Royal Engineers to mark 150 years since historic FA Cup win with a Festival of Football

The Royal Engineers Association Football Club are set to mark the 150th anniversary of their win in the 1875 FA Cup.

It was then that The Sappers beat the Old Etonians at Kennington Oval to become the only military side to win the oldest national football competition in the world.

To mark the occasion, the team will mark the occasion with a festival of football at their current home ground in Chatham on 10 May, where they will take on the current Old Etonians side in what is being called a "rematch" of the 1875 FA Cup final.

• Army captain Kat Matthews roars to record-breaking victory at IRONMAN Texas
• RAF lock Josh McNally re-signs for Cardiff Rugby on one-year extension
• Watch: Weekly Forces Sports Show

Speaking to BFBS Sport, Vice President of Royal Engineers AFC Colonel Andy Phillips, said: We are unique, we are the first military side to win it and the only military side that's ever done it or ever will do it.

"We played a leading role in the early years of the Football Association (FA), so we were formed in 1863, which is the same year as the FA, and we were seen as pioneers in a way, because we played a teamwork game which was unusual back in those days.

"It's quite special, there's a lineage there and we have the FA Cup as the centrepiece of our logo on our shirts, and it's something that we're really proud of."

The Royal Engineers’ Festival of Football will be taking place the weekend before the FA Cup final, which will be played between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

For the Royal Engineers, there is hope that they will have ceremonial representation at Wembley on the day.

Col Phillips added: "We're hoping to have ceremonial representation at the FA Cup Final itself, bring out the flag bearers, so it'll be quite exciting for two of our players, one of our women and one of our men players will be up there on the day, so that's quite exciting.

"I hope it resonates because sport is really important in the military, it promotes teamwork, physical fitness, esprit de corps.

"So it's a central part of being in the Army. I mean, I've been in the Army for 40 years, and sport is what's kept me in, frankly."

The Royal Engineers' Festival of Football event on 10 May will include a game with the women's and masters' teams against Dulwich United FC before their main team takes on the Old Etonians at 16:00 UK time.