1988–89 FA Cup


The FA Cup 1988–89 was the 108th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short.

First round proper

The first round of games were played over the weekend 19–20 November 1988, with most replays being played on 22–23 November. All other replays were played on 28 November.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield1–1Leyton Orient19 November 1988
ReplayLeyton Orient2–2Enfield23 November 1988
ReplayLeyton Orient0–1Enfield28 November 1988
2Blackpool2–1Scunthorpe United19 November 1988
3Darlington1–2Notts County19 November 1988
4Bath City2–0Grays Athletic19 November 1988
5Bristol City3–1Southend United19 November 1988
6Burnley0–2Chester City19 November 1988
7Preston North End1–1Tranmere Rovers19 November 1988
ReplayTranmere Rovers3–0Preston North End22 November 1988
8Yeovil Town3–2Merthyr Tydfil19 November 1988
9Reading4–2Hendon19 November 1988
10Woking1–4Cambridge United19 November 1988
11Gillingham3–3Peterborough United19 November 1988
ReplayPeterborough United1–0Gillingham23 November 1988
12Bolton Wanderers0–0Chesterfield19 November 1988
ReplayChesterfield2–3Bolton Wanderers28 November 1988
13Grimsby Town1–0Wolverhampton Wanderers19 November 1988
14Stafford Rangers2–2Crewe Alexandra19 November 1988
ReplayCrewe Alexandra3–2Stafford Rangers22 November 1988
15Scarborough2–1Stockport County19 November 1988
16Doncaster Rovers0–0Brandon United19 November 1988
ReplayDoncaster Rovers2–1Brandon United22 November 1988
17Fulham0–1Colchester United19 November 1988
18Brentford2–0Halesowen Town19 November 1988
19Bristol Rovers3–0Fisher Athletic20 November 1988
20Altrincham3–2Lincoln City19 November 1988
21Bognor Regis Town2–1Exeter City19 November 1988
22Huddersfield Town1–1Rochdale19 November 1988
ReplayRochdale3–4Huddersfield Town28 November 1988
23Mansfield Town1–1Sheffield United19 November 1988
ReplaySheffield United2–1Mansfield Town22 November 1988
24Cardiff City3–0Hereford United19 November 1988
25Halifax Town1–0York City19 November 1988
26Newport County1–2Maidstone United19 November 1988
27Southport0–2Port Vale19 November 1988
28Runcorn2–2Wrexham19 November 1988
ReplayWrexham2–3Runcorn22 November 1988
29Torquay United2–2Fareham Town19 November 1988
ReplayFareham Town2–3Torquay United23 November 1988
30Kettering Town2–1Dartford19 November 1988
31Rotherham United3–1Barrow19 November 1988
32Aldershot1–0Hayes19 November 1988
33Dagenham0–4Sutton United19 November 1988
34Waterlooville1–4Aylesbury United19 November 1988
35Telford United1–1Carlisle United19 November 1988
ReplayCarlisle United4–1Telford United22 November 1988
36Swansea City3–1Northampton Town19 November 1988
37Frickley Athletic0–2Northwich Victoria19 November 1988
38Hartlepool United2–0Wigan Athletic19 November 1988
39Welling United3–0Bromsgrove Rovers19 November 1988
40Guisborough Town0–1Bury19 November 1988

Second round proper

The second round of games were played over 10–11 December 1988, with the first round of replays being played on 13–14 December. The Aldershot-Bristol City game went to two more replays.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield1–4Cardiff City11 December 1988
2Blackpool3–0Bury10 December 1988
3Bath City0–0Welling United10 December 1988
ReplayWelling United3–2Bath City14 December 1988
4Yeovil Town1–1Torquay United10 December 1988
ReplayTorquay United1–0Yeovil Town14 December 1988
5Reading1–1Maidstone United10 December 1988
ReplayMaidstone United1–2Reading14 December 1988
6Bolton Wanderers1–2Port Vale10 December 1988
7Grimsby Town3–2Rotherham United10 December 1988
8Northwich Victoria1–2Tranmere Rovers10 December 1988
9Scarborough0–1Carlisle United10 December 1988
10Doncaster Rovers1–3Sheffield United11 December 1988
11Aylesbury United0–1Sutton United10 December 1988
12Altrincham0–3Halifax Town10 December 1988
13Bognor Regis Town0–1Cambridge United10 December 1988
14Huddersfield Town1–0Chester City10 December 1988
15Runcorn0–3Crewe Alexandra10 December 1988
16Kettering Town2–1Bristol Rovers10 December 1988
17Aldershot1–1Bristol City10 December 1988
ReplayBristol City0–0Aldershot13 December 1988
ReplayAldershot2–2Bristol City20 December 1988
ReplayBristol City1–0Aldershot22 December 1988
18Peterborough United0–0Brentford10 December 1988
ReplayBrentford3–2Peterborough United14 December 1988
19Colchester United2–2Swansea City10 December 1988
ReplaySwansea City1–3Colchester United13 December 1988
20Hartlepool United1–0Notts County10 December 1988

