Second Division Norwich City were drawn away in the first round to Fourth Division
Chesterfield, and what should have been an easy victory for The Canaries turned into a mighty battle at
Saltergate, with Norwich eventually emerging as 3–2 victors. The reward was a home tie against Third Division
Lincoln City at
Carrow Road. Again, Norwich should have emerged as comfortable victors but ended up winning 3–2 again. A tougher tie awaited in the third round, against fellow Second Division side
Middlesbrough at Carrow Road, and for the third consecutive match Norwich ran out 3–2 winners. This earned them a bye through the fourth round, and a quarter final tie away at
Roker Park against Second Division
Sunderland. For the first time in the tournament, they did not win 3–2, instead emerging as 4–1 victors in a much more decisive victory. In the two-legged semi-final they drew First Division
Blackpool, with the first match held at Carrow Road. Norwich were again 4–1 victors, leaving them with margin for error when the tie returned to
Bloomfield Road five days later, when they lost 2–0, just scraping through as 4–3 aggregate winners. Fourth Division Rochdale, on the other hand, had started out travelling away to
The Dell to play
Southampton, a tie in which a draw would be considered a great result for The Dale. A draw was what they achieved in a hard-fought encounter which ended 0–0 and earned them a replay at
Spotland. To the surprise of everyone, they triumphed 2–1. In the second round they played at home to fellow Fourth Division side
Doncaster Rovers, who rarely challenged as Rochdale finished 4–0 winners. They again played at home in the third round, with the visitors being second division
Charlton Athletic, and Rochdale were again the victors in a tight 1–0 win. Like Norwich, they received a bye through the fourth round to the quarter-finals, where they drew another Fourth Division side,
York City, at Spotland. The match ended 2–1 to The Dale, putting them into the semi-finals and earning them a lucrative two-legged tie against
Blackburn Rovers, their first top division opponents. They sprung a massive surprise by winning the first leg 3–1 at Spotland, but were almost felled in the return leg at
Ewood Park two weeks later, as Rovers led 2–0, a result which would have put them through on the away goals rule, but a later Rochdale goal saw them progress as 4–3 aggregate winners. ==Matches==