2009–10 FA Cup Stadium. The final was contested by 2009 winners Chelsea and 2008 winners Portsmouth. Originally, the winners were to qualify for the play-off round of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. However, as Chelsea won the 2009–10 Premier League (and did not need the FA Cup winners' berth), and Portsmouth failed to apply for a UEFA licence for the 2010–11 season in time (making them ineligible to compete in UEFA competitions), the berth was given to Liverpool, the seventh-placed team in the Premier League. Chelsea won 1–0 in the final to retain the trophy. The calendar for the 2009–10 FA Cup, as
1871–72 in English football 1871–72 in English football The world's first national-level football competition the Football Association Challenge Cup (now better known as the FA Cup), was played for the first time in 1871–72. As such, this marks 1871-72 as the first 'season' of English football, although the use of the term is an anachronism. Furthermore at that time, with no other football associations operating, the FA Cup attracted entrants from all over the UK; it was not for many years that both the FA and the FA Cup came to be solely English institutions. The first FA Cup final was won 1–0 by