It started in 1903 and is named in honour of Arthur Dunn who had proposed such a competition but died very suddenly shortly after.
Dunn was a leading amateur player of his day and was in the winning Old Etonians side in the 1882 FA Cup Final.
It was Dunn who passed the ball to Anderson who scored the only goal to defeat Blackburn Rovers at the Kennington Oval.
[2] This reflected the growing impression that amateur football was doomed and when Arthur Dunn read this, he was so moved that he wrote a brief note to another Old Etonian, Norman Malcolmson, as follows: Dear N., One might write for ever on this.
However, on 12 March 1902, just three weeks later, an informal meeting of Old Boys interested in amateur football was convened by Norman Malcolmson and held at the Sports Club.
At this meeting the following resolutions were passed: Those present also expressed the view that any surplus profits from the competition should be given to charity.
This informal meeting was followed, three weeks later, by a formal one, at which the chair was taken by no less a figure that C Wreford-Brown, a pillar of the Corinthians and capped four times for England in full internationals.
The motions passed by the informal meeting were unanimously confirmed, and then officers were elected as follows: President: Lord Kinnaird (Eton); Vice-Presidents: R C Guy (Forest); R C Gosling (Eton); Committee: R T Squire (Westminster), G O Smith (Charterhouse), W J Oakley (Shrewsbury), C Wreford-Brown (Charterhouse), R E Foster (Malvern), W M Cowan (Brighton), J R Mason (Winchester).
Six months later the Arthur Dunn Challenge Cup competition was well and truly launched, the schools taking part in the first season being: Bradfield, Brighton, Charterhouse, Eton, Felsted, Forest, Harrow, Lancing, Malvern, Repton, Rossall, Shrewsbury, Westminster and Winchester.
In a keen and close game, the result was a draw (2 – 2) even after 20 minutes extra time and it was decided to replay at Ealing on Wednesday 1 April.
Coincidentally this game too ended in a 2 – 2 draw, and so it was then decided that the Cup should be held jointly by these two clubs, six months each.