1948 FA Cup Final
Encyclopedia
The 1948 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United
and Blackpool
at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1948. United, who had not appeared in an FA Cup Final
for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley
and one apiece from Stan Pearson
and John Anderson. Eddie Shimwell
and Stan Mortensen
scored Blackpool's goals. With his goal, Shimwell became the first full-back to score in a Wembley cup final. Blackpool manager Joe Smith decided not to select Jimmy McIntosh
for the final despite McIntosh having scored five goals in the five ties leading up to the final. The two sides met in a rearranged league fixture the Monday after the Wembley final. McIntosh was selected to play for Blackpool, who won 1–0 with McIntosh scoring the winner.
The previous month it was announced that Blackpool would not be wearing their traditional tangerine-and-white strip due to its clashing with United's red. Instead, they wore white shirts with black shorts, but would be allowed to wear their normal socks, even though they too came under the auspices of the colour-clash ban. The FA also instructed United to wear blue shirts and white shorts, meaning both teams played in change strip.
Hugh Kelly
was the last surviving Blackpool player from the game when he died in March 2009 at the age of 85, while goalkeeper Jack Crompton
is the last surviving member of the Manchester United team.
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BLACKPOOL:
|
GK
1
Joe Robinson
RB
2
Eddie Shimwell
LB
3
John Crosland
RH
4
Harry Johnston
(c)
CH
5
Eric Hayward
LH
6
Hugh Kelly
OR
7
Stanley Matthews
IR
8
Alex Munro
CF
9
Stan Mortensen
IL
10
George Dick
OL
11
Walter Rickett
Manager:
Joe Smith
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...
and Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1948. United, who had not appeared in an FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley
Jack Rowley
John Frederick "Jack" Rowley was an English football striker from the 1930s to the 1950s, mainly remembered for playing for Manchester United. He was nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his prolific and explosive goalscoring, achieving scoring statistics with United of 208 goals in 422 appearances...
and one apiece from Stan Pearson
Stan Pearson
Stanley Clare Pearson was an English football player. He was born in Salford.Pearson was signed by Manchester United as an amateur in December 1935 and turned professional in May 1937. His first senior game came against Chesterfield in 1937. When his career was interrupted by the war, he served...
and John Anderson. Eddie Shimwell
Eddie Shimwell
Edmund "Eddie" Shimwell was an English professional footballer.-Playing career:Born in Birchover, Derbyshire, Shimwell was a trainee with Sheffield United in 1939, but failed to break into the first team before the outbreak of World War II...
and Stan Mortensen
Stan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
scored Blackpool's goals. With his goal, Shimwell became the first full-back to score in a Wembley cup final. Blackpool manager Joe Smith decided not to select Jimmy McIntosh
Jimmy McIntosh
James McLaughlin "Jimmy" McIntosh was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. As a player McIntosh was a fast, strong, stocky, forward.-Blackpool :...
for the final despite McIntosh having scored five goals in the five ties leading up to the final. The two sides met in a rearranged league fixture the Monday after the Wembley final. McIntosh was selected to play for Blackpool, who won 1–0 with McIntosh scoring the winner.
The previous month it was announced that Blackpool would not be wearing their traditional tangerine-and-white strip due to its clashing with United's red. Instead, they wore white shirts with black shorts, but would be allowed to wear their normal socks, even though they too came under the auspices of the colour-clash ban. The FA also instructed United to wear blue shirts and white shorts, meaning both teams played in change strip.
Hugh Kelly
Hugh Kelly (footballer)
Hugh Thomas "Hughie" Kelly was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a defender and spent his entire 14-year professional career with Blackpool.-Club career:...
was the last surviving Blackpool player from the game when he died in March 2009 at the age of 85, while goalkeeper Jack Crompton
Jack Crompton
John "Jack" Crompton is an English former football player. He was a goalkeeper for Manchester United between 1944 and 1956...
is the last surviving member of the Manchester United team.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | MANCHESTER UNITED: | ||
| GK | 1 | Jack Crompton Jack Crompton John "Jack" Crompton is an English former football player. He was a goalkeeper for Manchester United between 1944 and 1956... |
|
| RB | 2 |  Johnny CareyJohnny Carey John Joseph "Johnny" Carey , also known as Jackie Carey, was an Irish footballer and manager. As a player Carey spent most of his career at Manchester United, where he was team captain from 1946 until he retired as a player in 1953... (c) |
|
| LB | 3 | John Aston |
|
| RH | 4 | John Anderson |
|
| CH | 5 | Allenby Chilton Allenby Chilton Allenby C. Chilton was an English football player.Chilton started his career with Seaham Colliery before joining Liverpool as an amateur in the summer of 1938. Chilton transferred to Manchester United soon after in November 1938 and made his first team debut against Charlton Athletic in September... |
|
| LH | 6 | Henry Cockburn Henry Cockburn (footballer) Henry Cockburn was an English professional footballer, who played league football for Manchester United, Bury and Peterborough United. He represented England at international level, playing 13 times for his country... |
|
| OR | 7 | Jimmy Delaney Jimmy Delaney James "Jimmy" Delaney was a Scottish football player who enjoyed a 24-year playing career.- Career :... |
|
| IR | 8 | Johnny Morris Johnny Morris (footballer) John "Johnny" Morris was an English former footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Manchester United, Derby County and Leicester City.... |
|
| CF | 9 | Jack Rowley Jack Rowley John Frederick "Jack" Rowley was an English football striker from the 1930s to the 1950s, mainly remembered for playing for Manchester United. He was nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his prolific and explosive goalscoring, achieving scoring statistics with United of 208 goals in 422 appearances... |
|
| IL | 10 | Stan Pearson Stan Pearson Stanley Clare Pearson was an English football player. He was born in Salford.Pearson was signed by Manchester United as an amateur in December 1935 and turned professional in May 1937. His first senior game came against Chesterfield in 1937. When his career was interrupted by the war, he served... |
|
| OL | 11 | Charlie Mitten Charlie Mitten Charles "Charlie" Mitten was an English football player, who came through the junior ranks at Manchester United... |
|
| Manager: | |||
| Matt Busby Matt Busby Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season... |
|||
Joe RobinsonJoe Robinson (footballer)
Joseph "Joe" Robinson was an English football goalkeeper. He played for Blackpool in their appearance in the 1948 FA Cup Final against Manchester United.-Hartlepools United:...
Eddie ShimwellEddie Shimwell
Edmund "Eddie" Shimwell was an English professional footballer.-Playing career:Born in Birchover, Derbyshire, Shimwell was a trainee with Sheffield United in 1939, but failed to break into the first team before the outbreak of World War II...
John CroslandJohn Crosland
John Ronald Crosland was an English professional football player. He played as a defender, and could switch from centre-half to full-back....
Harry JohnstonHarry Johnston (footballer)
Henry "Harry" Johnston was an English footballer. He was the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1951. He spent his entire professional playing career with Blackpool, with whom he appeared in three FA Cup Finals...
(c)
Eric Hayward Hugh KellyHugh Kelly (footballer)
Hugh Thomas "Hughie" Kelly was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a defender and spent his entire 14-year professional career with Blackpool.-Club career:...
Stanley MatthewsStanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
Alex MunroAlex Munro
Alexander Dewar "Alex" Munro was a Scottish professional football player.-Club career:...
Stan MortensenStan Mortensen
Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...
George Dick Walter RickettWalter Rickett
Walter Rickett was a professional footballer who played as a winger for Sheffield United, Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Halifax Town.-Blackpool:...
Joe Smith