1935 At Wimbledon FC Leytonstone v HMS Victory 2nd Round 4th Replay FA Amateur Cup Programme

Very rare programme indeed for the infamous game which was played at Plough Lane, on the 23rd February 1935, the home of Wimbledon Football Club; between Leytonstone and HMS Victory in the second round of the FA Amateur Cup, this match was the 4th replay.  There is as is usual some paper loss to the bottom of the programme as can be seen in the scans, this is an exceptionally rare issue and we doubt there is another programme from this game anywhere else in the world for sale.

HMS Victory’s extraordinary 1934 cup run

HMS Victory were a Royal Navy side based around Portsmouth dockyard personnel. In the 1934 Amateur Cup they drew Leytonstone F.C. in the second round.

The tie became absurdly long:

• First match at Leytonstone: 0–0
• Replay in Portsmouth: 0–0
• Second replay at Leytonstone: 3–3
• Third replay at Leytonstone: HMS Victory won 5–3
• Then an ineligible player was discovered, so the result was voided
• A FOURTH replay was ordered — at Wimbledon

That fourth replay at Wimbledon became legendary.

Thousands of sailors travelled from Portsmouth to London to support HMS Victory. The match reportedly lasted a combined total of around nine and a half hours across all replays before the tie was finally settled. HMS Victory won the deciding replay 2–1.

After that marathon, HMS Victory advanced to the next round — where they again played at Wimbledon and lost 3–0.