The FA Cup, the oldest cup competition in world football, often faces questions about its future.
It is the competition’s past that makes it what it is, the history, the famous FA Cup upsets, the surprise winners. Glory in the FA Cup is the greatest moment in the history of some clubs.
For those lower down the pyramid, their club’s name is forever associated with a magnificent upset. Earning a replay can change the fortunes of a team and, as 888 tips will tell you, it can flip a tie on its head.
Best FA Cup Records:
Reaching so far back into the history of English football, FA Cup records unearth teams the vast majority of fans will not have heard of. There are familiar names too, of course, whether in the team or individual records.
The FA Cup has a prestige unlike any other domestic club competition in the world. Premier League predictions are available week in week out but FA Cup betting tips are extra special.
Some may say the FA Cup is struggling, but its records serve as a reminder that its place is safe, even in the modern game. Here are the top FA Cup records…
Most Wins: Arsenal (14)
Arsenal might have become a figure of fun during their trophy drought earlier this century, but their FA Cup record is the best of all.
The four trophies in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020 took their total to 14, adding to their trio of triumphs in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Arsenal have won the league and FA Cup double on three separate occasions.
Most Consecutive Wins: Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers (3)
An amateur football club in London, Wanderers dissolved in 1887. They had five FA Cups to their name by that point, including three in a row in the late 1870s.
Blackburn Rovers matched the threepeat in the following decade. The Lancashire club have six FA Cups in their history with the most recent coming in 1928 – Mark Hughes led them to the semi-final in 2005 and 2007.
Most Appearances In Finals: Arsenal, Manchester United (21)
The two clubs that dominated the early years of the Premier League era share the crown for most appearances in FA Cup finals.
Arsenal won their 21st final appearance in 2020, seeing off Chelsea 2-1. Manchester United’s 21st final outing was in 2023, which ended in defeat to Manchester City. United have now lost four of their last five FA Cup finals.
These teams are always in the mix when it comes to FA Cup outright betting. They are bound to be neck-and-neck in this category for decades to come – no other team has played in more than 16 finals (Chelsea).
Most Wins By An Individual: Ashley Cole (7)
The best English full-back ever, Ashley Cole won everything there is to win. An invincible and European champion, Cole lifted the FA Cup seven times – three with Arsenal, four with Chelsea.
He might not have always contributed in the earlier rounds, but the 107-cap England international put in some superb performances in finals. Cole was an underrated part of England’s golden generation.
He might have been the best player of the bunch, holding his status as one of the best left-backs in the world for the best part of a decade. 888 prediction tips at the time would've had Cole as a genuine Man of the Match contender.
Most Wins by a Manager: Arsene Wenger (7)
Arsene Wenger is the most decorated manager in FA Cup history with seven final wins.
George Ramsay has six wins, with Alex Ferguson and John Nicholson being the only other managers with more than three FA Cup triumphs.
Wenger won his first FA Cup in 1998, followed by a streak of three in four years between 2002 and 2005. He replicated that run between 2014 and 2017 before leaving Arsenal at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
Most Goals In Finals: Ian Rush (5)
Ian Rush won three FA Cups in his career and scored in all three finals. The first two were the dream for any Liverpool player. Liverpool beat Everton in the 1986 and 1989 FA Cup finals – Rush scored a decisive brace in each match.
His fifth, and final, FA Cup final goal came in the 1992 clash with Sunderland, which Liverpool won 2-0.
The Welshman holds an incredible list of records. He’s the highest scorer in Liverpool’s history, and the joint-highest goal scorer in League Cup history and he’s scored more goals in Merseyside derbies than anyone. You don't need betting expert betting tips to tell you that Rush is an all-time great.
Most Finals Scored In: Didier Drogba (4)
Anyone asking Premier League clubs to take the FA Cup more seriously should look at the performances of Chelsea and Arsenal, the two teams who have dominated the competition since the turn of the century.
Chelsea’s talismanic striker Didier Drogba was the King of Wembley, scoring in four FA Cup finals under the arch and winning the League Cup at the national stadium in 2014/15.
Although in the shadow of his Munich heroics a few days later, Drogba scored and played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s 2012 FA Cup win, just two years after scoring the winner against Portsmouth.
