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Their opponents in the final were to be the embodiment of the gentlemanly amateur sporting team; the Old Etonians, with the final at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn Rovers were instead one of the northern- based teams thought of as “shamateurs” and with good reason. We can be pretty sure that they did pay at least some of their players. That is not to say that the southern sides did not enjoy their own advantages, certainly the staging of the final in London at the Kennington Oval was a huge factor in their favour. It should probably be mentioned that Blackburn Rovers had been formed by ex-public schoolboys, most of whom had not even been educated in the town, let alone born there. They were beginning to represent all sections of society through the large followings they attracted and in attracting local working class players (also those who were not locals, such as Fergie Suter) being drafted into the side. It wasn’t quite the aristocrats vs. the artisans that final the next year would be (Blackburn Olympic came from far humbler origins than Rovers) but it was still a huge culture clash.

This year also marked the first outbreak of FA Cup Final fever, with thousands congregating at the train station to see the team on their way. Some fans travelled to the game. An early goal for the Old Etonians proved to be the winner, with many believing nerves had got the better of Rovers. It may have been tiredness rather than nerves as the northern side seemed to be visibly drained towards the end of the game. Bizarrely, Rovers wore blue and white hoops rather than the traditional halved shirts. The 9,500 present were the last to see a southern side win the cup that century. For more details on the cup run, see the FA Cup section. Despite falling at the final hurdle it had still been a fantastic season for the Rovers, the one when their name became famous throughout the land. The next season was not to be quite so fulfilling, mainly because their closest neighbours where to steal their thunder.