| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England Wales Ireland |
| Defending champions | West Bromwich Albion |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Preston North End (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
The1888–89 FA Cup was the 18th edition of the world's oldestfootball knockout competition,The Football Association Challenge Cup, orFA Cup.
The new format for the FA Cup saw 22 teams - the four semi-finalists from the previous season (Preston North End,Crewe Alexandra,West Bromwich Albion andDerby Junction) along with eighteen teams invited by the FA - receiving automatic exemption to the first round proper.
The clubs invited did not includeBolton Wanderers,Everton,Notts County andStoke from the Football League and so those clubs were entered at thefirst qualifying round stage.Everton withdrew from the competition after being drawn to meetUlster in Belfast in their first match, whileStoke became the first League club to be eliminated by non-League opponents when they fell toWarwick County at theVictoria Ground also in the first qualifying round. Ultimately onlyNotts County successfully progressed to the competition proper afterBolton Wanderers lost toLinfield Athletic in Belfast in the third qualifying round.
The nine non-League clubs progressing from the qualifying rounds wereWrexham,Sheffield Heeley,Chatham,Grimsby Town,South Shore,Old Brightonians,Linfield Athletic,Sunderland Albion andSmall Heath. Additionally, the twelve non-league clubs receiving exemption to the first round by invitation wereOld Westminsters,Witton,Bootle,Swifts,Nottingham Forest,Halliwell,The Wednesday,Birmingham St George's,Walsall Town Swifts,Old Carthusians,Notts Rangers andLong Eaton Rangers.
For information on all matches played from the first qualifying round to the fourth qualifying round, see1888–89 FA Cup qualifying rounds.
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley | 4–3 | Old Westminsters | 2 February 1889 |
| Swifts | 3–1 | Wrexham | 2 February 1889 |
| Notts County | 2–0 | Old Brightonians | 2 February 1889 |
| Nottingham Forest | 2–2 | Linfield Athletic | 2 February 1889 |
| Aston Villa | 3–2 | Witton | 2 February 1889 |
| Bootle | 0–3 | Preston North End | 2 February 1889 |
| Accrington | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 February 1889 |
| Chatham | 2–1 | South Shore | 2 February 1889 |
| Grimsby Town | 3–1 | Sunderland Albion | 2 February 1889 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 2–2 | Halliwell | 2 February 1889 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–3 | Old Carthusians | 2 February 1889 |
| Derby County | 1–0 | Derby Junction | 2 February 1889 |
| Notts Rangers | 1–1 | The Wednesday | 2 February 1889 |
| Birmingham St George's | 3–2 | Long Eaton Rangers | 2 February 1889 |
| Small Heath | 2–3 | West Bromwich Albion | 2 February 1889 |
| Walsall Town Swifts | 5–1 | Sheffield Heeley | 2 February 1889 |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham Forest | Walkover | Linfield Athletic | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 5–0 | Accrington | 9 February 1889 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 1–5 | Halliwell[1] | 9 February 1889 |
| The Wednesday | 3–0 | Notts Rangers | 9 February 1889 |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn Rovers | Walkover | Swifts | |
| Aston Villa | 5–3 | Derby County | 16 February 1889 |
| The Wednesday | 3–2 | Notts County | 16 February 1889 |
| Chatham | 1–1 | Nottingham Forest | 16 February 1889 |
| Grimsby Town | 0–2 | Preston North End | 16 February 1889 |
| Halliwell | 2–3 | Birmingham St George's | 16 February 1889 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 6–1 | Walsall Town Swifts | 16 February 1889 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 5–1 | Burnley | 16 February 1889 |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nottingham Forest | 2–2 | Chatham | 23 February 1889 |
| Score | Date | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham | 3–2 | Nottingham Forest | 28 February 1889 | Kennington Oval |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston North End | 2–0 | Birmingham St George's | 2 March 1889 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 8–1 | Aston Villa | 2 March 1889 |
| Chatham | 1–10 | West Bromwich Albion | 2 March 1889 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–0 | The Wednesday | 2 March 1889 |
| Score | Date | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston North End | 1–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 16 March 1889 | Bramall Lane, Sheffield |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | 16 March 1889 | Alexandra Road, Crewe |
| Score | Date | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn Rovers | 1–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 23 March 1889 | Alexandra Road, Crewe |
| Score | Date | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston North End | 3–0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 March 1889 | Kennington Oval |