Longest Tie: Oxford vs Alvechurch (660 minutes)
It was the fourth qualifying round back in 1971/72 – Oxford United and Alvechurch played six matches over the course of three weeks (with four going to extra time) to decide who should progress.
Played in freezing conditions, and across various different grounds (replays had to be played at a neutral venue), the players were exhausted and team talks became impossible.
Alvechurch nicked the tie in the sixth match with a 1-0 victory, but were knocked out in the next round as fatigue got the better of them.
Most FA Cup Goals Scored: Kettering Town (912)
Founded in 1872, Kettering Town have had plenty of opportunities to rack up the goals in the FA Cup.
Their total of 912 is the highest ever, despite the club never making it past the fourth round of the competition. They first reached that stage in 1988/89 and matched it in 2008/09, when they were knocked out by Fulham.
The biggest win in the club’s history came in the Cup in 1909 as they hammered Higham YMCI 16-0.
Youngest Player To Score In An FA Cup Final – Norman Whiteside (18 years, 19 days)
A star at a young age, Norman Whiteside signed a professional contract with Manchester United and quickly collected records.
He remains the youngest player to take part in a World Cup, youngest to score in the League Cup and, of course, the youngest to score in an FA Cup final.
Whiteside’s FA Cup final goal came in 1983. United had been held to a 2-2 draw by Brighton, but cruised to a 4-0 win the replay with the teenager scoring the second five minutes after Bryan Robson’s opener.
Biggest Gap Between Teams: 161 difference in rank (Marine and Tottenham)
When eighth-tier Marine faced Tottenham in the Third Round of the FA Cup in 2021, there was a 161-place difference between the sides.
Any hopes of the biggest of FA Cup giant killings were extinguished in the first half. Carlos Vinicius netted a 13-minute hat-trick for the Premier League outfit and Lucas Moura netted before the break to give Spurs a 4-0 lead. The match finished 5-0.
Tottenham were ultimately knocked out by Middlesbrough in the Fifth Round.
Longest Unbeaten Run (Excluding Shootouts): 29 (Chelsea)
Chelsea set an FA Cup record for 29 matches unbeaten in 2013.
Their semi-final defeat to Manchester City was their first loss in normal time since a quarter-final upset against Barnsley in 2008.
The Blues won the FA Cup on three occasions during that period, including doing the double in 2009-10.
Most Goals Scored By a Player in a Season: 19 (Jimmy Ross)
Jimmy Ross scored 19 goals for Preston in 1887-88. Preston recorded the biggest win in FA Cup history during that run, as they outscored opponents 50-5 over their seven matches.
Ross was prolific throughout his career, twice winning the Football League with Preston before a string of Second Division titles with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Burnley.
Most Defeats in a Final: 9 (Manchester United)
Manchester United have suffered the most FA Cup final defeats. They have won more finals than they have lost (12 to nine), but the Red Devils have been left to watch their opponents celebrate frequently since the turn of the century.
Since completing an historic treble in 1999, Millwall and Crystal Palace are the only teams United have beaten in the FA Cup final. Over that period, they have lost to Arsenal, Chelsea (twice) and Manchester City.
First Non-British Manager to Win FA Cup: Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit became the first non-British manager to win the FA Cup when Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough in 1997. Gullit proved to be something of a trail blazer – since then, non-British managers have won 22 of the 26 FA Cup finals.
Alex Ferguson, Harry Redknapp and Brendan Rodgers are the only British managers to lift the FA Cup in the 21st century.
Managers to Win FA Cup With Multiple Teams: 2 (Herbert Chapman, Billy Walker)
Despite 23 managers winning the FA Cup on multiple occasions, Herbert Chapman and Billy Walker are the only managers to win the competition with different teams.
Chapman, one of the most influential managers in football history, won his first FA Cup with Huddersfield in 1922. He lifted the trophy with Arsenal eight years later having transformed football.
Walker was regarded among the best players in the English game between the wars, and went on to build a successful managerial career.
His first FA Cup win with Sheffield Wednesday came 24 years before he won the FA Cup with Nottingham Forest.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Matt Dunham / AP Photo*
