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1895 FA Cup final
	Match programme
Event	1894–95 FA Cup
Date	20 April 1895
Venue	Crystal Palace, London
Referee	John Lewis
Attendance	42,560
	← 1894 1896 →

The 1895 FA Cup final was contested by Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion at Crystal Palace. Aston Villa won 1–0, with Bob Chatt being credited with scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history, scored after just 30 seconds. This record would stand for 114 years before being broken by Louis Saha of Everton in the 2009 FA Cup Final with a goal after 25 seconds.

Summary

Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion became the first pair of clubs to meet in the FA Cup Final for a third time: the teams had previously met in the 1887 final, won by Villa, and the 1892 final, won by the Albion.^[1] The final was played for the first time at Crystal Palace, which was to host the finals for the next twenty years. The weather for the final was described as "a beautiful spring day",^[2] and consequently the crowd and press were still coming into the ground when the game kicked off.

From the kick-off, John Devey, the Villa centre-forward, swung the ball out to his inside-left, Dennis Hodgetts. Hodgetts' long cross-pass found Charlie Athersmith on the right, and his centre fell to Bob Chatt who sent the ball goalwards on a half volley. Albion's keeper Joe Reader was only able to get his fingers to the shot, and turned the ball across the goal mouth and, after a goalmouth scramble involving Devey and Albion defender Jack Horton, the ball was turned in to the net.^[3]

There are no accurate timings for the goal and different reports time it at between 30 and 39 seconds. At the time, many of the crowd and press missed the goal as they were still taking their seats, and the press reports indicated that Chatt had scored. According to Ward & Griffin in their "Essential History of Aston Villa" however, "after the game, the Villa players confirmed that John Devey had netted after Chatt's shot had been blocked straight into the latter's path and had ricocheted off his knee."^[4] Despite this claim, The Football Association still credit the goal to Chatt as having been scored on thirty seconds.^[5]

The fastest accurately timed goal was Louis Saha's effort for Everton after 25 seconds in the 2009 final.^[6]

Despite pressure from the Albion forwards, especially the outstanding Billy Bassett, Villa were able to hold on to their lead until half-time. In the second half, neither side was able to add to the score and Villa held on to win the cup for the second time.

Match details

20 April 1895

Aston Villa	1–0	West Bromwich Albion
Chatt 1'

Crystal Palace, London

Attendance: 42,560

Referee: John Lewis

Aston Villa

W.B. Albion^[7]



GK		Tom Wilkes
DF		Howard Spencer
DF		Jimmy Welford
MF		Jack Reynolds
MF		James Cowan
MF		George Russell
FW		Charlie Athersmith
FW		Bob Chatt
FW		John Devey (c)
FR		Dennis Hodgetts
FL		Stephen Smith
Manager:
George Ramsay



GK		Joe Reader
DF		Billy Williams
DF		Jack Horton
MD		Tom Perry
MD		Tom Higgins
MD		Jack Taggart
FW		Billy Bassett
FW		Roddy McLeod
FW		Billy Richards
FR		Tom Hutchinson
FL		Jack Banks
Manager:
Edward Stephenson

References

^ Ross, James M. (6 August 2020). "England FA Challenge Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
^ Philips Gibbons (2001). Association Football in Victorian England – A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900. Upfront Publishing. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-84426-035-5.
^ "1895 FA Cup Final". fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
^ Ward, Adam; Griffin, Jeremy (30 September 2002). The Essential History of Aston Villa. Headline book publishing. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7553-1140-8.
^ "FA Cup Trivia". thefa.com. Archived from the original on 6 January 2004. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
^ "2009 FA Cup Final". fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
^ FA Cup Final kits, 1890–1899