Our FA Cup fifth Rd opponents: Sheffield United (& 1901 FA Cup Final)

Our FA Cup fifth Rd opponents: Sheffield United (& 1901 FA Cup Final)

It looks like I will be travelling to Sheffield United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Our opposition was confirmed tonight (Tuesday, 7 February) as the Blades beat their Welsh opponents 3-1 at Bramall Lane. Our place in round five was booked with a 3-0 win over Preston North End a week ago on Saturday.

The game will be played on Wednesday evening, 1 March, with kick-off at 7.55pm (UK). The game will be broadcast live on BBC One.

Previous encounter…

Our last encounter with Sheffield United came in May 2021, and we earned a comprehensive 4-0 win thanks to Gareth Bale's final career hat-trick and a strike from Son.

But there was a more famous game against United, and that was our first FA Cup final – as a non-League team – back in 1901.

I've been to every final played in England (whatever the trophy), apart from 1901 and 1921 (yes, you've guessed it, I wasn't born), however, my grandfather went to both, including the replay at Bolton Wanderers ground, Burnden Park, Bolton.

In 1961 and 1962, my dad took me (he carried me on his shoulders and through the turnstiles, according to him, he never paid for me; It was the norm when taking young children to games back then). I only have grainy memories of those two finals and times going to see Spurs play.

The 1901 FA Cup Final: Spurs v Sheffield United.

The 1901 FA Cup final was between Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, 20 April 1901, and it was played at the Crystal Palace stadium in south London. It was the final match of the 1900–01 FA Cup. That game was the 30th game of the world's oldest football knockout competition.

Sheffield United were appearing in their second final, having won the Cup in 1899, but it was our first. Both teams joined the competition in the first round proper and progressed through four games to the final.

As a member of the Football League First Division, Sheffield United were exempt from the competition's qualifying phase; however, we, as members of the Southern League, would normally have been required to pre-qualify, but as champions of the Southern League in 1899–1900, we were given byes through the qualifying phase to the first round.

The final was watched by a record crowd of 110,820 and ended in a 2–2 draw. The goalscorers were Fred Priest and Walter Bennett for Sheffield United and Sandy Brown (twice) for Tottenham Hotspur.

The FA Cup final replay at Burden Park, Bolton.

A replay was held a week later, on 27 April, at Burnden Park in Bolton. This time around, the crowd was only 20,470. We won 3–1 with goals by John Cameron, Tom Smith and Brown against one by Fred Priest for Sheffield United. Brown was the first player to score a goal (fifteen in total) in every round of an FA Cup tournament.

We became the only non-league team to win the FA Cup, and that record has never been surpassed. I believe Southampton got to the final (as a non-league team) the following year but lost it.

As I said, I wasn't at that match… nor the 1921 final (but I do have the programme for that game), however, there is a proud tradition in my family that a ‘Renshaw’ has been to every Cup final played in England, where Spurs participated. I was too young to travel to the Cup Winners Cup final against Atletico Madrid in the 1960s… In the 1970s, I never went to the UEFA finals abroad, either. I didn't go to the match abroad against Anderlecht; however, I did go to Spain and saw the Champions League final against Liverpool. So that is my little story about Tottenham and travelling to watch Spurs away. Home games… I haven't missed a home game in 40 years. As for abroad, probably about 20 to 30 years. As for; from here to my death… that is an open question and depends on how well I keep myself. I would love to see Spurs win more trophies and even the league before I snuff it. Anyway, I am digressing… Next match-up (in the League); Leicester Titty. And we played them in the 1961 FA Cup final… because of that win, we completed the Double.

COYS!

Glenn