| Preliminary round |
| 27 September 1890 | Crusaders | 5 | - | 0 | Rochester | |
| First qualifying round |
| 4 October 1890 | 93rd Highland Regiment | 7 | - | 0 | Luton Town | |
| 4 October 1890 | Ardwick | 12 | - | 0 | Liverpool Stanley | |
| 4 October 1890 | Bishop Auckland | 3 | - | 0 | Rendel | |
| 4 October 1890 | Boston | 3 | - | 0 | Eckington Works | |
| 4 October 1890 | Carlisle | 1 | - | 6 | Bootle | |
| 4 October 1890 | Chatham | 1 | - | 2 | Crusaders | |
| 4 October 1890 | Chesham | 1 | - | 2 | Watford Rovers | |
| 4 October 1890 | Chester St Oswalds | 0 | - | 6 | Chester | |
| Walkover | City Ramblers | | | | Crystal Palace Engineers | Scratched |
| 4 October 1890 | Clifton | 1 | - | 7 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | |
| 4 October 1890 | Cliftonville | 4 | - | 3 | Macclesfield Town | |
| 4 October 1890 | Clinton | 3 | - | 7 | Jardines | |
| 4 October 1890 | Darlington St Augustine's | 3 | - | 2 | Barnard Castle Athletic | |
| 4 October 1890 | Darlington West End | 3 | - | 2 | Darlington St Hilda's | |
| 4 October 1890 | Derby Junction | 0 | - | 1 | Sheffield United | |
| 4 October 1890 | Ecclesfield | 8 | - | 2 | Grimsby Town | |
| 4 October 1890 | Elswick Rangers | 2 | - | 5 | Newcastle West End | |
| 4 October 1890 | Folkestone | 2 | - | 1 | Old Wykehamists | |
| 4 October 1890 | Gainsborough Trinity | 1 | - | 3 | Lincoln City | |
| 4 October 1890 | Gateshead Association | 2 | - | 8 | Sunderland Albion | |
| 4 October 1890 | Gorton Villa | 4 | - | 1 | Denton | |
| 4 October 1890 | Gravesend | 4 | - | 1 | Old Harrovians | |
| 4 October 1890 | Hunts County | 3 | - | 1 | Norwich CEYMS | |
| 4 October 1890 | Hurworth | 0 | - | 14 | Stockton | |
| 4 October 1890 | Ipswich Town | 2 | - | 0 | Reading | |
| 4 October 1890 | Kidderminster | 4 | - | 1 | Bath City | |
| 4 October 1890 | Langley Green Victoria | 5 | - | 0 | Kettering Town | |
| 4 October 1890 | Leicester Fosse | 0 | - | 4 | Burton Wanderers | |
| Walkover | Long Eaton Rangers | | | | Heeley | Scratched |
| Walkover | Matlock | | | | Leys Recreation | Scratched |
| 4 October 1890 | Middlesbrough | 11 | - | 0 | Scarborough | |
| 4 October 1890 | Millwall Athletic | 2 | - | 3 | Ilford | |
| 4 October 1890 | Morpeth Harriers | 0 | - | 2 | Whitburn | |
| 4 October 1890 | Nantwich | 5 | - | 4 | Linfield Athletic | |
| 4 October 1890 | Newark | 4 | - | 0 | Notts Olympic | |
| 4 October 1890 | Newton Heath | 2 | - | 0 | Higher Walton | |
| 4 October 1890 | Northwich Victoria | 3 | - | 2 | Chirk | |
| 4 October 1890 | Old Brightonians | 3 | - | 4 | Old Carthusians | |
| 4 October 1890 | Old Etonians | 4 | - | 1 | Swifts | |
| 4 October 1890 | Old St Mark's | 2 | - | 3 | London Caledonians | |
| 4 October 1890 | Oldburn Town | 3 | - | 1 | Wellington St George's | |
| 4 October 1890 | Over Wanderers | 2 | - | 3 | Druids | |
| 4 October 1890 | Port Clarence | 4 | - | 1 | Whitby | |
| Walkover | Rhosllanerchrugog | | | | Shrewsbury Town | Scratched |
| 4 October 1890 | Rotherham Swifts | 5 | - | 2 | Attercliffe | |
| 4 October 1890 | Rotherham Town | 13 | - | 0 | Sheffield | |
