The 1960–61 FA Cup was the 80th season of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Tottenham Hotspur won the competition for the third time, beating Leicester City 2–0 in the final at Wembley. In doing so, they became the first team to win the Double since Aston Villa in 1897.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.
Calendar Round Date Preliminary round Saturday 27 August 1960 First round qualifying Saturday 10 September 1960 Second round qualifying Saturday 24 September 1960 Third round qualifying Saturday 8 October 1960 Fourth round qualifying Saturday 22 October 1960 First round proper Saturday 5 November 1960 Second round proper Saturday 26 November 1960 Third round proper Saturday 7 January 1961 Fourth round proper Saturday 28 January 1961 Fifth round proper Saturday 18 February 1961 Sixth round proper Saturday 4 March 1961 Semi-finals Saturday 18 March 1961 Final Saturday 6 May 1961
Qualifying rounds Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 30 places available in the first round.
The winners from the fourth qualifying round were Blyth Spartans, Scarborough, Bishop Auckland, Macclesfield Town, Rhyl, Bangor City, Hereford United, Worcester City, Bridlington Town, Sutton Town, Loughborough United, Kettering Town, Clacton Town, King's Lynn, Chelmsford City, Hitchin Town, Romford, Walthamstow Avenue, Dover, Ashford Town (Kent), Hastings United, Oxford United, Maidenhead United, Wycombe Wanderers, Sutton United, Chichester City, Weymouth, Bridgwater Town, Yeovil Town and Bath City.
Those appearing in the competition proper for the first time were Bridlington Town, Loughborough United, Clacton Town, Dover, Chichester City and Bridgwater Town. Of the others, Romford had last featured at this stage in 1949–50, Sutton United in 1946-47, Sutton Town in 1933-34, and Macclesfield Town and Maidenhead United in 1887-88.
Romford was the only non-league side to feature in six rounds of this season's tournament, defeating Wembley, Leytonstone, Hornchurch & Upminster, Enfield and Sutton United before going out to Northampton Town in the second round.
Results
First round proper At this stage the 48 clubs from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions joined the 30 non-league clubs who came through the qualifying rounds. To set the number of ties in this round at the requisite 40, Gateshead, who had recently been voted out of the Football League, and Hendon, who were the champions from the previous season's FA Amateur Cup, were given byes directly to this point. Matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 5 November 1960. Eleven were drawn and went to replays.
The Crystal Palace-Hitchin Town match was of curious interest as a replay of one of the first-round fixtures from the inaugural tournament of 1871–72. It was the first such match in the competition proper since Clapham Rovers and Upton Park had met in the fourth round of the 1880-81 tournament (although Maidenhead United and Marlow had subsequently been drawn together eight times in the qualifying rounds).
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Ashford Town (Kent)1–2Gillingham5 November 19602Chester0–1Carlisle United5 November 19603Chesterfield3–3Doncaster Rovers5 November 1960ReplayDoncaster Rovers0–1Chesterfield9 November 19604Darlington2–0Grimsby Town5 November 19605Bristol City11–0Chichester City5 November 19606Sutton United2–2Romford5 November 1960ReplayRomford5–0Sutton United9 November 19607Watford2–2Brentford5 November 1960ReplayBrentford0–2Watford8 November 19608Weymouth1–3Torquay United5 November 19609Reading6–2Millwall5 November 196010Walsall0–1Yeovil Town5 November 196011Crewe Alexandra1–1Rochdale5 November 1960ReplayRochdale1–2Crewe Alexandra8 November 196012Swindon Town2–2Bath City5 November 1960ReplayBath City4–6Swindon Town9 November 196013Shrewsbury Town4–1Newport County5 November 196014Bishop Auckland3–2Bridlington Town5 November 196015Tranmere Rovers1–0Bury5 November 196016Stockport County1–0Workington5 November 196017Dover1–4Peterborough United5 November 196018Wycombe Wanderers1–2Kettering Town5 November 196019Queens Park Rangers3–2Walthamstow Avenue5 November 196020Bangor City1–0Wrexham5 November 196021Accrington Stanley2–1Barrow5 November 196022Northampton Town2–1Hastings United5 November 196023Rhyl0–1Oldham Athletic5 November 196024Bradford City0–0Scarborough5 November 1960ReplayScarborough1–2Bradford City9 November 196025Hull City3–0Sutton Town5 November 196026Crystal Palace6–2Hitchin Town5 November 196027Worcester City1–4Coventry City5 November 196028Exeter City1–1Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic5 November 1960ReplayBournemouth & Boscombe Athletic3–1Exeter City9 November 196029Mansfield Town3–1Blyth Spartans5 November 196030Halifax Town5–1Hartlepools United5 November 196031Southport7–2Macclesfield Town5 November 196032Clacton Town1–3Southend United5 November 196033York City0–0Bradford Park Avenue5 November 1960ReplayBradford Park Avenue0–2York City9 November 196034Aldershot2–0Notts County5 November 196035Gateshead0–0Barnsley5 November 1960ReplayBarnsley2–0Gateshead9 November 196036Colchester United5–0Maidenhead United5 November 196037Chelmsford City2–3Port Vale5 November 196038Hendon2–2Oxford United5 November 1960ReplayOxford United3–2Hendon9 November 196039Bridgwater Town3–0Hereford United5 November 196040Loughborough United0–0King's Lynn5 November 1960ReplayKing's Lynn3–0Loughborough United9 November 1960
