1926 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1926 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers
and Manchester City
on 24 April 1926 at Wembley Stadium in London
. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup
), it was the 55th final, and the fourth at Wembley.
Each team progressed through five rounds to reach the final. Both teams were members of the Football League First Division
, Bolton Wanderers occupying a position in upper-mid-table and Manchester City next to bottom. Consequently, Bolton entered the match as favourites and, as expected, went on to win, their single goal being scored by David Jack
.
but, following a request to the FA, the match was switched to Bolton for crowd safety reasons. Bolton's David Jack scored the only goal of the game in an unexpectedly close contest. To the resentment of the Bolton crowd, Ted Vizard
was sent off for the first time in his career, leading the referee to require a police escort to the railway station. In the fourth round Bolton were held to a surprise draw at Third Division Bournemouth
. The Wanderers lost Bill Cope
to injury after fifteen minutes. A 1–0 half-time lead quickly turned into a 2–1 deficit early in the second half but, with five minutes remaining, Jack scored an equaliser.
Bolton's fifth round home tie against South Shields
produced a straightforward 3–0 victory. The goals were scored by Joe Smith, Jack Smith
and David Jack, the latter maintaining his record of scoring in every round. The quarter-final against Nottingham Forest
required two replays to produce a winner. Following a 2–2 draw in Nottingham and a goalless game in Bolton, the Wanderers prevailed 1–0 in another close game held at Old Trafford
. Bolton drew Swansea Town, the last remaining Second Division club, in the semi-final. This meant Bolton did not meet a single First Division club in their path to the final. Three early goals gave Bolton a comfortable 3–0 win at White Hart Lane
.
Manchester City's third round tie was against the amateur club Corinthians at Crystal Palace
. The third round was the furthest Corinithians had ever progressed, though until 1923 the club never entered the cup due to club rules preventing them from entering any competition with a prize. Manchester City went behind and only equalised three minutes from time. The Corinthians goalkeeper, Benjamin Howard Baker collided with a team-mate, causing him to take more than four steps with the ball. From the resulting free kick, Frank Roberts scored in a goalmouth melee to take the tie to a replay, held the following Wednesday. The rematch proved less even. Manchester City won 4–0 courtesy of goals by Austin
(twice), Hicks
and Johnson. After his goal, Hicks had to leave the field as he had sustained an injury while performing a celebratory somersault. In the fourth round, City faced league champions Huddersfield Town
and again won 4–0. The crowd of 74,799 was by far the highest of the round, and only 1,200 short of the club record.
Manchester City were drawn at home to Crystal Palace
in the fifth round. A final score of 11–4 set a club record for the number of goals in a game and was City's biggest margin of victory since 1903. Frank Roberts scored five and Tommy Browell
also scored a hat-trick
. Yet another high scoring win was achieved in the quarter-final, when Clapton Orient
were beaten 6–1. Johnson scored a hat-trick and Hicks scored for the fifth successive cup match.
In the semi-final, Manchester City faced local rivals Manchester United
in a derby match
at Bramall Lane
. Browell scored the opener from a Hicks corner amid vehement protests for handball from the United players. Later in the half, United's Frank Barson
flattened Sam Cowan
with an "ugly challenge" for which he later received a suspension. In the second half, Browell and Roberts each scored to make the final score 3–0.
. In that match, Manchester City won 1–0 thanks to a Billy Meredith
goal. The 1904 meeting was Manchester City's only previous final, whereas the 1926 tie was the fourth time Bolton had reached the final. They lost in 1894
and 1904, but won the competition for the first time in the "White Horse Final
" of 1923, the first to be held at Wembley. The 1926 final was the first to be held since the change to the offside rule in 1925. It now required two defenders behind an attacker receiving the ball instead of three, a change which increased the average number of goals per match.
