After the FA Cup, the oldest knock-out competition in British Football is The Arthur Dunn Cup. It carries the name of Old Etonian Arthur Tempest Blakiston Dunn (1860-1902), one of the finest footballers of his generation who won five England caps and was the last amateur captain of the national team. In addition to playing for Old Etonians, including in the 1882 and 1883 FA Cup Finals, Dunn also played thirty-two times for Corinthians, scoring twelve goals. In 1901 not long before he died suddenly at the age of just forty-two, Dunn had put forward the idea of an Old Boys cup competition, no doubt mindful that the dominance of the Public Schools in the FA Cup had been broken, and the Arthur Dunn Cup was born in 1903 as a lasting memorial. The first President of the competition was Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird (1847-1923), who had played alongside Dunn as the Captain of Old Etonians. Kinnaird played in a remarkable nine FA Cup Finals, and was on the winning side five times with Eton and the Wanderers. He was later President of the Football Association, and such was his contribution that in 1911 he was presented with the FA Cup itself.

Read the rest of David Bauckham's article at https://dbauckham.exposure.co/old-school-ties and show your gratitude by voting for David in this year's Football Supporters' Federation Annual Awards at ​https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fsf-awards-2016.

Dates
First Round = on or before 12th November 2016
Second Round = on or before 17th December 2016
Quarter-Finals = on or before 6th February 2017
Semi-Finals = on or before 4th March 2017
The Final will be played on Saturday 22 April 2017

1.    The dates for the 1st Round matches are on the site. Please note that all factors (e.g. school half terms/the dates for the opening rounds of the AFA Senior) were considered thus dates may only be changed with the prior agreement of the Hon Secretary. 

2.    Wherever possible, the ties should be played at the school of the home team on a grass pitch.

3.    It has not gone unnoticed that there has been an unwelcome spate of last-minute withdrawals over the past few seasons - with scant regard for the traditions of the Competition and even less regard for the schools who kindly make catering arrangements or indeed those spectators who have made travel plans. 

Given the Arthur Dunn Cup is an invitational tournament, any Club unwilling/unable to fulfil its fixtures is liable to have its invitation to the competition revoked.

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.

​Details of the draw for the Arthur Dunn Cup 2015-2016 can be found here
Holders: Old Carthusians 

Preliminary Round 
A. Old Millfieldians vs. Old Kimboltonians 
B. Old Alleynians vs. Old Amplefordians 
C. Old Merchant Taylors vs. Old Bancroftians 

First Round 
1. Winner of Preliminary C vs. Old Radleians 
2. Old Westminsters vs. Old Wykehamists 
3. Old Carthusians vs. Old Foresters 
4. Winner of Preliminary B vs. Old Sennockians 
5. Old Eastbournians vs. Old Haileyburians 
6. KCS Old Boys vs. Old Wellingburians 
7. Old King’s Scholars vs. Lancing Old Boys 
8. Old Etonians vs. Old Chigwellians 
9. Old Reptonians vs. Old Wellingtonians 
10. Old Oundelians vs. Old Cholmeleians 
11. Old Tonbridgians vs. Old Epsomians 
12. Old Harrovians vs. Old Malburians 
13. Old Berkhamstedians vs. Old Brentwoods 
14. Winner of Preliminary A vs. Old Aldenhamians 
15. Old Haberdashers vs. Old Bradfieldians 
16. Old Malvernians vs. Old Salopians 

Dates 
Preliminary Round = on or before 10th October 2015 
First Round = on or before 7th November 2015 
Second Round = on or before 19th December 2015 
Quarter-Finals = on or before 6th February 2016 
Semi-Finals = on or before 5th March 2016 
The Final will be played on Saturday 23rd April 2016 

Author: Arthur Dunn Cup Committee