Third round proper

The third round of games in the FA Cup were played over the weekend 7–8 January 1989, with the first set of replays being played on 10–11 January. Two games went to second replays, and one to a third replay.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Blackpool0–1Bournemouth7 January 1989
2Sutton United2–1Coventry City7 January 1989
3Walsall1–1Brentford7 January 1989
ReplayBrentford1–0Walsall10 January 1989
4Nottingham Forest3–0Ipswich Town7 January 1989
5Sheffield Wednesday5–1Torquay United7 January 1989
6Crewe Alexandra2–3Aston Villa7 January 1989
7Middlesbrough1–2Grimsby Town7 January 1989
8West Bromwich Albion1–1Everton7 January 1989
ReplayEverton1–0West Bromwich Albion11 January 1989
9Sunderland1–1Oxford United7 January 1989
ReplayOxford United2–0Sunderland11 January 1989
10Derby County1–1Southampton7 January 1989
ReplaySouthampton1–2Derby County10 January 1989
11Shrewsbury Town0–3Colchester United7 January 1989
12Tranmere Rovers1–1Reading7 January 1989
ReplayReading2–1Tranmere Rovers11 January 1989
13Newcastle United0–0Watford7 January 1989
ReplayWatford2–2Newcastle United10 January 1989
ReplayNewcastle United0–0Watford16 January 1989
ReplayWatford1–0Newcastle United18 January 1989
14Manchester City1–0Leicester City7 January 1989
15Barnsley4–0Chelsea7 January 1989
16Portsmouth1–1Swindon Town7 January 1989
ReplaySwindon Town2–0Portsmouth10 January 1989
17West Ham United2–2Arsenal8 January 1989
ReplayArsenal0–1West Ham United11 January 1989
18Brighton & Hove Albion1–2Leeds United7 January 1989
19Manchester United0–0Queens Park Rangers7 January 1989
ReplayQueens Park Rangers2–2Manchester United11 January 1989
ReplayManchester United3–0Queens Park Rangers23 January 1989
20Plymouth Argyle2–0Cambridge United7 January 1989
21Bradford City1–0Tottenham Hotspur7 January 1989
22Millwall3–2Luton Town7 January 1989
23Carlisle United0–3Liverpool7 January 1989
24Huddersfield Town0–1Sheffield United7 January 1989
25Cardiff City1–2Hull City7 January 1989
26Port Vale1–3Norwich City8 January 1989
27Charlton Athletic2–1Oldham Athletic7 January 1989
28Kettering Town1–1Halifax Town7 January 1989
ReplayHalifax Town2–3Kettering Town10 January 1989
29Stoke City1–0Crystal Palace7 January 1989
30Birmingham City0–1Wimbledon7 January 1989
31Hartlepool United1–0Bristol City7 January 1989
32Welling United0–1Blackburn Rovers7 January 1989

Fourth round proper

The fourth round of games were played over the weekend 28–29 January 1989, with replays being played on 31 January – 1 February.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Watford2–1Derby County28 January 1989
2Nottingham Forest2–0Leeds United28 January 1989
3Blackburn Rovers2–1Sheffield Wednesday28 January 1989
4Aston Villa0–1Wimbledon28 January 1989
5Grimsby Town1–1Reading28 January 1989
ReplayReading1–2Grimsby Town1 February 1989
6Swindon Town0–0West Ham United28 January 1989
ReplayWest Ham United1–0Swindon Town1 February 1989
7Sheffield United3–3Colchester United28 January 1989
ReplayColchester United0–2Sheffield United31 January 1989
8Brentford3–1Manchester City28 January 1989
9Manchester United4–0Oxford United28 January 1989
10Norwich City8–0Sutton United28 January 1989
11Plymouth Argyle1–1Everton28 January 1989
ReplayEverton4–0Plymouth Argyle31 January 1989
12Bradford City1–2Hull City28 January 1989
13Millwall0–2Liverpool29 January 1989
14Charlton Athletic2–1Kettering Town28 January 1989
15Stoke City3–3Barnsley28 January 1989
ReplayBarnsley2–1Stoke City31 January 1989
16Hartlepool United1–1Bournemouth28 January 1989
ReplayBournemouth5–2Hartlepool United31 January 1989

