The cup was won by The Wednesday, who defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 in the final of the competition, played at Crystal Palace in London.

Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday.

If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week.

Of those sides, only Grimsby Town, Newcastle United, Crewe Alexandra and Burton Swifts qualified for the competition proper.

Non-league sides Blackpool, Chesterfield, Kettering, Tottenham Hotspur, Millwall Athletic and Southampton St Mary's also qualified, with Tottenham Hotspur and Kettering appearing at this stage for the first time.