This year’s COVID-19 delayed FA Cup final will be held a week tomorrow on Saturday 1 August 2020 (5pm) with Arsenal playing Chelsea in a London derby. Its timely then to highlight a sporting visionary who created the FA Cup tournament: Charlie Alcock (1842 –1907). He was an outstanding footballer and cricketer and sports administrator.

Not only did Alcock come up with the idea of the football knockout tournament, he also played in the first FA Cup final held at the Kennington Oval in 1872 for Wanderers who went on to beat the Royal Engineers: 1-0. Alcock also organised the first ever international soccer match between Scotland and England (1870). He later went on to referee the 1875 and 1879 FA Cup Finals. 

In cricket Charles was equally accomplished and captained Middlesex in the first county match in 1867, before later playing for Essex. In his role as Secretary of Surrey Cricket Club he had the idea of an international match between England and Australia and arranged for the first Test match to be played at the Oval in 1880. The Ashes is played every two years and is next scheduled for 2021. In the meantime if you would like to see a sculpture of the first FA Cup trophy, search out Alcock’s grave in West Norwood cemetery (square 86, grave 14,689).

More on Charles can be found here: www.immortalsofbritishsport.com/1800-1875/charles-alcock/