Of the two teams, Bolton Wanderers had the better league form. After rising as high as fourth early in the league season, Bolton spent the majority of the year in mid-table and finally finished 8th of the 22 First Division clubs with 44 points from their 42 league fixtures. Manchester City remained in the lower reaches of the league table throughout the season and were relegated after finishing 21st with 35 points. Their matches were frequently high scoring. City scored more league goals than second-placed Arsenal
, but also had the second-worst defensive record in the division. The two league matches between the teams in the 1925–26 season ended in a 5–1 home win for Bolton in November and a 1–1 draw at Maine Road in March.
In accordance with changes made for the 1924 final onwards, all tickets were sold in advance to prevent a repeat of the overcrowding at the 1923 final. Approximately 91,000 tickets were available. 53,000 were standing tickets, 15,000 were uncovered seats and 23,000 were covered seats. Standing tickets cost two shillings, seat prices ranged from five shillings to one guinea
. The majority of tickets were sold before the finalists were known. As a result, few supporters of the participating teams attended; most were unable to afford the remaining tickets available to the general public, which were typically in the more expensive areas of the stadium. 1,750 tickets were allocated directly to each club. Bolton fielded 6,000 enquiries and lodged a formal protest about the inadequacy of their allocation. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
laid on a total of seven special trains from Manchester to London on the eve and morning of the match. A number of supporters travelled to London without tickets in the hope of securing one outside the stadium. 5s
tickets changed hands for up to 15s
, provoking the ire of ticketless supporters who accused the sellers of profiteering. In one such instance, a man selling twenty 2s
tic|kets at 10s
each required the assistance of five police officers to escape the wrath of the crowd. The total gate receipts for the match were £23,157, a new record.
Manchester City prepared for the match by training in the spa town
of Buxton
. Bolton Wanderers followed their usual training schedule for most of the week, then travelled to Harrow
on the Thursday. All eleven men who played for Bolton in their 1923 triumph were still at the club. Of those, only the injured Alex Finney
was absent as they travelled to London. Jack Smith had been injured for several weeks in the run-up to the final, but recovered in time and participated in Bolton's last league match before the tie.
and the Chatham Naval Dockyard
. Following the National Anthem
, the players, match officials and club chairmen were introduced to King George V
. The toss was then won by the Bolton captain Joe Smith. In contrast to the lengthy delays which marred Bolton's previous visit to Wembley, the match kicked off three minutes earlier than scheduled.
As anticipated, Bolton fielded ten of the eleven who played the 1923 final. Left-back Harry Greenhalgh
was the only change from the 1923 line-up. Each team played the formation typical of the era: two full-backs, three half-backs and five forwards. Bolton had the better of the opening exchanges; the Times correspondent wrote: "In the first five minutes Bolton Wanderers were so superior to their opponents that they might have been giving an exhibition for the cinema against schoolboys". Manchester City then gradually asserted themselves and had the first clear chance. Frank Roberts took a right-footed shot, but hit the ball straight at Bolton goalkeeper Dick Pym
. Overall, the defences enjoyed the better of the play in the first half. Bolton's Joe Smith was instrumental in much of his team's attacking play, both he and left-winger Ted Vizard receiving praise for their play.
Hicks, who was generally described as the most effective of the Manchester City forwards, had a chance which he hit high over the crossbar. In a rare spell of sustained Manchester City pressure, a free kick by captain Jimmy McMullan
forced a save from Pym, and the resulting near-post corner prompted a goalmouth scramble which ended with a foul on Bolton's Greenhalgh. Pym made further saves from Browell and Hicks, the latter resulting in a corner. From the corner Bolton won the ball and headed upfield on the counter-attack. Billy Butler's cross from the right went beyond the goal and was retrieved by Vizard on the left wing. The outside-forward then cut inside and played the ball across goal in a manner described by some correspondents as a shot and others as a pass. David Jack received the ball in the six-yard box and put the ball between Goodchild and McCloy into the City goal, giving Bolton the lead with 14 minutes remaining. In the few minutes after the goal, Manchester City came forward in numbers but lacked clear chances and were hindered by over-eager forwards going offside. Following a goal kick by Pym, the referee blew the final whistle. Bolton won the cup for a second time, becoming the first club to win twice at Wembley.