| 4 October 1890 | Shankhouse | 5 | - | 4 | Birtley | Match declared void |
| 4 October 1890 | Small Heath | 8 | - | 0 | Hednesford Town | |
| 4 October 1890 | Southwick | 6 | - | 0 | Bishop Auckland Church Institute | |
| 4 October 1890 | Staveley | 19 | - | 0 | Sheffield Walkley | |
| 4 October 1890 | Swindon Town | 9 | - | 0 | Maidenhead | |
| 4 October 1890 | Warmley | 0 | - | 12 | Walsall Town Swifts | |
| 4 October 1890 | Warwick County | 1 | - | 3 | Burslem Port Vale | |
| 4 October 1890 | Windsor Phoenix Athletic | 6 | - | 1 | Schome College | |
| 4 October 1890 | Witton | 1 | - | 4 | Heywood Central | |
| 4 October 1890 | Wolverton | 0 | - | 4 | Marlow | |
| Walkover | Workington | | | | Clitheroe | Scratched |
| Replays |
| 18 October 1890 | Shankhouse | 5 | - | 1 | Birtley | |
| Second qualifying round |
| 25 October 1890 | 93rd Highland Regiment | 3 | - | 2 | Watford Rovers | |
| 25 October 1890 | Belper Town | 4 | - | 2 | Leeds Albion | |
| 25 October 1890 | Bishop Auckland | 1 | - | 2 | Newcastle East End | |
| 25 October 1890 | Bootle | 1 | - | 0 | Newton Heath | |
| 25 October 1890 | Burslem Port Vale | 2 | - | 3 | Walsall Town Swifts | |
| 25 October 1890 | Burton Swifts | 2 | - | 1 | Sheffield United | Burton Swifts disqualified |
| 25 October 1890 | Chester | 2 | - | 0 | Northwich Victoria | |
| 25 October 1890 | City Ramblers | 0 | - | 8 | Old Carthusians | |
| Walkover | Cliftonville | | | | Rhosllanerchrugog | Scratched |
| 25 October 1890 | Crusaders | 6 | - | 1 | Folkestone | |
| Walkover | Darlington | | | | Darlington West End | Scratched |
| 25 October 1890 | Darlington St Augustine's | 1 | - | 4 | Middlesbrough | |
| 25 October 1890 | Doncaster Rovers | 4 | - | 5 | Kilnhurst | |
| Walkover | Ecclesfield | | | | Grantham Rovers | Scratched |
| Walkover | Halliwell | | | | Ardwick | Scratched |
| 25 October 1890 | Heywood Central | 9 | - | 0 | Gorton Villa | |
| 25 October 1890 | Ilford | 2 | - | 0 | Gravesend | |
| 25 October 1890 | Kidderminster | 4 | - | 0 | Oldbury Town | |
| 25 October 1890 | Langley Green Victoria | 2 | - | 1 | Great Bridge Unity | Match declared void |
| 25 October 1890 | Leek | 2 | - | 0 | Druids | |
| 25 October 1890 | Lincoln City | 9 | - | 0 | Boston | |
| 25 October 1890 | London Caledonians | 6 | - | 3 | Old Etonians | |
| 25 October 1890 | Long Eaton Rangers | 7 | - | 3 | Heanor Town | |
| 25 October 1890 | Loughborough | 8 | - | 1 | Burton Wanderers | |
| 25 October 1890 | Mansfield Town | 0 | - | 4 | Staveley | |
| 25 October 1890 | Matlock Town | 1 | - | 0 | Derby St Luke | |
| 25 October 1890 | Newark | 3 | - | 1 | Beeston | Newark disqualified; Beeston reinstated |
| 25 October 1890 | Newcastle West End | 8 | - | 1 | Southwick | |
| 25 October 1890 | Norwich Thorpe | 0 | - | 4 | Ipswich Town | |
| 25 October 1890 | Owlerton | 1 | - | 4 | Rotherham Town | |
| 25 October 1890 | Rotherham Swifts | 3 | - | 4 | Jardines | |
| 25 October 1890 | Shankhouse | 2 | - | 0 | Ashington | |
| 25 October 1890 | South Bank | 7 | - | 2 | Port Clarence | |
| 25 October 1890 | South Shore | 10 | - | 0 | Workington | |