Second round proper The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 26 November 1960, with three matches taking place later. Seven matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week. However, the Darlington–Hull City match went to another three replays after this before the match finished in Hull City's favour.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Chesterfield4–4Oldham Athletic26 November 1960ReplayOldham Athletic0–3Chesterfield29 November 19602Darlington1–1Hull City26 November 1960ReplayHull City1–1Darlington28 November 1960ReplayDarlington1–1Hull City5 December 1960ReplayHull City0–0Darlington12 December 1960ReplayDarlington0–3Hull City15 December 19603Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic3–1Yeovil Town26 November 19604Reading4–2Kettering Town26 November 19605Gillingham3–2Southend United26 November 19606Swindon Town0–1Shrewsbury Town26 November 19607Tranmere Rovers1–1York City30 November 1960ReplayYork City2–1Tranmere Rovers5 December 19608Stockport County2–0Bishop Auckland26 November 19609Queens Park Rangers1–2Coventry City26 November 196010Bangor City1–1Southport26 November 1960ReplaySouthport3–1Bangor City29 November 196011Accrington Stanley3–0Mansfield Town30 November 196012King's Lynn2–2Bristol City26 November 1960ReplayBristol City3–0King's Lynn29 November 196013Bradford City1–2Barnsley26 November 196014Crystal Palace0–0Watford26 November 1960ReplayWatford1–0Crystal Palace29 November 196015Port Vale2–1Carlisle United26 November 196016Halifax Town2–2Crewe Alexandra29 November 1960ReplayCrewe Alexandra3–0Halifax Town5 December 196017Torquay United1–3Peterborough United26 November 196018Aldershot3–1Colchester United26 November 196019Romford1–5Northampton Town26 November 196020Oxford United2–1Bridgwater Town26 November 1960
Third round proper The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage.
The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 7 January 1961. Nine matches were drawn and went to replays, with two of these requiring a second replay. Oxford United was the last non-league club left in the competition.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate1Chesterfield0–0Blackburn Rovers7 January 1961ReplayBlackburn Rovers3–0Chesterfield11 January 19612Burnley1–0Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic7 January 19613Liverpool3–2Coventry City7 January 19614Preston North End1–1Accrington Stanley7 January 1961ReplayAccrington Stanley0–4Preston North End9 January 19615Southampton7–1Ipswich Town7 January 19616Reading1–1Barnsley7 January 1961ReplayBarnsley3–1Reading11 January 19617Gillingham2–6Leyton Orient7 January 19618Leicester City3–1Oxford United7 January 19619Nottingham Forest0–2Birmingham City7 January 196110Sheffield Wednesday2–0Leeds United7 January 196111Wolverhampton Wanderers1–1Huddersfield Town7 January 1961ReplayHuddersfield Town2–1Wolverhampton Wanderers11 January 196112Sunderland2–1Arsenal7 January 196113Lincoln City3–1West Bromwich Albion7 January 196114Luton Town4–0Northampton Town7 January 196115Everton0–1Sheffield United7 January 196116Stockport County3–1Southport7 January 196117Newcastle United5–0Fulham7 January 196118Tottenham Hotspur3–2Charlton Athletic7 January 196119Bristol Rovers1–1Aston Villa7 January 1961ReplayAston Villa4–0Bristol Rovers9 January 196120Portsmouth1–2Peterborough United7 January 196121West Ham United2–2Stoke City7 January 1961ReplayStoke City1–0West Ham United11 January 196122Brighton & Hove Albion3–1Derby County7 January 196123Manchester United3–0Middlesbrough7 January 196124Plymouth Argyle0–1Bristol City7 January 196125Hull City0–1Bolton Wanderers7 January 196126Chelsea1–2Crewe Alexandra7 January 196127Scunthorpe United6–2Blackpool7 January 196128Cardiff City1–1Manchester City7 January 1961ReplayManchester City0–0Cardiff City11 January 1961ReplayCardiff City0–2Manchester City16 January 196129Swansea Town3–0Port Vale7 January 196130York City1–1Norwich City7 January 1961ReplayNorwich City1–0York City11 January 196131Rotherham United1–0Watford7 January 196132Aldershot1–1Shrewsbury Town7 January 1961ReplayShrewsbury Town2–2Aldershot11 January 1961ReplayAldershot2–0Shrewsbury Town16 January 1961
Fourth round proper The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 28 January 1961, with three games postponed until 1 February. Six matches were drawn and went to replays, which were all played in the following midweek match, and one of these was then replayed a second time. Tottenham Hotspur and Crewe Alexandra were drawn together for the second consecutive season in the fourth round, with Tottenham having beaten Crewe 13–2 in a replay the one year earlier.
The fourth round match between second division Luton Town and first division Manchester City at Kenilworth Road was originally played on Saturday 28 January 1961. It saw Luton Town take a 2–0 lead before Denis Law scored 6 goals for Manchester City. The match was then abandoned at 6–2 to Manchester City due to a waterlogged pitch. When the match was held again 4 days later on Wednesday 1 February 1961, Luton Town beat Manchester City 3–1.