Fifth round proper

The fifth set of games were played over the weekend 18–19 February 1989, with replay being played on 22 February.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bournemouth1–1Manchester United18 February 1989
ReplayManchester United1–0Bournemouth22 February 1989
2Watford0–3Nottingham Forest19 February 1989
3Blackburn Rovers0–2Brentford18 February 1989
4Barnsley0–1Everton18 February 1989
5Norwich City3–2Sheffield United18 February 1989
6Hull City2–3Liverpool18 February 1989
7Wimbledon3–1Grimsby Town18 February 1989
8Charlton Athletic0–1West Ham United18 February 1989

Sixth round proper

Most of the sixth round of FA Cup games were played over the weekend 18–19 March 1989, with a replay on 22 March.
Third Division Brentford's impressive cup run was ended by a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, who were chasing the double.
Wimbledon's defence of the trophy ended with a 1-0 defeat at Everton.
West Ham United, struggling in the league but thriving in the cup competitions, surrendered their chances of FA Cup glory with a 3-1 replay defeat to Norwich City following a goalless draw in the first game.
Nottingham Forest kept alive their outside chances of a unique domestic treble by winning 1-0 against Manchester United, who lost their own last chance of silverware in a season in which they had failed to feature in the title race.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Liverpool4–0Brentford18 March 1989
2Everton1–0Wimbledon19 March 1989
3West Ham United0–0Norwich City18 March 1989
ReplayNorwich City3–1West Ham United22 March 1989
4Manchester United0–1Nottingham Forest18 March 1989

Semi-finals

The FA Cup semi-finals were scheduled for 15 April 1989 and this would be the last year that both games were scheduled to be held simultaneously on a Saturday afternoon with a 3pm kick off. The Everton–Norwich City game was completed as expected; however, the Liverpool–Nottingham Forest game was abandoned after six minutes due to the Hillsborough Disaster which claimed 94 lives on 15 April 1989. There was talk that the competition for this season would be abandoned, but on 30 April, it was confirmed that both teams would continue in the competition and play in a rescheduled semi-final, which was replayed on 7 May and won 3–1 by Liverpool.
Norwich's hopes of a first-ever FA Cup final were ended as Everton beat them 1–0 to book the second all-Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons.
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Final

The second all-Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons ended like the previous one, with Liverpool beating Everton and Ian Rush scoring twice, although this time the scoreline was 3–2 rather than 3–1.
A fourth-minute goal from John Aldridge handed the initiative to Liverpool, but a late equaliser by Stuart McCall forced extra-time. Ian Rush restored Liverpool's lead five minutes into extra time, before Stuart McCall's second goal drew the scores level after 102 minutes. However, a second goal from Ian Rush came just two minutes later, and the trophy went to Anfield.
As a tribute to the fans who had died in the Hillsborough disaster, both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence prior to the match.

Television coverage

The BBC had all rights to show FA Cup games. They were able to show one live game from Round 3 onwards as part of Match of the Day Live. They were also able to show highlights of games from Round 1 onwards on Match of the Day.
These matches were.
RoundLiveHighlights
First round properEnfield v Leyton Orient
Southport v Port Vale
Second round properKettering Town v Bristol Rovers
Altrincham v Halifax Town
Third round properWest Ham United v ArsenalSutton United v Coventry City
Bradford City v Tottenham Hotspur
West Bromwich Albion v Everton
Port Vale v Norwich City
Manchester United v Queen's Park Rangers
Fourth round properMillwall v LiverpoolNorwich City v Sutton United
Charlton Athletic v Kettering Town
Aston Villa v Wimbledon
Plymouth Argyle v Everton
Fifth round properWatford v Nottingham ForestHull City v Liverpool
Barnsley v Everton
AFC Bournemouth v Manchester United
Wimbledon v Grimsby Town
Norwich City v Sheffield United
Sixth round properEverton v WimbledonManchester United v Nottingham Forest
Liverpool v Brentford
West Ham United v Norwich City
Semi-finalsLiverpool v Nottingham ForestEverton v Norwich City
FinalLiverpool v Everton

Match of the Day was due to show highlights of both FA Cup Semi Finals, but this was cancelled due to the Hillsborough disaster. The re-scheduled Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest match was shown live and highlights of the other semi final between Everton and Norwich, which coincided with the Hillsborough disaster, were not shown until the build-up coverage on the day of the Final.