The final was played at the Kennington Oval on 9 April 1881; this was the Old Carthusians first appearance in the final and the Old Etonians, on their fourth appearance, were expected to win comfortably.[3] In the event, the Old Carthusians won convincingly.[1]
The Carthusians were eventually bailed by the winners... the game from first to last was of a very fast character. The winning team was in first-rate condition, and each member seemed to thoroughly understand the other's play. This all the more creditable, as although plenty of good players yearly leave Charterhouse, the Old Carthusians is a club of comparatively recent growth.[2]
^Gibbons, Philip (2001). Association Football in Victorian England – A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900. Upfront Publishing. pp. 61–62. ISBN1-84426-035-6.
