Morton Betts English footballer Date of Birth: 30.08.1847 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Football Career
2. The Historic FA Cup Final
3. International and Later Career
4. Later Life and Legacy

Early Life and Football Career

Charles Alcock Betts was a British footballer who played as a fullback during the late 19th century. He is best known for scoring the only goal in the final of the first FA Cup in 1872.

Betts played for several clubs throughout his career, including Harrow Checkers, Wanderers, and Old Harrovians. For the inaugural FA Cup in 1871/72, he was registered with Harrow Checkers, a team from Harrow School.

The Historic FA Cup Final

In the first round of the tournament, Harrow Checkers were drawn against Wanderers but refused to play. Consequently, Wanderers advanced to the next round. Betts later joined Wanderers and was listed in the final lineup as A.H. Chequer due to regulations preventing him from playing for the team he had originally registered with. The match took place on Kennington Oval in front of 2,000 spectators on March 16, 1872. Betts scored the game's only goal after Wanderers forward Robert Vidal broke through the Royal Engineers defense.

International and Later Career

On March 3, 1877, while playing for Old Harrovians, Betts earned his sole cap for the England national team. He played in goal during the match against Scotland, which ended in a 3-1 loss.

In addition to football, Betts also played cricket for Middlesex, Kent, and Essex county clubs. He served as the secretary of the Essex County Cricket Club from 1887 to 1890.

Later Life and Legacy

For 20 years, Betts was a member of the Football Association's board of directors. He spent his later years in France and passed away in Menton in 1914.