Matches were played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.
Calendar
Round
Date
Preliminary Round
Saturday 8 September 1956
First Qualifying Round
Saturday 22 September 1956
Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 6 October 1956
Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 20 October 1956
Fourth Qualifying Round
Saturday 3 November 1956
First Round Proper
Saturday 17 November 1956
Second Round
Saturday 8 December 1956
Third Round
Saturday 5 January 1957
Fourth Round
Saturday 26 January 1957
Fifth Round
Saturday 16 February 1957
Sixth Round
Saturday 2 March 1957
Semifinals
Saturday 23 March 1957
Final
Saturday 4 May 1957
Results
First Round Proper
At this stage clubs from the Football League Third Division North and South joined those non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds. Matches were played on Saturday, 17 November 1956. Eight matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week.
The matches were played on Saturday, 8 December 1956. Three matches were drawn, with replays taking place on the following Wednesday.
Tie no
Home team
Score
Away team
Date
Attendance
Notes
1
Chesterfield
4–1
Barrow
8 December 1956
2
Southampton
3–2
Weymouth
8 December 1956
3
Watford
1–3
Ipswich Town
8 December 1956
13,913
4
Reading
1–0
Bedford Town
8 December 1956
5
Gillingham
1–2
Newport County
8 December 1956
8,700
6
Derby County
1–3
New Brighton
8 December 1956
7
Swindon Town
0–1
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
8 December 1956
8
Accrington Stanley
2–1
Oldham Athletic
8 December 1956
9
Brentford
1–1
Crystal Palace
8 December 1956
Replay
Crystal Palace
3–2
Brentford
12 December 1956
10
Rhyl
3–1
Bishop Auckland
8 December 1956
11
Millwall
4–0
Margate
8 December 1956
12
Hull City
2–1
York City
8 December 1956
13
Carlisle United
2–1
Darlington
8 December 1956
14
Goole Town
2–2
Workington
8 December 1956
Replay
Workington
0–1
Goole Town
12 December 1956
15
Scunthorpe & Lindsey United
0–0
Wrexham
8 December 1956
Replay
Wrexham
6–2
Scunthorpe & Lindsey United
12 December 1956
16
Blyth Spartans
0–1
Hartlepools United
8 December 1956
17
Torquay United
1–0
Plymouth Argyle
8 December 1956
18
Hereford United
2–3
Southend United
8 December 1956
19
Tooting & Mitcham United
0–2
Queens Park Rangers
8 December 1956
20
Peterborough United
3–0
Bradford Park Avenue
8 December 1956
Third Round
The 44 First and Second Division clubs entered the competition at this stage and the matches were played on Saturday, 5 January 1957. Eleven matches were drawn, with replays taking place later the same week, and two ties required second replays, which were both played on Monday, 14 January 1957.
Tie no
Home team
Score
Away team
Date
Attendance
Notes
1
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
2–0
Accrington Stanley
5 January 1957
2
Bristol City
4–1
Rotherham United
5 January 1957
3
Burnley
7–0
Chesterfield
5 January 1957
4
Bury
1–3
Portsmouth
5 January 1957
5
Preston North End
0–0
Sheffield Wednesday
5 January 1957
Replay
Sheffield Wednesday
2–2
Preston North End
9 January 1957
2nd replay
Preston North End
5–1
Sheffield Wednesday
14 January 1957
[A]
6
Notts County
1–3
Rhyl
5 January 1957
7
Nottingham Forest
6–0
Goole Town
5 January 1957
8
Bolton Wanderers
2–3
Blackpool
5 January 1957
9
Wolverhampton Wanderers
5–3
Swansea Town
5 January 1957
10
Middlesbrough
1–1
Charlton Athletic
5 January 1957
Replay
Charlton Athletic
2–3
Middlesbrough
10 January 1957
11
Sunderland
4–0
Queens Park Rangers
5 January 1957
30,557
12
Luton Town
2–2
Aston Villa
5 January 1957
20,094
Replay
Aston Villa
2–0
Luton Town
7 January 1957
28,356
13
Everton
1–0
Blackburn Rovers
5 January 1957
56,293
14
Doncaster Rovers
1–1
West Bromwich Albion
5 January 1957
Replay
West Bromwich Albion
2–0
Doncaster Rovers
9 January 1957
15
Wrexham
1–1
Reading
5 January 1957
Replay
Reading
1–2
Wrexham
9 January 1957
16
Ipswich Town
2–3
Fulham
5 January 1957
22,199
17
Newcastle United
1–1
Manchester City
5 January 1957
57,921
Replay
Manchester City
4–5
Newcastle United
9 January 1957
46,990
18
Tottenham Hotspur
2–0
Leicester City
5 January 1957
56,492
19
Barnsley
3–3
Port Vale
5 January 1957
Replay
Port Vale
0–1
Barnsley
7 January 1957
20
West Ham United
5–3
Grimsby Town
5 January 1957
21
Millwall
2–0
Crystal Palace
5 January 1957
22
Hull City
3–4
Bristol Rovers
5 January 1957
23
Carlisle United
3–3
Birmingham City
5 January 1957
27,445
[1]
Replay
Birmingham City
2–0
Carlisle United
9 January 1957
56,458
[1]
24
Southend United
2–1
Liverpool
5 January 1957
25
Hartlepools United
3–4
Manchester United
5 January 1957
26
Huddersfield Town
0–0
Sheffield United
5 January 1957
Replay
Sheffield United
1–1
Huddersfield Town
7 January 1957
2nd replay
Huddersfield Town
2–1
Sheffield United
14 January 1957
[B]
27
Newport County
3–3
Southampton
5 January 1957
18,562
Replay
Southampton
0–1
Newport County
9 January 1957
22,372
28
Arsenal
4–2
Stoke City
5 January 1957
29
Leeds United
1–2
Cardiff City
5 January 1957
30
New Brighton
2–1
Torquay United
5 January 1957
31
Peterborough United
2–2
Lincoln City
5 January 1957
Replay
Lincoln City
4–5
Peterborough United
9 January 1957
32
Leyton Orient
0–2
Chelsea
5 January 1957
Fourth Round
The matches were played on Saturday, 26 January 1957. No replays were necessary.
