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FA Cup History: Man Utd
The history of Manchester United in the FA Cup is as rich as it gets. Only Arsenal have won the FA Cup more times than the Red Devils, and these two teams share the record for the most final appearances.
United’s first FA Cup win came in 1909 when they beat Bristol City in front of 71,000 fans at London’s Crystal Palace. In the century since, United have become an ever-present in the FA Cup but have not gone through the decades without controversy.
In this guide we’ll take you through the history, controversies and betting shocks suffered by Man United in FA Cup action. Discover how many FA Cups Manchester United have won, and the records they still hold to this day.
Manchester United FA Cup history
Manchester United's 12 FA Cup title victories are bettered only by Arsenal. Here’s a quick run-down of the Red Devils’ history in this competition.
The early years
Manchester United had to wait almost four decades between their first FA Cup triumph in 1909 and their second in 1948. At that time United were a middling team in English football, having won the second division back in 1936 to secure promotion to the top flight.
The 4-2 victory over Blackpool in 1948 was watched by almost 100,000 fans at Wembley. They would be there again in 1957 and 1958, losing both times to Aston Villa and Bolton respectively.
Sir Matt Busby, who guided United to that '48 triumph, was still managing when the team won the FA Cup for a third time in 1963. A 3-1 win over Leicester heralded a new dawn for United, who won the English First Division twice and the European Cup before the decade was out.
'70s revival
United were relegated to the Second Division in 1974 but bounced back a year later. That promotion would again prove a catalyst for the team, as they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the 1977 FA Cup final.
It would still be 25 years before they were again English champions but the team reached three more FA Cup finals before then, winning in 1983 and 1985.
'90s dominance
The 1990s was peak Manchester United. They won the FA Cup four times in that decade under Sir Alex Ferguson, and then again in 2004 and 2016.
The 1990 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace went to a replay after a 3-3 draw in the first game. Wembley victories over Chelsea ('94), Liverpool ('96) and Newcastle ('99) followed, while they also lost to Everton in the 1995 showdown.
Since the 1990s United have reached six more finals, losing four of them. They controversially didn’t take part in the 1999-2000 FA Cup and instead competed in the FIFA Club World Championship. The reaction from the public was severe but United went unpunished.
Manchester United FA Cup final appearances
Here’s a list of Manchester United’s FA Cup final appearances. To date, the club have played in a joint-record 21 finals, of which two have gone to a replay:
| DATE | OPPONENT | SCORE | ODDS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 | Bristol City | 1-0 | n/a |
| 1948 | Blackpool | 4-2 | n/a |
| 1957 | Aston Villa | 1-2 | n/a |
| 1958 | Bolton | 0-2 | n/a |
| 1963 | Leicester City | 3-1 | n/a |
| 1976 | Southampton | 0-1 | n/a |
| 1977 | Liverpool | 2-1 | n/a |
| 1979 | Arsenal | 2-3 | n/a |
| 1983 | Brighton | 4-0 (2-2 first game) | n/a |
| 1985 | Everton | 1-0 | n/a |
| 1990 | Crystal Palace | 1-0 (3-3 first game) | n/a |
| 1994 | Chelsea | 4-0 | n/a |
| 1995 | Everton | 0-1 | n/a |
| 1996 | Liverpool | 1-0 | n/a |
| 1999 | Newcastle | 2-0 | n/a |
| 2004 | Millwall | 3-0 | n/a |
| 2005 | Arsenal | 0-0 (4-5 pens.) | n/a |
| 2007 | Chelsea | 0-1 | n/a |
| 2016 | Crystal Palace | 2-1 | 8/11 |
| 2018 | Chelsea | 0-1 | 6/4 |
| 2023 | Manchester City | 1-2 | 24/5 |
Best Manchester United FA Cup bets
Manchester United FA Cup betting is particularly popular among football fans because the team always draws attention no matter who they face. United have endured their fair share of giant killings but have also done better than most in progressing to the semi-finals and final of this competition.
Here are three of the best Man Utd FA Cup bets football fans have made down the years:
Manchester United 0-1 Southampton, FA Cup final – May 1976
Manchester United were odds-on to win the FA Cup final in 1976 when facing Southampton at Wembley. The Red Devils were league champions and Saints were languishing in the Second Division.
But a wasteful United failed to take advantage of early chances and Saints got their opportunity through Bobby Stokes with seven minutes left. Southampton hung on despite an onslaught from Lou Macari and co., to deny United what would have been a fourth FA Cup title.
Manchester United 1-0 Everton, FA Cup final – May 1985
United aren't always the favourites when heading into FA Cup ties. Back in 1985 Everton were seeking to win the treble after already claiming the league title and European Cup Winners' Cup. But United were having none of it.
The Red Devils had finished fourth in the league that season with Bryan Robson as captain and they frustrated the Toffees in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley.
The game went to extra time still goalless and United went down to 10 men after Kevin Moran was dismissed. Norman Whiteside popped up with the winner. It was United's second FA Cup triumph in three years but the first in which they started the final as underdogs.
Manchester United 0-1 Leeds, FA Cup third round - January 2010
Leeds United were languishing in League One when they rocked Old Trafford in January 2010. A Jermaine Beckford goal split the two teams and left Sir Alex Ferguson bewildered on a night to forget for Red Devils fans.
Those who bet against Ferguson’s team that day got a price of around 17/1. The Man United FA Cup odds for a win were as short as 2/5.
Weird Manchester United FA Cup facts and stats
Here are some strange and wonderful FA Cup Manchester United facts and stats:
- Only Arsenal (14) have won more FA Cups than Manchester United (12).
- Manchester United and Everton share the record for the most FA Cup quarter-final appearances in history (47).
- United hold the record for the most FA Cup final defeats (9).
- Denis Law scored six goals in an FA Cup clash against Luton in 1961. The haul would have been an FA Cup at the time, had the game not been abandoned on 69 minutes due to torrential rain.
- Sixteen goals were scored by 16 different players in the three FA Cup semis of 1989/90, which included United's clash with Oldham going to a replay. Bryan Robson, Neil Webb, David Wallace, Brian McCLair and Mark Robins got the goals for United.
- Neil Ruddock sold Eric Cantona's 1996 FA Cup final shirt for £15,000 in 2013.
- Kevin Moran was the first player to be sent off in an FA Cup final when seeing red against Everton in 1985. Moran was not allowed to collect his FA Cup winner's medal after the game.
How many times have Manchester United won the FA Cup?
Manchester United have won the FA Cup 12 times and have appeared in 21 FA Cup finals. Two of those finals went to replays (1983 vs Brighton; 1990 vs Crystal Palace) and United won both replayed games. Only Arsenal (14) have won more FA Cups than Manchester United as of 2023.
