The 1947–48 FA Cup was the 67th staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Manchester United won the competition for only the second time, beating Blackpool 4–2 in the final at Wembley.

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.

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 25 places available in the first round.

The 25 winners from the fourth qualifying round were Bishop Auckland, Stockton, South Shields, Workington, Lancaster City, Marine, Runcorn, Stalybridge Celtic, Bromsgrove Rovers, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, Grantham, Vauxhall Motors (Luton), Colchester United, Great Yarmouth Town, Banbury Spencer, Gillingham, Bromley, Horsham, Dartford, Guildford City, Trowbridge Town, Cheltenham Town, Merthyr Tydfil and Street.

Those appearing in the competition proper for the first time were Bromsgrove Rovers, Vauxhall Motors (Luton), Great Yarmouth Town, Banbury Spencer, Horsham and the re-formed South Shields. Bromsgrove's surprise qualification marked the first time the club had progressed past the preliminary round since 1921–22.

Banbury Spencer was the only club to progress from the extra preliminary round to the competition proper, defeating Oxford City, Osberton Radiator, the team from the Cowley-based Metal & Produce Recovery Depot, Maidenhead United, Southall and Grays Athletic before losing to Colchester United in that club's historic run to the fifth round.

At this stage 41 clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined the 25 non-league clubs that came through the qualifying rounds. Rotherham United, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea Town were given byes to the third round. To make the number of matches up, non-league Leytonstone and Wimbledon, the previous season's F. A. Amateur Cup winners and runners-up, were given byes to this round.

34 matches were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 29 November 1947. Six were drawn and went to replays.

The matches were played on Saturday, 13 December 1947. Seven matches were drawn, with replays taking place the following Saturday. One of these then went to a second replay.

The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage, along with Rotherham United, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea Town.

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 10 January 1948. Two matches were drawn and went to replays on the following Saturday.

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 24 January 1948. One game was drawn and went to a replay, which was played on the following Saturday.

The matches were scheduled for Saturday, 7 February 1948. There was one replay, taking place the following Saturday. Colchester United, the first non-league club to reach this stage (or its pre-1925 equivalent) since Cardiff City in 1919-20, was the last club from the qualifying rounds left in the competition.

The four quarter-final ties were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 28 February 1948. There was one replay, in the QPR–Derby County match.

The semi-final matches were played on Saturday, 13 March 1948. Manchester United and Blackpool won their ties to meet in the final at Wembley. The gate receipts for the tie at Villa Park were £18,817 a record at the time for that ground.

13 March 1948

15:00

Blackpool	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Tottenham Hotspur
Stan Mortensen 86', 93', ?'		Duquemin 64'

Villa Park, Birmingham

Attendance: 70,687

13 March 1948

15:00

Manchester United	3–1	Derby County
Stan Pearson

Hillsborough, Sheffield

The 1948 FA Cup final was contested by Manchester United and Blackpool at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1948. Both teams played in a changed strip, Blackpool in white shirts and blue shorts and Manchester United in unfamiliar blue shirts and white shorts. Stanley Matthews was playing his first season for Blackpool and they led the favourites 2-1 only to lose to United, who hadn't appeared in an FA Cup final for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley and one apiece from Stan Pearson and John Anderson. Eddie Shimwell and Stan Mortensen scored Blackpool's goals. With his goal, Shimwell became the first full-back to score at Wembley whilst Stan Mortensen maintained his record of scoring in every round. The cup had gone to United in a game that many critics still rate as the best footballing final ever seen at Wembley Stadium. One reporter David Pole, commented; "If United's display was as close to perfection as any team could hope to go, Blackpool's was not far behind."

24 April 1948

Manchester United	4–2	Blackpool
Rowley 28' 70' Pearson 80' Anderson 82'	(Report)	Shimwell 12' (pen.) Mortensen 35'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 99,842

Referee: C. J. Barrick (Northamptonshire)

Manchester United

Blackpool

• List of FA Cup finals

General

• Official site; fixtures and results service at TheFA.com
• 1947-48 FA Cup at rssf.com
• 1947-48 FA Cup at soccerbase.com

Specific