This year, Harrow School and the Emirates FA Cup are celebrating their 450th and 150th anniversaries respectively, and on Wednesday 16 March 2022 we joined forces to commemorate 150 years to the day since our showpiece event’s inaugural Final.
Our new Chair, Debbie Hewitt, unveiled a specially commissioned plaque dedicated to Charles Alcock, an Old Harrovian pupil who is credited as the competition’s founding father, on the school’s Sunley Field.
Alcock became our Secretary after leaving Harrow and proposed "it is desirable that a Challenge Cup should be established in connection with the Association for which all clubs belonging to the Association should be invited to compete."
The competition’s first Final was held on Wednesday 16 March 1872 at the Oval, with Wanderers beating the Royal Engineers by a goal to nil, and Alcock also becoming the first captain to lift its original trophy.
Debbie Hewitt said: “It was both an honour and a privilege to unveil a unique plaque on behalf of the FA. The world’s longest running domestic cup competition is inextricably linked with Charles Alcock and Harrow School, and his idea for a competition that is open to all still remains as relevant in its 150th anniversary season as when it first began. We owe him a significant debt of gratitude for his foresight and vision.”
Twelve local primary schools with whom Harrow has formed strong partnerships competed for the Charles Alcock Cup, and eight senior teams, including the aptly named Old Harrovian side the Wanderers, also contested the 150th Anniversary Cup on the same day.
A replica of the FA Cup’s oldest surviving trophy, as well as its current famous silverware, were also present and provided a once in a lifetime experience for all those taking part.
Harrow School’s Head Master, Alastair Land, said: “We were delighted to welcome the FA to Harrow School to celebrate this special anniversary and to honour Old Harrovian Charles Alcock. The FA Cup was modelled on Harrow’s house competitions, which are still held annually, and we had twelve local primary schools taking part to represent the twelve Harrow houses.
“It is fitting as we co-celebrate the FA Cup 150 and Harrow 450 that we take the opportunity to relive founding moments with our partner schools and to work at football’s grassroots. I’m thrilled that thanks to Alcock, a small part of Harrow’s history is being carried through the generations.”