2–0. The 1929 team contained five of the 1926 cup winners. Goalscorer David Jack was transferred to Arsenal
in 1928. The transfer set a world record as the first to exceed £10,000. Jack won two more FA Cups with Arsenal.
Upon arrival back in Manchester, the Manchester City team were given a civic reception at Manchester Town Hall, then immediately travelled to their Maine Road ground to play a league fixture against Leeds. Manchester City won that match 2–1, but failed to win the following Saturday and were relegated to the Second Division. In doing so they became the first cup finalists ever to be relegated in the same season, a fate since shared by 1969
finalist Leicester City
, 1983
finalist Brighton & Hove Albion and 2010
finalist Portsmouth. The final was the last time Albert Alexander
's committee selected the team. Peter Hodge
had agreed to join the club as manager well in advance of the final, but was unable to take up the position until his previous club Leicester City
completed their league fixtures. Several seasons later, City half-back Sam Cowan
went on to captain the club in the 1932
and 1933
finals.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center>
Manchester City:
|
Goalkeeper
Jim Goodchild
Full-back
Sam Cookson
Full-back
Philip McCloy
Half-back
Charlie Pringle
Half-back
Sam Cowan
Half-back
Jimmy McMullan
(c)
Forward
Billy Austin
Forward
Tommy Browell
Forward
Frank Roberts
Forward
Tommy Johnson
Forward
George Hicks
Committee-Manager:
Albert Alexander, Sr.
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 24 April 1926 at Wembley Stadium in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (better known as the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
), it was the 55th final, and the fourth at Wembley.
Each team progressed through five rounds to reach the final. Both teams were members of the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, Bolton Wanderers occupying a position in upper-mid-table and Manchester City next to bottom. Consequently, Bolton entered the match as favourites and, as expected, went on to win, their single goal being scored by David Jack
David Jack
David Bone Nightingale Jack was an English footballer, the first player ever to score at Wembley, and the first footballer in the world to be transferred for more than £10,000...
.
Route to the final
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley F.C. (1891) Accrington Stanley was an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. Established in 1891, the club played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962, when the club became only the second ever to resign from the League mid-season. The club went into liquidation in 1966... (h) |
1–0 |
| 4th | Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899.... (a) |
2–2 |
| Bournemouth (h) | 6–2 | |
| 5th | South Shields South Shields F.C. South Shields F.C. are a football club based in South Shields, England. They have a long and complicated history, with three distinct incarnations taking the name... (h) |
3–0 |
| 6th | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... (a) |
2–2 |
| Nottingham Forest (h) | 0–0 | |
| Nottingham Forest (n Old Trafford Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:... ) |
1–0 | |
| Semi-final | Swansea Town (n White Hart Lane White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230.... ) |
3–0 |
Bolton Wanderers
Both teams entered the competition in the third round, the entry point for First Division clubs. Bolton Wanderers were drawn away at Accrington StanleyAccrington Stanley F.C. (1891)
Accrington Stanley was an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. Established in 1891, the club played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962, when the club became only the second ever to resign from the League mid-season. The club went into liquidation in 1966...
but, following a request to the FA, the match was switched to Bolton for crowd safety reasons. Bolton's David Jack scored the only goal of the game in an unexpectedly close contest. To the resentment of the Bolton crowd, Ted Vizard
Ted vizard
Edward 'Ted' Vizard was a Wales international footballer who became a manager. He spent almost all his playing career at Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:...
was sent off for the first time in his career, leading the referee to require a police escort to the railway station. In the fourth round Bolton were held to a surprise draw at Third Division Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
. The Wanderers lost Bill Cope
Bill Cope (footballer)
John William "Bill" Cope was an English footballer, he was noted for his tough-tackling ability.-Playing career:Cope played for Leek Alexandra and Bolton Wanderers before joining Port Vale in July 1929...
to injury after fifteen minutes. A 1–0 half-time lead quickly turned into a 2–1 deficit early in the second half but, with five minutes remaining, Jack scored an equaliser.
Bolton's fifth round home tie against South Shields
South Shields F.C.