Tie no
Home team
Score
Away team
Date
Attendance
Notes
1
Blackpool
6–2
Fulham
26 January 1957
2
Bristol City
3–0
Rhyl
26 January 1957
29,438
3
Burnley
9–0
New Brighton
26 January 1957
4
Wolverhampton Wanderers
0–1
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
26 January 1957
41,752
5
Middlesbrough
2–3
Aston Villa
26 January 1957
42,396
6
West Bromwich Albion
4–2
Sunderland
26 January 1957
48,010
7
Everton
2–1
West Ham United
26 January 1957
55,245
8
Wrexham
0–5
Manchester United
26 January 1957
34,445
9
Tottenham Hotspur
4–0
Chelsea
26 January 1957
66,398
10
Bristol Rovers
1–4
Preston North End
26 January 1957
11
Portsmouth
1–3
Nottingham Forest
26 January 1957
12
Millwall
2–1
Newcastle United
26 January 1957
45,646
13
Southend United
1–6
Birmingham City
26 January 1957
30,000
[1]
14
Huddersfield Town
3–1
Peterborough United
26 January 1957
15
Cardiff City
0–1
Barnsley
26 January 1957
16
Newport County
0–2
Arsenal
26 January 1957
22,450
Fifth Round
The matches were played on Saturday, 16 February 1957. Two matches were drawn and replayed later the same week.
Tie no
Home team
Score
Away team
Date
Attendance
Notes
1
Blackpool
0–0
West Bromwich Albion
16 February 1957
32,707
Replay
West Bromwich Albion
2–1
Blackpool
20 February 1957
58,054
2
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
3–1
Tottenham Hotspur
16 February 1957
25,892
3
Preston North End
3–3
Arsenal
16 February 1957
Replay
Arsenal
2–1
Preston North End
19 February 1957
4
Aston Villa
2-1
Bristol City
16 February 1957
63,099
5
Barnsley
1–2
Nottingham Forest
16 February 1957
6
Manchester United
1–0
Everton
16 February 1957
61,803
7
Millwall
1–4
Birmingham City
16 February 1957
41,000
[1]
8
Huddersfield Town
1–2
Burnley
16 February 1957
55,168
Sixth Round
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
1 – 2
Manchester United
Dean Court, Bournemouth
Attendance: 28,799 [C]
Burnley
1 – 1
Aston Villa
Turf Moor, Burnley
Attendance: 49,346
Replay
Aston Villa
2 – 0
Burnley
Villa Park, Birmingham
Attendance: 46,531
West Bromwich Albion
2 – 2
Arsenal
The Hawthorns, West Bromwich
Attendance: 58,459
Replay
Arsenal
1 – 2
West Bromwich Albion
Highbury, London
Attendance: 58,757
Birmingham City
0 – 0
Nottingham Forest
St Andrew's, Birmingham
Attendance: 57,827 [1]
Replay
Nottingham Forest
0 – 1
Birmingham City
Murphy
City Ground, Nottingham
Attendance: 36,486 [1]
Semifinals
Aston Villa
2 – 2
West Bromwich Albion
Molineux, Wolverhampton
Attendance: 55,649
Replay
West Bromwich Albion
0 – 1
Aston Villa
St Andrew's, Birmingham
Attendance: 58,067
Manchester United
2 – 0
Birmingham City
Hillsborough, Sheffield
Attendance: 65,107 [1]
Final
The final took place on Saturday, 4 May 1957 at Wembley and ended in a victory for Aston Villa over Manchester United by 2–1. The attendance was 100,000.
Aston Villa
2 – 1
Manchester United
McParland 68' 73'
[2]
Taylor 83'
Wembley, London
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: F. Coultas
Aston Villa
Manchester United
Notes
A. ^ : Match played at Goodison Park, Liverpool.
B. ^ : Match played at Maine Road, Manchester.
C. ^ : Dean Court's record attendance of 28,799 was set at this match. [3]
References
General
The FA Cup Archive at TheFA.com
English FA Cup 1956/57 at Soccerbase
FA Cup 1956/57 results at Footballsite
Specific
^ a b c d e f gDetail for matches involving Birmingham City from Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
^"FA Cup Final 1957". fa-cupfinals.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
^"AFC Bournemouth Club Information". A.F.C. Bournemouth. 2008-01-23. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-21.