| 25 October 1890 | Stockton | 1 | - | 2 | Middlesbrough Ironopolis | |
| Walkover | Sunderland Albion | | | | Whitburn | Scratched |
| 25 October 1890 | Swindon Town | 2 | - | 0 | Marlow | |
| 25 October 1890 | Windsor Phoenix Athletic | 1 | - | 2 | Hunts County | |
| 25 October 1890 | Wrexham | 2 | - | 3 | Nantwich | |
| 25 October 1890 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | 0 | - | 2 | Small Heath | Small Heath disqualified; Wednesbury Old Athletic reinstated |
| Replay |
| 11 November 1890 | Great Bridge Unity | 4 | - | 2 | Langley Green Victoria | |
| Third qualifying round |
| 15 November 1890 | 93rd Highland Regiment | 6 | - | 0 | Swindon Town | |
| 15 November 1890 | Belper Town | 2 | - | 6 | Loughborough | |
| 15 November 1890 | Great Bridge Unity | 1 | - | 0 | Kidderminster | Great Bridge Unity disqualified; Kidderminster reinstated |
| 15 November 1890 | Halliwell | 4 | - | 3 | Bootle | |
| 15 November 1890 | Heywood Central | 5 | - | 0 | South Shore | |
| 15 November 1890 | Ilford | 0 | - | 7 | Crusaders | |
| 15 November 1890 | Ipswich Town | 5 | - | 2 | Hunts County | |
| 15 November 1890 | Leek | 1 | - | 2 | Cliftonville | |
| 15 November 1890 | Lincoln City | 3 | - | 0 | Ecclesfield | |
| 15 November 1890 | London Caledonians | 2 | - | 0 | Old Carthusians | |
| 15 November 1890 | Long Eaton Rangers | 4 | - | 1 | Jardines | |
| 15 November 1890 | Middlesbrough | 2 | - | 0 | Darlington | Middlesbrough disqualified; Darlington reinstated |
| 15 November 1890 | Middlesbrough Ironopolis | 6 | - | 1 | South Bank | |
| 15 November 1890 | Nantwich | 4 | - | 5 | Chester | |
| 15 November 1890 | Newcastle East End | 5 | - | 0 | Shankhouse | |
| 15 November 1890 | Newcastle West End | 0 | - | 3 | Sunderland Albion | |
| 15 November 1890 | Rotherham Town | 6 | - | 1 | Beeston | |
| 15 November 1890 | Sheffield United | 3 | - | 0 | Matlock Town | |
| 15 November 1890 | Staveley | 6 | - | 2 | Kilnhurst | |
| 15 November 1890 | Walsall Town Swifts | 5 | - | 3 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | |
| Fourth qualifying round |
| Walkover | Chester | | | | Cliftonville | Scratched |
| 12 December 1890 | Crusaders | 4 | - | 2 | London Caledonians | |
| 12 December 1890 | Halliwell | 2 | - | 1 | Heywood Central | |
| 12 December 1890 | Ipswich Town | 1 | - | 4 | 93rd Highland Regiment | |
| 12 December 1890 | Kidderminster | 3 | - | 0 | Walsall Town Swifts | |
| 12 December 1890 | Lincoln City | 4 | - | 1 | Staveley | |
| 12 December 1890 | Long Eaton Rangers | 2 | - | 1 | Rotherham Town | |
| 12 December 1890 | Middlesbrough Ironopolis | 6 | - | 0 | Darlington | Match declared void |
| 12 December 1890 | Newcastle East End | 2 | - | 2 | Sunderland Albion | |
| 12 December 1890 | Sheffield United | 6 | - | 1 | Loughborough | |
| Replays |
| 20 December 1890 | Middlesbrough Ironopolis | 3 | - | 0 | Darlington | |
| 20 December 1890 | Newcastle East End | 0 | - | 2 | Sunderland Albion | |
| First round |
| 17 January 1891 | Accrington | 2 | - | 2 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 17 January 1891 | Aston Villa | 13 | - | 1 | Casuals | |