South Shields F.C. are a football club based in South Shields, England. They have a long and complicated history, with three distinct incarnations taking the name...
produced a straightforward 3–0 victory. The goals were scored by Joe Smith, Jack Smith
Jack Smith (Scottish footballer)
John Reid "Jack" Smith was a Scottish footballer, who played as a centre forward and helped Bolton Wanderers win the FA Cup in 1923 and 1926.-Football career:...
and David Jack, the latter maintaining his record of scoring in every round. The quarter-final against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
required two replays to produce a winner. Following a 2–2 draw in Nottingham and a goalless game in Bolton, the Wanderers prevailed 1–0 in another close game held at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. Bolton drew Swansea Town, the last remaining Second Division club, in the semi-final. This meant Bolton did not meet a single First Division club in their path to the final. Three early goals gave Bolton a comfortable 3–0 win at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
.
Manchester City
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Corinthians (a) | 3–3 |
| Corinthians (h) | 4–0 | |
| 4th | Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... (h) |
4–0 |
| 5th | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... (h) |
11–4 |
| 6th | Clapton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... (h) |
6–1 |
| Semi-final | Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... (n Bramall Lane -Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket... ) |
3–0 |
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
. The third round was the furthest Corinithians had ever progressed, though until 1923 the club never entered the cup due to club rules preventing them from entering any competition with a prize. Manchester City went behind and only equalised three minutes from time. The Corinthians goalkeeper, Benjamin Howard Baker collided with a team-mate, causing him to take more than four steps with the ball. From the resulting free kick, Frank Roberts scored in a goalmouth melee to take the tie to a replay, held the following Wednesday. The rematch proved less even. Manchester City won 4–0 courtesy of goals by Austin
Billy Austin
Sidney William 'Sam' Austin was a footballer who played professionally for Norwich City, Manchester City and Chesterfield....
(twice), Hicks
George Hicks (footballer)
George Wolstenholme Hicks was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left. He made 231 appearances in the Football League....
and Johnson. After his goal, Hicks had to leave the field as he had sustained an injury while performing a celebratory somersault. In the fourth round, City faced league champions Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
and again won 4–0. The crowd of 74,799 was by far the highest of the round, and only 1,200 short of the club record.
Manchester City were drawn at home to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in the fifth round. A final score of 11–4 set a club record for the number of goals in a game and was City's biggest margin of victory since 1903. Frank Roberts scored five and Tommy Browell
Tommy Browell
Thomas "Tommy" Browell was an English footballer who played as a forward for Hull City, Everton, Manchester City and Blackpool. He is the seventh-highest Manchester City goalscorer of all time with 139 goals for the club.Browell was born in Walbottle, Northumberland, in 1892...
also scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
. Yet another high scoring win was achieved in the quarter-final, when Clapton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
were beaten 6–1. Johnson scored a hat-trick and Hicks scored for the fifth successive cup match.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a derby match
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. Browell scored the opener from a Hicks corner amid vehement protests for handball from the United players. Later in the half, United's Frank Barson
Frank Barson
Frank Barson was an English footballer from Grimesthorpe who played for several English football clubs including Barnsley, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Watford...
flattened Sam Cowan
Sam Cowan
Samuel Cowan was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional...
with an "ugly challenge" for which he later received a suspension. In the second half, Browell and Roberts each scored to make the final score 3–0.
Build-up
Both teams had won the FA Cup on one previous occasion and had met in the 1904 FA Cup Final1904 FA Cup Final
The 1904 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City on 23 April 1904 at Crystal Palace in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 32nd Cup final, and the tenth at Crystal...
. In that match, Manchester City won 1–0 thanks to a Billy Meredith
Billy Meredith
William Henry "Billy" Meredith was a Welsh footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each domestic trophy in the English football league and also gained 48 caps for Wales, for whom he...
goal. The 1904 meeting was Manchester City's only previous final, whereas the 1926 tie was the fourth time Bolton had reached the final. They lost in 1894
1894 FA Cup Final
The 1894 FA Cup Final was contested by Notts County and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. Notts County won 4–1, with goals by James Logan and Arthur Watson. Jim Cassidy scored for Bolton...
and 1904, but won the competition for the first time in the "White Horse Final
1923 FA Cup Final
The 1923 FA Cup Final was a football match between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on 28 April 1923 at the original Wembley Stadium in London. The showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the first football match to be...
