| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England Wales |
| Defending champions | Wimbledon |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Liverpool(4th title) |
| Runners-up | Everton |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Top goal scorer | John Aldridge (6) |
The1988–89 FA Cup was the 108th season of the world's oldestfootball knockout competition,The Football Association Challenge Cup, orFA Cup for short.
Most participating clubs that were not members of theFootball League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 28 places available in the first round.
The winners from the fourth qualifying round wereFrickley Athletic,Southport,Barrow,Runcorn,Brandon United,Guisborough Town,Northwich Victoria,Altrincham,Halesowen Town,Dagenham,Welling United,Grays Athletic,Bromsgrove Rovers,Aylesbury United,Hayes,Woking,Stafford Rangers,Kettering Town,Hendon,Yeovil Town,Dartford,Waterlooville,Merthyr Tydfil,Sutton United,Fareham Town,Bognor Regis Town,Fisher Athletic andNewport County.
Guisborough Town was the only qualifying club appearing in the competition proper for the first time. Of the others, Brandon United had last featured at this stage in1979–80, Barrow had last done so in1976-77 and Grays Athletic had last done so in1952-53.
Already experiencing acute financial difficulties when they were relegated from the Football League at the end of the previous season, Newport County was unable to recover in their first season of non-league competition since1919-20. Beaten by eventualFootball Conference champions Maidstone United in the first round of the FA Cup, County was wound up and disbanded in February 1989 with their final league record being expunged.
The 48 teams from theFootball League Third andFourth Divisions entered in this round along with the 28 non-league clubs from the qualifying rounds andEnfield,Telford United,Maidstone United andBath City who were given byes. The first round of games were played over the weekend 19–20 November 1988, with most replays being played on 22–23 November. All other replays were played on 28 November. Brandon United and Guisborough Town, from theNorthern League at Step 8 of English football, were the lowest-ranked teams in the round.
The second round of games were played over 10–11 December 1988, with the first round of replays being played on 13–14 December. The Aldershot-Bristol City game went to two more replays. Step 6 sides Bath City, from theSouthern League Premier Division, and Bognor Regis Town, from theIsthmian League Premier Division, were the lowest-ranked teams in the round.
Teams from theFootball League First andSecond Divisions entered in this round. The third round of games in the FA Cup were played over the weekend 7–8 January 1989, with the first set of replays being played on 10–11 January. Two games went to second replays, and one to a third replay. The round featured three clubs from theFootball Conference at Step 5 of English football: Welling United, Sutton United and Kettering Town.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackpool (3) | 0–1 | AFC Bournemouth (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 2 | Sutton United (5) | 2–1 | Coventry City (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| 3 | Walsall (2) | 1–1 | Brentford (3) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Brentford | 1–0 | Walsall | 10 January 1989 |
| 4 | Nottingham Forest (1) | 3–0 | Ipswich Town (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 5 | Sheffield Wednesday (1) | 5–1 | Torquay United (4) | 7 January 1989 |
| 6 | Crewe Alexandra (4) | 2–3 | Aston Villa (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| 7 | Middlesbrough (1) | 1–2 | Grimsby Town (4) | 7 January 1989 |
| 8 | West Bromwich Albion (2) | 1–1 | Everton (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Everton | 1–0 | West Bromwich Albion | 11 January 1989 |
| 9 | Sunderland (2) | 1–1 | Oxford United (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Oxford United | 2–0 | Sunderland | 11 January 1989 |
| 10 | Derby County (1) | 1–1 | Southampton (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Southampton | 1–2 | Derby County | 10 January 1989 |
| 11 | Shrewsbury Town (2) | 0–3 | Colchester United (4) | 7 January 1989 |
| 12 | Tranmere Rovers (4) | 1–1 | Reading (3) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Reading | 2–1 | Tranmere Rovers | 11 January 1989 |
| 13 | Newcastle United (1) | 0–0 | Watford (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Watford | 2–2 | Newcastle United | 10 January 1989 |
| Replay | Newcastle United | 0–0 | Watford | 16 January 1989 |
| Replay | Watford | 1–0 | Newcastle United | 18 January 1989 |
| 14 | Manchester City (2) | 1–0 | Leicester City (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 15 | Barnsley (2) | 4–0 | Chelsea (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 16 | Portsmouth (2) | 1–1 | Swindon Town (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Swindon Town | 2–0 | Portsmouth | 10 January 1989 |
| 17 | West Ham United (1) | 2–2 | Arsenal (1) | 8 January 1989 |
| Replay | Arsenal | 0–1 | West Ham United | 11 January 1989 |
| 18 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | 1–2 | Leeds United (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 19 | Manchester United (1) | 0–0 | Queens Park Rangers (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Queens Park Rangers | 2–2 | Manchester United | 11 January 1989 |
| Replay | Manchester United | 3–0 | Queens Park Rangers | 23 January 1989 |
| 20 | Plymouth Argyle (2) | 2–0 | Cambridge United (4) | 7 January 1989 |
| 21 | Bradford City (2) | 1–0 | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| 22 | Millwall (1) | 3–2 | Luton Town (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| 23 | Carlisle United (4) | 0–3 | Liverpool (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| 24 | Huddersfield Town (3) | 0–1 | Sheffield United (3) | 7 January 1989 |
| 25 | Cardiff City (3) | 1–2 | Hull City (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 26 | Port Vale (3) | 1–3 | Norwich City (1) | 8 January 1989 |
| 27 | Charlton Athletic (1) | 2–1 | Oldham Athletic (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 28 | Kettering Town (5) | 1–1 | Halifax Town (4) | 7 January 1989 |
| Replay | Halifax Town | 2–3 | Kettering Town | 10 January 1989 |
| 29 | Stoke City (2) | 1–0 | Crystal Palace (2) | 7 January 1989 |
| 30 | Birmingham City (2) | 0–1 | Wimbledon (1) | 7 January 1989 |
| 31 | Hartlepool United (4) | 1–0 | Bristol City (3) | 7 January 1989 |
| 32 | Welling United (5) | 0–1 | Blackburn Rovers (2) | 7 January 1989 |
The fourth round of games were played over the weekend 28–29 January 1989, with replays being played on 31 January – 1 February. Sutton United and Kettering Town were again the lowest-ranked teams in the round, and they were also the last non-league clubs left in the competition.
