The team that won the fifth FA Cup for Rovers. Back Row – Birtwistle (umpire), Brandon, Pennington, Barton, Southworth, Dewar, Forrest, Edward Murray (trainer). Front Row – Lofthouse, Walton, Forbes (captain), Hall, Townley. © Cottontown

Their third league campaign ended in their worst final placing so far of sixth, yet they were only five points behind the new champions, Everton, meaning they were closer to the top points-wise than they were in the previous two campaigns than when they had achieved higher positions. They opened the campaign with a ridiculously high scoring 8-5 defeat at Derby yet successful for most of the rest of the season. They lost their four last games to blow any chance of the title. They did manage however a third ‘double’ over their Claret and blue neighbours of Burnley, 6-1 away and 5-2 at home this time around. In all they were certainly the best of the local sides, having beaten Burnley and Preston twice apiece as well as winning one and drawing one of the league games against Accrington.

In the FA Cup they defeated Middlesbrough Ironopolis (no relation to Middlesbrough AFC, the modern league side) but had to play them again after the Teesiders complained and were promptly beaten again (3-0). Jack Southworth hit a hat trick in a 7-0 walkover of Chester and Wolves were beaten 2-0. The semi final was against fellow league side and former cup winners West Bromwich Albion in a classic at the Victoria Ground, Stoke, which was decided with a late Rovers winner from a goalmouth scramble. Such was the confusion that even to this day it is unknown whose boot was stuck out and connected for the winner.

Their opponents were to be Notts County who finished above Rovers in the league, mainly thanks to their 7-1 win at Ewood a week before the final. In a desperate attempt to save face Rovers declared that they had been taking it easy to make County overconfident for the final. This was obviously not true as they dropped their calamitous keeper John Gow and drafted in their stand in, who went by the not so classically name (for a footballer) of Rowland Pennington. Regardless, County started as favourites, which a team who had recently beaten their opponents 7-1 would be expected to. However, if that match had been a draw then Rovers would have actually finished above Notts County in the league, so it would have been an unwise person to have not have at least anticipated a closer game.