" of 1923, the first to be held at Wembley. The 1926 final was the first to be held since the change to the offside rule in 1925. It now required two defenders behind an attacker receiving the ball instead of three, a change which increased the average number of goals per match.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, but also had the second-worst defensive record in the division. The two league matches between the teams in the 1925–26 season ended in a 5–1 home win for Bolton in November and a 1–1 draw at Maine Road in March.
In accordance with changes made for the 1924 final onwards, all tickets were sold in advance to prevent a repeat of the overcrowding at the 1923 final. Approximately 91,000 tickets were available. 53,000 were standing tickets, 15,000 were uncovered seats and 23,000 were covered seats. Standing tickets cost two shillings, seat prices ranged from five shillings to one guinea
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. The majority of tickets were sold before the finalists were known. As a result, few supporters of the participating teams attended; most were unable to afford the remaining tickets available to the general public, which were typically in the more expensive areas of the stadium. 1,750 tickets were allocated directly to each club. Bolton fielded 6,000 enquiries and lodged a formal protest about the inadequacy of their allocation. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
laid on a total of seven special trains from Manchester to London on the eve and morning of the match. A number of supporters travelled to London without tickets in the hope of securing one outside the stadium. 5s
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
tickets changed hands for up to 15s
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
, provoking the ire of ticketless supporters who accused the sellers of profiteering. In one such instance, a man selling twenty 2s
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
tic|kets at 10s
£sd
£sd was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the Kingdom of England, later the United Kingdom, and ultimately in much of the British Empire...
each required the assistance of five police officers to escape the wrath of the crowd. The total gate receipts for the match were £23,157, a new record.
Manchester City prepared for the match by training in the spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
of Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
. Bolton Wanderers followed their usual training schedule for most of the week, then travelled to Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
on the Thursday. All eleven men who played for Bolton in their 1923 triumph were still at the club. Of those, only the injured Alex Finney
Alex Finney
Alexander "Alex" Finney was an English football player best known for playing for Bolton Wanderers, for whom he made nearly 500 appearances in The Football League. He played for the team in the 1923 and 1929 FA Cup Finals.-References:...
was absent as they travelled to London. Jack Smith had been injured for several weeks in the run-up to the final, but recovered in time and participated in Bolton's last league match before the tie.
Match
In the hour before kick-off, the crowd was entertained by the bands of the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and the Chatham Naval Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
. Following the National Anthem
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
, the players, match officials and club chairmen were introduced to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. The toss was then won by the Bolton captain Joe Smith. In contrast to the lengthy delays which marred Bolton's previous visit to Wembley, the match kicked off three minutes earlier than scheduled.
As anticipated, Bolton fielded ten of the eleven who played the 1923 final. Left-back Harry Greenhalgh
Harry Greenhalgh
Harry Woodgate Greenhalgh was an English footballer who played as a right back in The Football League with Bolton Wanderers in the 1920s. He was a member of the Bolton Wanderers team which won the 1926 FA Cup Final.-References:...
was the only change from the 1923 line-up. Each team played the formation typical of the era: two full-backs, three half-backs and five forwards. Bolton had the better of the opening exchanges; the Times correspondent wrote: "In the first five minutes Bolton Wanderers were so superior to their opponents that they might have been giving an exhibition for the cinema against schoolboys". Manchester City then gradually asserted themselves and had the first clear chance. Frank Roberts took a right-footed shot, but hit the ball straight at Bolton goalkeeper Dick Pym
Dick Pym
Richard Henry Pym was a football player best known for being the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper at the first ever FA Cup final to be played at Wembley Stadium in 1923.The game, known as the White Horse Final because of the presence of a mounted white police horse at the helm of the...
. Overall, the defences enjoyed the better of the play in the first half. Bolton's Joe Smith was instrumental in much of his team's attacking play, both he and left-winger Ted Vizard receiving praise for their play.