The fifth set of games were played over the weekend 18–19 February 1989, with replay being played on 22 February. Fourth Division side Grimsby Town was the lowest-ranked team in the draw.
| Tie no | Home team | Score | Away team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AFC Bournemouth | 1–1 | Manchester United | 18 February 1989 |
| Replay | Manchester United | 1–0 | AFC Bournemouth | 22 February 1989 |
| 2 | Watford | 0–3 | Nottingham Forest | 19 February 1989 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–2 | Brentford | 18 February 1989 |
| 4 | Barnsley | 0–1 | Everton | 18 February 1989 |
| 5 | Norwich City | 3–2 | Sheffield United | 18 February 1989 |
| 6 | Hull City | 2–3 | Liverpool | 18 February 1989 |
| 7 | Wimbledon | 3–1 | Grimsby Town | 18 February 1989 |
| 8 | Charlton Athletic | 0–1 | West Ham United | 18 February 1989 |
Most of the sixth round of FA Cup games were played over the weekend 18–19 March 1989, with a replay on 22 March.
Third Division Brentford was the last club from the First Round left in the competition, but their impressive cup run was ended by a 4–0 defeat at Liverpool, who were chasingthe double.
Wimbledon's defence of the trophy ended with a 1–0 defeat at Everton.
West Ham United, struggling in the league but thriving in the cup competitions (as League Cup semi-finalists), surrendered their chances of FA Cup glory with a 3-1 replay defeat to Norwich City following a goalless draw in the first game.
Nottingham Forest kept alive their outside chances of a unique domestic treble by winning 1–0 against Manchester United, who lost their own last chance of silverware in a season in which they had failed to feature in the title race.
| Norwich City | 3–1 | West Ham United |
|---|---|---|
Allen 25',27'Gordon 86' | Ince 75' |
The FA Cup semi-finals were scheduled for 15 April 1989 and this was the last year that both games were scheduled to be held simultaneously on a Saturday afternoon with a 3pm kick off. The Everton–Norwich City game was completed as expected, but the Liverpool–Nottingham Forest game was abandoned after six minutes due to theHillsborough Disaster. The disaster caused 94 deaths on 15 April 1989 (the final death toll was 97). There was talk that the competition for this season would be abandoned, but on 30 April, it was confirmed that both teams would continue in the competition and play in a rescheduled semi-final, which was played on 7 May and won 3–1 byLiverpool.[1]
Norwich's hopes of a first-ever FA Cup final were ended asEverton beat them 1–0 to book the second all-Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons.
The second all-Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons ended like the previous one, withLiverpool beatingEverton andIan Rush scoring twice, although this time the scoreline was 3–2 rather than 3–1.
A fourth-minute goal fromJohn Aldridge handed the initiative to Liverpool, but a late equaliser by substituteStuart McCall forced extra-time. Another substitute Ian Rush restored Liverpool's lead five minutes into extra time, before McCall's second goal drew the scores level after 102 minutes. However, a second goal from Rush came just two minutes later, and the trophy went toAnfield.
As a tribute to the fans who had died in the Hillsborough disaster, both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence prior to the match.
          Liverpool |  Everton |
TheBBC had all rights to show FA Cup games. They were able to show one live game from Round 3 onwards as part of Match of the Day Live. They were also able to show highlights of games from Round 1 onwards onMatch of the Day.[2]These matches were.
Match of the Day was due to show highlights of both FA Cup Semi-finals, but this was cancelled due to theHillsborough disaster with the entire programme reflecting on the tragic events. The rescheduled Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest match at Old Trafford was the first semi-final ever to be televised live and highlights of the other semi final between Everton and Norwich, which coincided with the Hillsborough disaster, were not shown until the build-up coverage on the day of the final.