The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the 'Sappers', of the British Army and based in Chatham, Kent. In the 1870s, it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup finalists in three of the first four seasons. The Engineers were pioneers of the combination game, where teammates passed the ball to each other rather than kicking ahead and charging after the ball. With the rise of professional teams, in 1888 the Engineers joined a newly formed Army Football Association.
The Royal Engineers pictured in 1872. Back: Merriman, Ord, Marindin, Addison, Mitchell; Front: Hoskyns, Renny-Tailyour, Creswell, Goodwyn, Barker, Rich.
Colonel Thomas Tupper Carter-Campbell of Possil.
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. It is organised by and named after The Football Association. Since 2015, it has been known as Emirates FA Cup after its headline sponsor Emirates. A concurrent Women's FA Cup has been held since 1970.
Harry Hampton scores one of his two goals in the 1905 FA Cup final, when Aston Villa defeated Newcastle United
Since 2007, the FA Cup final has been held at Wembley Stadium, on the site of the previous stadium which hosted it from 1923 to 2000.
King George V presents the FA Cup trophy to Tommy Boyle of Burnley, April 1914
George Armstrong celebrating with the FA Cup trophy following Arsenal's win over Liverpool in the 1971 final.