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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)<br />
Pic: Pen&SwordBooks/BNPS<br />
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Pictured: Henry Renny-Tailyour.<br />
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A historian believes he has uncovered a previously unknown participant in the first ever FA Cup final.<br />
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James Bancroft is convinced Lieutenant George Barker represented the Royal Engineers in the 1872 final against the Wanderers.<br />
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However, he is not listed in any official records or football books written about the showpiece occasion.<br />
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Mr Bancroft said he has found newspaper reports with Lt Barker on the team-sheet and he appears in full kit in the Royal Engineers post-match team photo.<br />
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He outlines his theory in his new book, The Early Years of the FA Cup, which charts the rise and fall of the Royal Engineers, the only military team to win the trophy.