| 1873–74 FA Cup | |
| Country: | England |
| Dates: | 9 October 1873 – 14 March 1874 |
| Num Teams: | 28 |
| Defending Champions: | Wanderers |
| Winners: | Oxford University |
| Count: | 1 |
| Second: | Royal Engineers |
| Matches: | 26 |
| Goals: | 58 |
| Prev Season: | 1872–73 |
| Next Season: | 1874–75 |
The 1873–74 Football Association Challenge Cup was the third staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. Twenty-eight teams entered, twelve more than the previous season, although six of the twenty-eight never played a match.
First round: The 28 teams would play. The winners would move on.
Second round: The remaining 14 teams would play. The winner would move on.
Third round: 6 teams, with Swifts getting a bye, would play.
Semi-final: The 4 teams would play.
Final: The two semi-final teams would face each other. The winner would be crowned champion
| Round | Date | Fixtures | Clubs | New entries this round | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=55 | Original | width=55 | Replays | width=55 | Walkovers | width=55 | Byes | ||
| align=left | First round | align=left | 9 October - 17 November 1873 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 28 → 14 | 28 |
| align=left | Second round | align=left | 15 November - 20 December 1873 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 → 7 | none |
| align=left | Third round | align=left | 6 December 1873 - 17 January 1874 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 → 4 | none |
| align=left | Semi-finals | align=left | January 28 - February 28, 1874 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 → 2 | none |
| align=left | Final | align=left | March 14, 1874 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 → 1 | none |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow | 0–1 | Pilgrims | 9 October 1873 | |
| Royal Engineers | 5–0 | Brondesbury | 11 October 1873 | |
| Woodford Wells | 3–2 | Reigate Priory | 11 October 1873 | |
| Swifts | 1–0 | Crystal Palace | 18 October 1873 | |
| 1st Surrey Rifles | 0–0 | Barnes | 25 October 1873 | |
| Cambridge University | 1–0 | South Norwood | 25 October 1873 | |
| Uxbridge | 3–0 | Gitanos | 28 October 1873 | |
| Upton Park | 0–4 | Oxford University | 29 October 1873 | |
| Shropshire Wanderers | 0–0 | Sheffield | 30 October 1873 | |
| Clapham Rovers | Walkover | Amateur Athletic Club | ||
| High Wycombe | Walkover | Old Etonians | ||
| Maidenhead | Walkover | Civil Service | ||
| Trojans | Walkover | Farningham | ||
| Wanderers | Walkover | Southall | ||
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes | 1–0 | 1st Surrey Rifles | 8 November 1873 | ||
| Sheffield | 0–0 Sheffield won on coin toss[1] | Shropshire Wanderers | 17 November 1873 |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clapham Rovers | 1–1 | Cambridge University | 15 November 1873 | |
| Maidenhead | 1–0 | High Wycombe | 22 November 1873 | |
| Oxford University | 2–0 | Barnes | 22 November 1873 | |
| Sheffield | 1–0 | Pilgrims | 22 November 1873 | |
| Swifts | 2–1 | Woodford Wells | 22 November 1873 | |
| Royal Engineers | 2–1 | Uxbridge | 26 November 1873 | |
| Wanderers | Walkover | Trojans | ||
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clapham Rovers | 1–1 | Cambridge University | 29 November 1873 | ||
| Clapham Rovers | 4–1 | Cambridge University | 20 December 1873 |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wanderers | 1–1 | Oxford University | 6 December 1873 | ||
| Royal Engineers | 7–0 | Maidenhead | 10 December 1873 | ||
| Clapham Rovers | 2–1 | Sheffield | Matched played at Peterborough[2] | 17 January 1874 | |
| Swifts | Bye |
| Home Club | Score | Away Club | Attendance | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Engineers | 2–0 | Swifts | 28 January 1874 | ||
| Oxford University | 1–0 | Clapham Rovers | 28 February 1874 |
Both semi-finals were played at Kennington Oval, London.
See main article: 1874 FA Cup Final.