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The Matthews
Final Wembley,
2 May 1953 For those who remember the
year, 1953 is remembered for three things: the Coronation; the conquest of
Everest and the F A Cup Final of that year which has gone down in history as ‘The
Matthews Final’. It was also
Blackpool Football Club’s finest hour. With players of the stature of Stanley Matthews and
Stan Mortenson the club were regular challengers for the League title and
reached two FA Cup finals (losing to Manchester United and Newcastle in 1948 and
1951 respectively) before that epic victory over Bolton Wanderers in 1953. Ten
minutes after half-time, when the injured Eric Bell rose to head home Bolton's
third goal, it looked as if it was all over.
It was Matthews’ moment to step forward as he started to probe the
Bolton’s defence for weaknesses. He
had lost none of his skill, and now aged thirty-eight he knew, and the whole
country knew, that his last chance of a winner’s medal was at stake.
The Times football
correspondent could not contain his admiration: ‘Matthews is a superb artist,
a football genius beyond compare. He
paints, as it were, in water-colours and not oils.
His work always has had that beautiful bloom that oils cannot give.
He has it within him to turn mice into horses, and nothing into
everything. Now in those last 25
minutes he turned Blackpool into giants at a time when all his inspiration might
well have drained away after earlier disappointment’. Blackpool had gone one down as their goalkeeper, George Farm, was deceived by Nat Lofthouse’s low, dipping cross shot. Ten minutes before half-time, Blackpool equalised, when Harold Hassall deflected Mortensen’s shot into his own net. Before the first half ended Bolton had restored their lead when Farm failed to reach a lob into the goalmouth from Bobby Langton, the veteran outside-left and the ball, deflected off Billy Moir's head as the inside-right ran in, floated gently over the line. When
Bolton went 3-1 up
early in the second half, few believed there was any way back for Blackpool. Perry
later recalled the team’s reaction to Mortensen’s equaliser: 'That changed
everything. We were on a high. Stan
Matthews was playing a big part. He beat a man and made his way down the wing
before crossing, falling over as he did so. The ball came skimming across and I
let fly. It flew into the net. But apart from the goal I don't think I played
particularly well.' He remembered it as a fantastic match though. 'That is what
makes a great cup final, when a team comes from behind.'
Teams:
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With
twenty-two minutes to go, a Matthews’ cross was met by the boot of Stan
Mortensen.