and looking good bets for a unique second double two years after their first one, while Liverpool were hopeful of a similar triumph as they were third in the league and still in with a slim chance of a second double 10 years after their first one.

Just weeks before accepting the role as England manager, Glenn Hoddle watched his Chelsea side throw away their chances of major trophy late in the season for the third year running, one year after losing in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals and two years after losing the FA Cup final.

Aston Villa's defeat ended their hopes of emulating Arsenal's 1993 triumph of an FA Cup/League Cup double, as they had lifted the League Cup the previous weekend.

date= 31 March 1996 13:30 BST| team1= Manchester United | score= 2–1 | team2= Chelsea | report= Report| goals1= Cole Beckham | goals2= Gullit | stadium= Villa Park, Birmingham | attendance= 38,421| referee= Stephen Lodge (Barnsley)}}

16:00 BST McAteer

Final

Main article: 1996 FA Cup final

A late goal from Eric Cantona, United's top scorer and the FWA Player of the Year just a year after being vilified for the assault on a spectator which saw him banned from football for eight months, saw a United side featuring some of the Premier League's youngest players clinch a 1–0 win over Liverpool to become the first team to win the double twice, two years after their first double.

Media coverage

For the eighth consecutive season in the United Kingdom, the BBC were the free to air broadcasters while Sky Sports were the subscription broadcasters.

The matches shown live on the BBC were:

• Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle United (R3)

• Sheffield United 0-1 Aston Villa (R4)

• Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City (R5)

• Leeds United 0-0 Liverpool (QF)

• Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (SF)

• Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool (Final)

The matches shown live on Sky Sports were:

• York City 0-1 Notts County (R1)

• Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Gillingham (R1)

• Farnborough Town 0-4 Brentford (R1 Replay)

• Bradford City 1-2 Preston North End (R2)

• Kingstonian 1-2 Plymouth Argyle (R2)

• Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Fulham (R2 Replay)

• Derby County 2-4 Leeds United (R3)

• Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United (R3 Replay)

• Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Chelsea (R4)

• Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (R4 Replay)

• Nottingham Forest 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur (R5)

• Port Vale 1-2 Leeds United (R5 Replay)

• Manchester United 2-0 Southampton (QF)

• Liverpool 3-0 Leeds United (QF Replay)

• Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa (SF)