| 17 January 1891 | Burnley | 4 | - | 2 | Crewe Alexandra | aet |
| 17 January 1891 | Chester | 1 | - | 0 | Lincoln City | |
| 17 January 1891 | Clapton | 0 | - | 14 | Nottingham Forest | |
| 24 January 1891 | Crusaders | 0 | - | 2 | Birmingham St George's | |
| 17 January 1891 | Darwen | 3 | - | 1 | Kidderminster | Match declared void |
| 17 January 1891 | Long Eaton Rangers | 1 | - | 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | aet |
| 17 January 1891 | Middlesbrough Ironopolis | 1 | - | 2 | Blackburn Rovers | Match declared void |
| 17 January 1891 | Royal Arsenal | 1 | - | 2 | Derby County | |
| 17 January 1891 | Sheffield United | 1 | - | 9 | Notts County | |
| 17 January 1891 | Stoke | 3 | - | 0 | Preston North End | |
| 17 January 1891 | Sunderland | 1 | - | 0 | Everton | |
| 17 January 1891 | Sunderland Albion | 2 | - | 0 | 93rd Highland Regiment | |
| 17 January 1891 | The Wednesday | 12 | - | 0 | Haillwell | |
| Walkover | West Bromwich Albion | | | | Old Westminsters | Scratched |
| Replays |
| 24 January 1891 | Accrington | 5 | - | 1 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 24 January 1891 | Darwen | 13 | - | 0 | Kidderminster | |
| 24 January 1891 | Middlesbrough Ironopolis | 0 | - | 3 | Blackburn Rovers | |
| Second round |
| 31 January 1891 | Accrington | 2 | - | 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | aet |
| 31 January 1891 | Birmingham St George's | 0 | - | 3 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 31 January 1891 | Blackburn Rovers | 7 | - | 0 | Chester | |
| 31 January 1891 | Darwen | 0 | - | 2 | Sunderland | |
| 31 January 1891 | Derby County | 2 | - | 3 | The Wednesday | GIANT KILLING |
| 31 January 1891 | Notts County | 2 | - | 1 | Burnley | |
| 31 January 1891 | Stoke | 3 | - | 0 | Aston Villa | |
| 31 January 1891 | Sunderland Albion | 1 | - | 1 | Nottingham Forest | aet |
| Replay |
| 7 February 1891 | Nottingham Forest | 3 | - | 3 | Sunderland Albion | aet |
| 2nd Replay |
| 11 February 1891 | Nottingham Forest | 5 | - | 0 | Sunderland Albion | Played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield |
| Quarter-final |
| 14 February 1891 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | - | 0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | |
| 14 February 1891 | Notts County | 1 | - | 0 | Stoke | |
| 14 February 1891 | Sunderland | 4 | - | 0 | Nottingham Forest | |
| 14 February 1891 | The Wednesday | 0 | - | 2 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| Semi-finals |
| 28 February 1891 | Blackburn Rovers | 3 | - | 2 | West Bromwich Albion | Played at Victoria Ground, Stoke |
| 28 February 1891 | Notts County | 3 | - | 3 | Sunderland | Played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield |
| Replay |
| 11 March 1891 | Sunderland | 0 | - | 2 | Notts County | Played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield |
| Final |
| 21 March 1891 | Blackburn Rovers | 3 | - | 1 | Notts County | Played at Kennington Oval, London |
| 23,000 | Dewar, Southworth, Townley | | | | Oswald | Referee: C J Hughes |
| |
