Huddersfield Town finished runners-up in the 1920 FA Cup
- 100 years since Huddersfield Town’s first FA Cup Final
- Over 50,000 people watched the Final at Stamford Bridge
- Aston Villa lifted the FA Cup after winning 1-0
Looking back at Huddersfield Town’s first ever FA Cup Final on 24 April 1920.
This was the start of the Golden Era for Huddersfield Town as the Club began to assert itself as a dominant force in English football.
Wins over Brentford, Newcastle United, Plymouth Argyle, Liverpool and Bristol City helped Ambrose Langley’s Town side to the Final. They faced Aston Villa, who had won the FA Cup on five previous occasions.
Prior to this game, the ‘Smile A While’ Anthem was adopted and sung by Town supporters.
There was a crowd of 50,018 for the eagerly anticipated Final at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. Villa were an established First Division team and Town were on their way to winning promotion from the Second Division.
The match was closely contested and went down in the history books for the first ever FA Cup Final going to extra-time. Unfortunately for Town, who were without the suspended talsimanic left-winger Billy Smith, it was Villa who found the all-important goal.
Billy Kirton slipped the ball past Sandy Mutch in the Town net to clinch the trophy for Villa for a record sixth time.
Despite finishing runners-up, it was still a momentous occasion for Huddersfield Town and the players received a huge congratulations for their efforts from over 10,000 Town supporters who waited for them after the Final.
Town’s team was that game Sandy Mutch, James Wood, Fred Bullock (c), Charlie Slade, Tom Wilson, Billy Watson, George Richardson, Frank Mann, Sam Taylor, Jack Swann and Ernie Islip.
