Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.

jambutty · 18-02-2009, 16:10

For me it has to be the 1953 FA Cup Final between Blackpool and Bolton played at Wembley on the 2nd May 1953. What came to be known as the Matthews Final. Why? Because at that time Stanley Matthews had won every football medal that is was possible to win in England except a Cup Final Winners medal. It was reckoned that at 38 years of age it was his last chance to win it after missing out in 1948 and 1951.

As a small aside, in the first round proper Accrington Stanley won 2 – 1 away to Horden CW (who?) but then lost 2 – 0 at home to Mansfield.

Bolton’s route to Wembley was by beating Fulham at home 3 – 1 in the 3rd round proper, then 1 – 0 at home to Notts County in the 4th round, then beating Luton 1 – 0 away. In the Quarter Final Bolton went to Gateshead and won 1 – 0 and demolished Everton 4 – 3 in the semi.

Blackpool’s trip was a bit harder. They beat Sheffield Wednesday 2 – 1 away, then Huddersfield 1 – 0 at home. In the fifth round Blackpool could only draw 1 – 1 with Southampton at home but won the replay 2 – 1. In the Quarter Final Blackpool beat Arsenal 2 – 1 away and Tottenham Hotspurs 2 – 1 in the semis.

My employer Uni-Relay on Abbey Street had set up what was then a large TV (17/19 inch?) in a room upstairs so that the employees could watch the final.

With George Farm in goal Blackpool lined up with No 2 Eddie Shimwell at right back, No 3 Tom Garrett at left back, No 4 Ewan Fenton at right half, No 5 Harry Johnston at centre half and No 6 Cyril Robinson at left half. The formidable forward line had No 7 Stanley Matthews at outside right, No 8 Ernie Taylor at inside right, No 9 Stan Mortensen at centre forward, No 10 Jackie Mudie at inside left and No 11 Bill Perry at outside left.

With Stan Hanson in goal Bolton lined up with No 2 John Ball at right back, No 3 Ralph Banks at left back, No 4 Johnny Wheeler at right half, No 5 Malcolm Barrass at centre half and No 6 Eric Bell at left half. The forward line had No 7 Doug Holden at outside right, No 8 Willie Moir at inside right, No 9 Nat Lofthouse at centre forward, No 10 Harold Hassall at inside left and No 11 Bobby Langton at outside left.

Strange positional names for the modern person but in those days football teams lined up 2 – 3 – 5.

100,000 spectators (plus goodness knows how many watching on TV and even listening to the commentary on the wireless) roared as the match kicked off. Within two minutes Nat Lofthouse maintained his record of scoring in every round so far by opening the scoring for Bolton. I sat glumly in my seat whilst others in the room leaped around cheering.

I was supporting Blackpool because Stanley Matthews was my footballing hero and during the war I lived on Bloomfield Road in Blackpool right across the road from the football ground.

30 minutes of cut and thrust football saw neither team gain an advantage until Mortensen equalised with a deflected shot. My joy was short lived when with just five minutes to go to half time Moir scored for Bolton. Shortly after the re-start Bell added a third for Bolton and for me the writing was on the wall as I sat crestfallen in my seat deaf to all the cheering around me.

Suddenly with some 20 minutes left to play Matthews and Blackpool galvanised into action. Time and time again Taylor whipped the ball out to Matthews who turned Banks, the left back, inside out and left him either sat on the floor mesmerised or floundering in his wake. A perfect cross saw the Bolton keeper fumble the ball and Mortensen pushed the ball home.

The next fifteen minutes was frantic action in the Bolton goalmouth as Blackpool strived for the equaliser. Perry missed a sitter and I groaned with disbelief only to see Mudie do the same, then Hanson saved point blank from Mortensen.

Just as I was beginning to resign myself to Blackpool losing 3 – 2 they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. Mortensen stepped up and crashed the ball into the net. 3 – 3 and game on.

With mere seconds to go, once again Taylor swung the ball out to Matthews on the wing and yet again he bamboozled the unfortunate Banks and centred a cross that was behind Mortensen but Bill Perry was following up and he lashed the ball into the net.

Bolton barely had time to take the kick off before the referee Mr. M Griffiths (Newport) brought the proceeding to an enjoyable end - for me and the supporters of Blackpool FC. To be fair though the Bolton supporters were magnanimous in their defeat and were pleased that Stanley Matthews had finally got his FA Cup Winners Medal.

How could I have remembered all the details? Well I haven’t but I have just bought a DVD of the 1953 FA Cup Final from Amazon for under £15. Other finals are available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Matthews
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Matthews#Playing_career

There will never be another footballer like Stanley Matthews.

Mancie · 18-02-2009, 16:58

One of the best has to be 1979 Arsenal v Man Utd...I was watching it in the Hargreaves Arms....with Arsenal 2-0 up and the game reaching the last five minutes we were all sitting there in silence until Gordon McQueen for United stretched a leg out and scored to make it 2-1 in the 86th minute.... I was still thinking it was over when Sammy McIlroy jink around in the penalty area and he scores in the 88th minute 2-2! there was uproar in the pub, beer flying through the air and the Landlord runs up and turns the telly off!... he told us to calm down or get out...we were begging him to turn back on and after a couple of minutes he did... just in time to see Alan Sunderland head a goal in the last minute to give Arsenal a 3-2 win.... gutted!

