For twenty years following the formation of the Football Association in 1863, the game was largely dominated by the clubs formed by the gentlemen amateurs of the Home Counties, most of whom had been introduced to the game whilst pupils at the various public schools. Not surprisingly, it was these sides that also dominated the early years of the FA Cup from 1871. 
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Wanderers [originally founded as Forest FC in 1859] won the first two finals and a further three in the 1870s. Old Etonians meanwhile, played in six FA Cup finals, winning twice in 1878-79 and 1881-82, defeating Blackburn Rovers on the latter occasion. Rovers had been the first provincial side to reach the Final, but the creeping threat from the North had been coming: Sheffield had been quarter-finalists three times; whilst both Nottingham Forest (twice) and Darwen had been semi-finalists.

Read the rest of David Bauckham's article at https://dbauckham.exposure.co/arthurian-legend.