Hicks, who was generally described as the most effective of the Manchester City forwards, had a chance which he hit high over the crossbar. In a rare spell of sustained Manchester City pressure, a free kick by captain Jimmy McMullan
Jimmy McMullan
Jimmy McMullan was a Scottish football player and manager. McMullan won 16 Scotland caps as a player at half-back and was part of the famous "Wembley Wizards" side of 1928.-Early life:...
forced a save from Pym, and the resulting near-post corner prompted a goalmouth scramble which ended with a foul on Bolton's Greenhalgh. Pym made further saves from Browell and Hicks, the latter resulting in a corner. From the corner Bolton won the ball and headed upfield on the counter-attack. Billy Butler's cross from the right went beyond the goal and was retrieved by Vizard on the left wing. The outside-forward then cut inside and played the ball across goal in a manner described by some correspondents as a shot and others as a pass. David Jack received the ball in the six-yard box and put the ball between Goodchild and McCloy into the City goal, giving Bolton the lead with 14 minutes remaining. In the few minutes after the goal, Manchester City came forward in numbers but lacked clear chances and were hindered by over-eager forwards going offside. Following a goal kick by Pym, the referee blew the final whistle. Bolton won the cup for a second time, becoming the first club to win twice at Wembley.
Post-match
The Bolton team were greeted by crowds at Bolton Town Hall. In a playful exchange, Joe Smith gave the Cup to the mayor, saying that it had been won for Bolton and was given to Bolton, which the mayor refused. Bolton went on to win a third FA Cup in 1929, beating PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
2–0. The 1929 team contained five of the 1926 cup winners. Goalscorer David Jack was transferred to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in 1928. The transfer set a world record as the first to exceed £10,000. Jack won two more FA Cups with Arsenal.
Upon arrival back in Manchester, the Manchester City team were given a civic reception at Manchester Town Hall, then immediately travelled to their Maine Road ground to play a league fixture against Leeds. Manchester City won that match 2–1, but failed to win the following Saturday and were relegated to the Second Division. In doing so they became the first cup finalists ever to be relegated in the same season, a fate since shared by 1969
1969 FA Cup Final
The 1969 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 1968–69 staging of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, better known as the FA Cup. The match was contested between Leicester City and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday 26 April 1969...
finalist Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, 1983
1983 FA Cup Final
The 1983 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium.Manchester United were the favourites, as Brighton had been relegated from the First Division that season...
finalist Brighton & Hove Albion and 2010
2010 FA Cup Final
The 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
finalist Portsmouth. The final was the last time Albert Alexander
Albert Alexander, Sr.
Albert Edward Burns Alexander Sr. was a figure in early 20th century English football who held a number of roles at Manchester City.Alexander's connections with Manchester City go back to at least 1904. That year Manchester City reached the FA Cup final for the first time. The club directors hired...
's committee selected the team. Peter Hodge
Peter Hodge
Peter Hodge was a Scottish football manager who managed Raith Rovers, Stoke City, Manchester City and most notably Leicester City...
had agreed to join the club as manager well in advance of the final, but was unable to take up the position until his previous club Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
completed their league fixtures. Several seasons later, City half-back Sam Cowan
Sam Cowan
Samuel Cowan was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional...
went on to captain the club in the 1932
1932 FA Cup Final
The 1932 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in what became known as the "Over The Line" final. Newcastle won 2–1, both of their goals scored by Jack Allen....
and 1933
1933 FA Cup Final
The 1933 FA Cup Final was a football match between Everton and Manchester City on 29 April 1933 at Wembley Stadium in London. The deciding match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup , it was the 62nd final, and the 11th at Wembley...
