First played in 1871/72, the FA Cup is the oldest club competition in the world. There has been over a century and a half of matches for records to be set and broken.
The structure of the FA Cup also lends itself to heavy wins with minnows often facing the nation’s most talented and wealthiest clubs.
Here are the biggest wins in FA Cup history, courtesy of transfermarkt:
Accrington FC 11-0 Rossendale, 1887
The first round proper in 1887 featured several one-sided matches, including the biggest win in FA Cup history. Accrington’s 11-0 drubbing of Rossendale was somehow overshadowed.
It might have held its place in the record books for well over a century, but this result didn’t have much of a long-term impact on the club’s fortunes.
They edged past Burnley in the second round before falling to Blackburn Rovers in the third round.
Bournemouth 11-0 Margate, 1971
The most recent match on this list, and the only win of 11 or more goals since 1960, Bournemouth thumped Margate 11-0 in the first round of the 1971/72 FA Cup.
Ted MacDougall set an almost unbreakable record by scoring nine of the Cherries’ 11 goals. Bournemouth were knocked out by Walsall in the third round.
Bristol City 11-0 Chichester, 1960
Bristol City made light work of Chichester in the 1960/61 FA Cup first round.
Their 11-0 victory was the second-largest win in the competition in the 20th century after Tottenham’s drubbing of Crewe earlier in the same year.
Bristol City needed a replay to get past King’s Lynn in the second round. They were beaten 5-1 by Leicester City in the fourth round.
Bury 12-1 Stockton, 1897
Stockton had held Bury to a goalless draw on 30th January 1897. The match held a few days later was a bit different.
Bury scored 12 goals to knock Stockton out of the competition and secure their progression to the second round where they were beaten by Everton.
Tottenham 13-2 Crewe Alexandra, 1960
Bristol City weren’t the only team to post an 11-goal margin in the FA Cup in 1960.
Tottenham’s was in 1959/60 rather than 1960/61, making it the first of two 11-goal victories in a calendar year.
Crewe had earned a replay in north London by securing a 2-2 draw with Spurs in the Midlands.
Tottenham, who finished two points off the first division title in 1959/60, made Crewe pay in the second match, recording a 13-2 win. Les Allen scored five and Bobby Smith scored four.
The Wednesday FC 12-0 Halliwell FC, 1891
Two teams won by 12 goals in the FA Cup on 17th January 1891.
If live betting existed in the 19th century, bettors would have had a lot of fun trying to identify the next goal scorer in this match.
Notably, The Wednesday were knocked out of the cup by West Brom in the third round.
Aston Villa 13-1 Casuals FC, 1891
On the same day as Halliwell FC were thumped by The Wednesday, Aston Villa put 13 past Casuals FC.
Villa had appointed the sport’s first professional manager only five years prior and were revolutionising English football with their style of play.
Stoke knocked them out in the second round in 1891, but they won the competition in the following year.
Darwen 13-0 Kidderminster, 1891
Seven days after The Wednesday and Aston Villa drubbed Halliwell and Casuals, respectively, Darwen FC beat Kidderminster by 13 goals. It was a first-round replay after the first match was voided.
A week after this eyebrow-raising victory, Darwen were knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland.
Darwen, nicknamed the Salmoners, produced four England internationals and were dissolved in 2009.
Bolton 13-0 Sheffield United, 1890
Bolton were taking no prisoners in the 1889/90 FA Cup. After a 10-2 over Distillery in the first round, they beat Sheffield United 13-0 in the second round.
A showdown with a very strong Preston side followed in the third round, with Bolton running out 3-2 victors over their local rivals.
They lost to The Wednesday in the semis.
Clapton 0-14 Nottingham Forest, 1891
This might be hard to believe, but 17th January 1891 wasn’t just about The Wednesday and Aston Villa winning by 12 clear goals.
Nottingham Forest also beat Clapton by 14 goals on the same day. How many competitions have three victories of that size on the same day?
Preston 18-0 Reading, 1894
Preston have the two biggest wins in the FA Cup. No one else has got close.
Seven years after a mauling of Hyde United, the club from Lancashire put 18 goals past Reading in the first round of the 1893/94 competition.
Despite being one of the best teams in the country in the latter part of the 19th century, Preston didn’t make it past the second round in 1893/94 due to a second round matchup with Liverpool.
Preston 26-0 Hyde United, 1887
Preston started their 1887/88 FA Cup campaign with a 26-0 win over Hyde United, which remains by far the biggest victory in the competition’s history.
Preston went on to lose the 1888 final to West Bromwich Albion before defeating Wolves in the 1888/89 final to get their hands on the trophy for the first time.
Jimmy Ross scored seven, Jack Gordon and Sammy Thompson had five apiece, with Fred Dewhurst also netting a hat-trick.
FA Cup odds in the 1880s would have consistently had Preston among the favourites for the competition.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*
