The1953 FA Cup final,also known as theMatthews Final,[1]was the eighth to be held atWembley Stadiumafter theSecond World War.Thefootballmatch was contested betweenBlackpoolandBolton Wanderers,with Blackpool winning 4–3, equalling the record for the highest scoring FA Cup Final which had been set inthe final of 1890.[2]The match became famous for the performance of Blackpool wingerStanley Matthews,after whom it was nicknamed. It was the third FA Cup Final (after those in 1890 and 1894) to feature ahat-trick,scored by Blackpool'sStan Mortensen.[3][4]Blackpool were making their third FA Cup final appearance in six years having been losing finalists twice, in1948and1951.
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| Event | 1952–53 FA Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 2 May 1953 | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium,London | ||||||
| Referee | Sandy Griffiths(Abertillery) | ||||||
| Attendance | 100,000 | ||||||
In February 2010, the boots worn by Matthews in the match were auctioned atBonhamsinChesterfor £38,400, to an undisclosed buyer[5]and in November 2014 Matthews' winning medal was sold for £220,000.[6]The match ball fetched £5,250 in 2018.[7]
Road to Wembley
edit- Third round
- Sheffield Wednesday1 Blackpool 2
- Bolton Wanderers 4Fulham1
- Fourth round
- Blackpool 1Huddersfield Town0
- Bolton Wanderers 1Notts County1 – Replay 2–2, 2nd replay 1–0
- Fifth round
- Blackpool 1Southampton1 – Replay 2–1
- Luton Town0 Bolton Wanderers 1
- Sixth round
- Semi-final
- Blackpool 2Tottenham Hotspur1
- Bolton Wanderers 4Everton3
Match summary
editMatthews inspired his team to come from 3–1 down against Bolton Wanderers, to win 4–3, and on a personal note, he claimed the trophy that had eluded him in two previous finals. Despite the final being more famous for the heroics of Matthews,Stan Mortensenscored three goals for Blackpool on the day, becoming the first and only player to have scored anFA Cup Finalhat-trickat the originalWembley Stadium.[8] Bill Perryscored the winning goal, following another Matthews' assist.Nat Lofthouse,who scored Bolton's first goal, scored in every round of that year's FA Cup.[1] Bolton took the lead after just 75 seconds with a Nat Lofthouse shot. Mortensen equalised after 35 minutes with a deflected "cross-shot". Four minutes later, Bolton took the lead again whenWillie Moiroutstripped Blackpool's goalkeeperGeorge Farmafter short crossing pass ofBobby Langtonand Bolton went in at half-time 2–1 ahead. Ten minutes into the second half,Eric Bell,playing through injury with a torn hamstring, put Bolton further ahead, a lead they kept for 13 minutes. Then came the turnaround for which the match has become famous, when Matthews proved to be the inspiration for a Blackpool comeback. His cross from the right wing, with 22 minutes remaining, was met by Mortensen who netted his and Blackpool's second goal. Then, with less than two minutes remaining, Mortensen completed his hat-trick and Blackpool's comeback to equalise directly from a free-kick. Then, with just seconds remaining, Matthews again crossed from the right wing. His cross, which passed just behind Mortensen, was met byBill Perry,whose shot made the score 4–3 and won the match forthe Seasiders.Even Nat Lofthouse, in defeat, is said to have stood and applauded.[1][9]
Coverage
editThe match was considered the first major TV audience for a sporting event. Televisions had been bought or rented by many households for the forthcomingCoronationof QueenElizabeth II.On Radio the match was broadcast in full on the BBC World Service and the second half on the domestic Light Programme. After this final proved to be so popular, the Cup Final was given its own standalone slot and broadcast in full on TV and radio.
Match details
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       Blackpool
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  Bolton Wanderers
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References
edit- ^abc "1953 – The Matthews Final".BBC Sport.10 May 2001.Retrieved25 September2008.
- ^Ross, James M. (6 August 2020)."England FA Challenge Cup Finals".Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Retrieved16 October2020.
- ^"Man City Emirates FA Cup To Complete Historic Domestic Treble".The Football Association. 18 May 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 18 May 2019.Retrieved11 August2021.
- ^Jones, Rich (18 May 2019)."Raheem Sterling's response to question of whether he scored FA Cup final hat-trick".Mirror.Archivedfrom the original on 20 May 2019.Retrieved11 August2021.
- ^"Stanley Matthews' boots sold for £38,400".BBC News.24 February 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 19 November 2021.Retrieved11 August2021.
- ^"Sir Stanley Matthews FA Cup medal sells for £220,000".BBC News.11 November 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2014.Retrieved11 August2021.
- ^"1953 FA Cup final hat-trick football sells for £5,250".BBC News.British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 February 2018.Retrieved22 February2018.
- ^"Blackpool 4-3 Bolton Wanderers: 1953 FA Cup final – as it happened".The Guardian.2 May 2020.Retrieved7 May2020.
- ^"Wembley – Saturday 2nd May Blackpool 4 Bolton Wanderers 3".fa-cupfinals.co.uk. 10 May 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 22 January 2008.Retrieved25 September2008.