finals.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | Bolton Wanderers: | ||
| Goalkeeper | Dick Pym Dick Pym Richard Henry Pym was a football player best known for being the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper at the first ever FA Cup final to be played at Wembley Stadium in 1923.The game, known as the White Horse Final because of the presence of a mounted white police horse at the helm of the... |
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| Full-back | Bob Haworth Bob Haworth Robert "Bob" Haworth was an English football player best known for playing for Bolton Wanderers, for whom he made over 300 appearances in The Football League. He played for the team in the 1923, 1926 and 1929 FA Cup Finals.-References:... |
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| Full-back | Harry Greenhalgh Harry Greenhalgh Harry Woodgate Greenhalgh was an English footballer who played as a right back in The Football League with Bolton Wanderers in the 1920s. He was a member of the Bolton Wanderers team which won the 1926 FA Cup Final.-References:... |
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| Half-back | Harry Nuttall Harry Nuttall (footballer) Harry Nuttall , was a football player best known for being in the winning Bolton Wanderers team which won the FA Cup in 1923.... |
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| Half-back | Jimmy Seddon Jimmy Seddon Jimmy Seddon , is a footballer who played most famously in the centre of defence for Bolton Wanderers during the 1920s.... |
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| Half-back | Billy Jennings Billy Jennings (Welsh footballer) William "Billy" Jennings was a Welsh football player best known for playing for Bolton Wanderers, for whom he made over 250 appearances in The Football League. He played for the team in the 1923 FA Cup Final... |
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| Forward | Billy Butler |
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| Forward | Jack Smith Jack Smith (Scottish footballer) John Reid "Jack" Smith was a Scottish footballer, who played as a centre forward and helped Bolton Wanderers win the FA Cup in 1923 and 1926.-Football career:... |
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| Forward | David Jack David Jack David Bone Nightingale Jack was an English footballer, the first player ever to score at Wembley, and the first footballer in the world to be transferred for more than £10,000... |
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| Forward | Joe Smith (c) |
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| Forward |  Ted VizardTed vizard Edward 'Ted' Vizard was a Wales international footballer who became a manager. He spent almost all his playing career at Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:... |
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| Manager: | |||
| Charles Foweraker Charles Foweraker Charles Foweraker was an English football manager, serving in the capacity at Bolton Wanderers from 1919 to 1944, making him the club's longest serving manager... |
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Jim GoodchildJim Goodchild
Andrew James Goodchild was an English football goalkeeper who played for Manchester City and was their goalkeeper in the 1926 FA Cup Final.-Playing career:...
Sam CooksonSam Cookson (English footballer)
Sam Cookson was an English footballer who played in the right full back position.-Early life:Sam Cookson was born in Manchester in 1896. He began his footballing career playing for Stalybridge Celtic. During weekdays Cookson was a miner and worked down a pit. At the weekends he played football...
Philip McCloy Charlie PringleCharlie Pringle
Charles Ross "Charlie" Pringle was a Scottish footballer who played as a wing-half.Born in the village of Nitshill, south of Glasgow, Pringle's first professional club was St. Mirren, for whom he signed during World War I...
Sam CowanSam Cowan
Samuel Cowan was an English football player and manager. A relative latecomer to the sport, Cowan did not play football until he was 17 and was 22 by the time he turned professional...
Jimmy McMullanJimmy McMullan
Jimmy McMullan was a Scottish football player and manager. McMullan won 16 Scotland caps as a player at half-back and was part of the famous "Wembley Wizards" side of 1928.-Early life:...
(c)
Billy AustinBilly Austin
Sidney William 'Sam' Austin was a footballer who played professionally for Norwich City, Manchester City and Chesterfield....
Tommy BrowellTommy Browell
Thomas "Tommy" Browell was an English footballer who played as a forward for Hull City, Everton, Manchester City and Blackpool. He is the seventh-highest Manchester City goalscorer of all time with 139 goals for the club.Browell was born in Walbottle, Northumberland, in 1892...
Frank Roberts Tommy Johnson George HicksGeorge Hicks (footballer)
George Wolstenholme Hicks was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left. He made 231 appearances in the Football League....
Albert Alexander, Sr.Albert Alexander, Sr.
Albert Edward Burns Alexander Sr. was a figure in early 20th century English football who held a number of roles at Manchester City.Alexander's connections with Manchester City go back to at least 1904. That year Manchester City reached the FA Cup final for the first time. The club directors hired...
MATCH RULES
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