1936 FA Cup Final vs Sheffield United

The 61st FA Cup final, and the 14th held at Wembley, took place on 25 April 1936 between Arsenal and Sheffield United. Arsenal, then enjoying a period of success with recent First Division titles, faced a Sheffield United side hoping to match the previous year’s cup triumph of their local rivals Sheffield Wednesday. After a tight first half, Arsenal dominated the second period and won 1–0, the goal scored by Ted Drake in the 74th minute. A media ban imposed by the stadium’s management forced reporters to fly above Wembley in autogyros to watch the match, while the BBC used sports commentators for the first time during its live broadcast.

Both teams entered the competition in the third round, having received byes. Arsenal, drawn away to Third Division South side Bristol Rovers, fell behind in the first half and missed a penalty, playing so poorly that a draw seemed unlikely. The turning point came when Cliff Bastin replaced Bobby Davidson at inside left. Arsenal equalised in the 65th minute, then scored four more times in the next 14 minutes to win 5–1, with Bowden netting once, Drake twice, and Bastin twice.

In the fourth round, Arsenal beat Liverpool 2–0 at Anfield. The match, played seven days after the death of King George V, saw both teams wear black armbands; the 60,000 crowd stood to sing “Abide with Me” and “God Save the King” before kick-off. The fifth round paired Arsenal with Newcastle United, a rematch of the 1932 final. At St James’ Park, the gates were closed before kick-off with 64,484 inside.

The match ended 3–3, Arsenal taking the lead each time only for Newcastle to equalise; The Times reported that Arsenal “concentrated entirely on defence” whenever they went ahead. In the home replay, Arsenal won 3–0. Bastin scored a first-half penalty after Newcastle’s David Davidson handled in the box. Newcastle nearly equalised, but Eddie Hapgood cleared a shot off the line.

The second goal came when Newcastle goalkeeper Norman Tapken cleared the ball straight to Arsenal’s Pat Beasley, who shot into an empty net. The third was another Bastin penalty, awarded after he was brought down in the area. In the quarter-final, Arsenal outplayed Second Division Barnsley from the start, winning 4–1. Beasley scored in the fourth minute, Bowden added the second, Bastin converted a penalty for the third, and Beasley scored again; Barnsley’s consolation came two minutes from time.

The semi-final, at Huddersfield Town’s ground, saw Arsenal beat Grimsby Town 1–0 in a match described as completely one-sided, Bastin scoring five minutes before half-time.

Sheffield United’s third-round match at Burnley ended 0–0. In the replay at home, played on a snow-covered pitch in heavy fog, United won 2–1. Harold Barton scored, Ted Hancock equalised for Burnley, and Bobby Barclay put United ahead before the break; a Jock Dodds goal was disallowed for offside in the second half. The fourth round again saw a goalless draw away, this time at Preston North End.

The home replay on 30 January, played with ten men for the entire second half, ended 2–0 in front of 34,259. A record crowd of 68,287 at Bramall Lane then saw United beat Leeds United 3–1, their first win in the tournament without a replay. They repeated that scoreline against Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final on a marshy pitch in driving snow. Barclay put United ahead by half-time; Spurs fought back in the second half, but two goals from Dodds secured the win, with Tottenham scoring a late consolation.

The semi-final, at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium on 21 March, guaranteed a Second Division finalist. United beat Fulham 2–1. A week later, the two sides met in a league match; Fulham won 1–0 from a penalty, ending United’s 22-game unbeaten run.

Arsenal’s most recent FA Cup final appearance before 1936 had been in 1932, when they lost to Newcastle United; their last cup victory came in 1930 against Huddersfield Town.