The 2011–12 FA Cup (also known as The FA Cup with Budweiser for sponsorship reasons)[1] was the 131st season of the world's oldest football knock-out competition, the FA Cup. The closing date for applications was 1 April 2011, and saw 825 clubs apply to enter.[2] On 8 July 2011, the FA announced that 763 clubs had been accepted, which remains, as of 2025/26, the record number of entrants.[3] The final was played on 5 May 2012 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea won their fourth title in 6 years, and seventh overall, with a 2–1 victory over Liverpool.[4]
The competition was overshadowed by the collapse of Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba during their sixth round match with Tottenham Hotspur. Muamba went into cardiac arrest on the pitch and, following failed attempts to resuscitate him, was taken to the London Chest Hospital, where he went on to recover despite his heart stopping for over 75 minutes.[5] The match was subsequently abandoned. On 27 March the match was replayed, with Tottenham winning 3–1. Muamba attended the final to congratulate Chelsea.
The winners of the competition would have earned a place in the group stage of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League.[6] However, since Chelsea went on to win the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, they qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League as the title holders. The FA Cup berth for European qualification was not exercised as runners-up Liverpool had already won that season's League Cup and Tottenham Hotspur, the fourth-place finishers in the Premier League, lost their Champions League spot at the expense of sixth-placed Chelsea, as no association was allowed more than four entrants in the competition at the time and so were compensated by UEFA with a place in the Europa League group stage.
All teams that entered the competition, but were not members of the Premier League or The Football League, competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 32 places available in the first round proper.
Nantwich Town, East Thurrock United, AFC Totton and Arlesey Town were appearing in the competition proper for the first time. FC Halifax Town was also appearing at this stage for the first time in their own right, only three seasons after the winding up of the original Halifax Town AFC. Of the others, Bradford Park Avenue and Redbridge were the only clubs not to have featured in the first round of the FA Cup at least once in the previous five seasons, having last done so back in 2003-04.
Teams from Leagues One and Two entered at this stage, along with the winners from the fourth round qualifying. The draw was made on 30 October 2011 and ties were played on the weekend of 12–13 November 2011. Redbridge, from the 8th tier of English football, were the lowest ranked football team to make it through to the first round proper.
The winners of the first round matches advanced to this stage. The draw was made on 13 November 2011 with the ties played on the weekend of 3–4 December 2011.
Redbridge, from the 8th tier of English football, were the lowest ranked football team to make it to the second round proper.
The winners of the second round matches played alongside all twenty teams from the Barclays Premier League and all twenty four teams from the Championship. The draw was made on 4 December 2011, with the ties scheduled to be played on 6, 7, 8, and 9 January 2012. Salisbury City, from the sixth tier, were the lowest ranked club in the third round proper.