Royboy39 · 18-02-2009, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mancie

One of the best has to be 1979 Arsenal v Man Utd...I was watching it in the Hargreaves Arms....with Arsenal 2-0 up and the game reaching the last five minutes we were all sitting there in silence until Gordon McQueen for United stretched a leg out and scored to make it 2-1 in the 86th minute.... I was still thinking it was over when Sammy McIlroy jink around in the penalty area and he scores in the 88th minute 2-2! there was uproar in the pub, beer flying through the air and the Landlord runs up and turns the telly off!... he told us to calm down or get out...we were begging him to turn back on and after a couple of minutes he did... just in time to see Alan Sunderland head a goal in the last minute to give Arsenal a 3-2 win.... gutted!

I'm also gutted when Man U lose.....I get well into the rum in celebration.

Sorry Jim I could not miss that.....I too watched the Blackpool/Bolton match on a 9" Tele.....thought it was great.

cashman · 18-02-2009, 22:24

sadly never saw the 53 cup final not many had tellys then, me dad reckoned it was the best, along with many others ive spoke to oer the years, good football men at that, so even though i never saw it, i can go with that.

steeljack · 19-02-2009, 06:37

not sure of the year , was only a kid but remember the local "up-roar' the year Derek Dougan requsted a transfer from the Rovers the morning before the Cup Final , think the Rovers lost and Dougan took most of the local blame

jaysay · 19-02-2009, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

not sure of the year , was only a kid but remember the local "up-roar' the year Derek Dougan requsted a transfer from the Rovers the morning before the Cup Final , think the Rovers lost and Dougan took most of the local blame

That was 1960 SJ I was there and if I remember rightly so was cashy, well he was in London

Thats when Dave Whelan broke his leg which finished his career as a footballer, but didn't do bad for himeslf,
If I remember rightly the team was

Layland, Whelan, Bray, Clayton, Woods, Magrath, Bimpson Dobing, Doogan Douglas Mcloud,
Rovers lost 3-0 playing most of the game with 10 men after Whelan was carried off, the scores were Norman Deeley 2 Mick Macrath own goal

Doogan did ask for a transfer before the final. Was a very sad day, but things were put to rights the year after when the Diggles lost 3-1 to Spurs in the final

jambutty · 19-02-2009, 18:33

Having watched the match a couple of times, a few things stood out compared to the modern game.

No replays for interesting incidents and goals. Well they didn’t have the technology then so there wouldn’t be. But it just goes to show how pampered we are today and it took some getting used to. If I wanted to see an incident again I had to stop, rewind and play.

The voice commentary was minimal and just by one person – Kenneth Wolstenholme.

When play was stopped for some infringement the player nearest to the ball, regardless which team he belonged to, would pick it up and toss it to the player about to take the throw in, free kick etc.

Free kicks and throw ins were taken from the right place to within a yard or so. The ref sent back any encroaching.

No one argued with the referee or linesmen.

There was no shirt tugging or handing off an opponent. But the shoulder charge was used to good effect. I didn’t see one single player spit.

When players jumped to head the ball there were no flailing arms to ‘accidentally’ catch an opponent in the face. How many modern players would head a football of days gone by?

Goal celebrations were minimal by today’s standards. Although Nat Lofthouse did actually kiss Eric Bell on the cheek when he scored. A surprised Kenneth Wolstenholme commented on it. Well Bell did play most of the match out on the left wing because of his injury and it was all he could do to walk, let alone run and kick the ball.

It was high speed action all the way for 90 minutes. When a team got the ball there was only one thought in mind - attack right away. No standing around and passing the ball across the field wondering what to do with it.

Mancie · 19-02-2009, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Royboy39

I'm also gutted when Man U lose.....I get well into the rum in celebration.

Yeah.. I hope you don't steam into the rum every time Rovers loose.. that would be terrible for your liver

Mancie · 19-02-2009, 23:04

Then there was the more recent final of 2006.. Westham v Liverpool... 3-3 atfter extra time and went down to penalties with Liverpool the winners.. I was just wondering if this was the first final resulting in a draw that did not hold a replay?

Royboy39 · 19-02-2009, 23:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mancie

Yeah.. I hope you don't steam into the rum every time Rovers loose.. that would be terrible for your liver

Had a blood test last week....livers fine...thanks for your concern. Turncoat.

Mancie · 19-02-2009, 23:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Royboy39

Had a blood test last week....livers fine...thanks for your concern. Turncoat.

Glad to hear it Roy.

Mancie · 20-02-2009, 01:17

Heard it all from Jambutty and you old boys.. but there's no way Sir Stan could have played in a FA cup final at 38yrs old these days.. whatever it may look like from the 50'ts the game is alot faster now... as this clip may show.it's a semi final but fast and the old boys would have struggled.... Arsenal v Man utd at Villa Park 1999

cashman · 20-02-2009, 01:28

different days mancie, crap pitches, much heavier ball, ya cannot say that with any conviction, better to speak to top guys that played through the change i reckon, thats good enough fer me,i aint no expert.

Mancie · 20-02-2009, 01:38

the pitches are better...it looks like a snooker table in the clip.. but sorry Ryan Giggs is one of the best players I have ever seen..and he is 35..which is unusual these days..he was 26 when he ran them around and scored in the clip.. nobody with the sense of the game today can tell me that you can still be the best player in the world at 38yrs old.. as good as they were Sir Stan.. Finny..even Bobby Charlton would have struggled to play after say 35yrs old... the game today is not slow.. it's hard running and faster..and Jambutty it's not about walking around passing the ball willy nilly.. have you seen United play over the last 8 games?.. fast even furious attacking football as you would wish maybe it's a stunning fact that the old boys have overlooked.

Mancie · 20-02-2009, 01:54

this is maybe the best I've seen United play ever.. if you compare the way Liverpool ..which is good attacking football.. same a Villa.. they way Chelsea play is more clinical.. but I believe this is the best football I have ever seen.. they way United are playing is the pinacle of football art...and we should all appreciatate it