| 1954 FA Cup final | |
| Event: | 1953–54 FA Cup |
| Team1: | West Bromwich Albion |
| Team1score: | 3 |
| Team2: | Preston North End |
| Team2score: | 2 |
| Date: | 1 May 1954 |
| Stadium: | Wembley Stadium |
| City: | London |
| Referee: | Arthur Luty (Leeds) |
| Attendance: | 100,000 |
| Previous: | 1953 |
| Next: | 1955 |
The 1954 FA Cup final was a football match between West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End, played on 1 May 1954 at the original Wembley Stadium in London. It was the final match of the 1953–54 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup). The match was the 73rd FA Cup Final and the 26th to be played at Wembley.
West Bromwich Albion were appearing in their ninth final, having won the cup on three previous occasions, while Preston had won the competition twice and were playing in the final for the sixth time. The two clubs had met in one final before in 1888, with Albion winning 2–1 on that occasion; in this match, Albion won 3–2. Ronnie Allen opened the scoring but Preston soon equalised through Angus Morrison. Preston then took the lead through Charlie Wayman. Allen equalised from the penalty spot before a late goal from Frank Griffin secured the cup for Albion for the fourth time. Albion finished second in the league table, losing out on "the double" to Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The last surviving member of the winning team, Ray Barlow, died in March 2012 at the age of 85. Upon his death on 31 December 2020, Tommy Docherty was the last surviving player from the match.
Both clubs were members of the First Division, West Bromwich Albion having finished as runners-up during the 1953–54 league season and Preston North End 11th. Albion were victorious in both league matches between the two sides, winning 2–0 at Deepdale and 3–2 at The Hawthorns.[1] The teams had met on six previous occasions in the FA Cup. Albion had won four of those ties, including the 1886–87 semi-final and 1888 final, while Preston were victorious in the semi-finals of 1888–89 and 1936–37.[2]
See also: 1953–54 FA Cup.
| 3rd | Chelsea (h) | 1–0 | |
| 4th | Rotherham United (h) | 4–0 | |
| 5th | Newcastle United (h) | 3–2 | |
| 6th | Tottenham Hotspur (h) | 3–0 | |
| Semi-final | Port Vale (n) | 2–1 |
Staffordshire rivals and Third Division North leaders Port Vale were the opposition in the semi-final, which was played at the neutral venue of Villa Park in front of a near 70,000 crowd. Vale's Albert Leake opened the scoring before the break, but Albion equalised just after the hour when Jimmy Dudley's cross evaded the Vale goalkeeper Ray King and ended up in the net. Ronnie Allen, playing against his former team, scored the winning goal for Albion from a penalty kick, following a foul on George Lee.[7] leading to scenes of wild celebration from the Albion supporters.
| 3rd | Derby County (a) | 0-2 | |
| 4th | Lincoln City (a) | 0-2 | |
| 5th | Ipswich Town (h) | 6-1 | |
| 6th | Leicester City | 1-1 (a) | |
| 2-2 (h) | |||
| 1-3 (a) | |||
| Semi-final | Sheffield Wednesday (n) | 2-0 |
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