Bolton cup win stirred memories of Wanderers Wembley outings

Like most Bolton Wanderers supporters, I am still on a ‘high’ after our team’s comprehensive 4-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the Papa Johns Trophy Final.

And it was fitting that this victory should take place exactly 100 years after the Wanderers won the very first cup final played at Wembley.

Bolton have been to Wembley 14 times in various cup competitions and play-off finals and they haven’t always come out on top.

As any long-term Wanderers fan will tell you, to follow our beloved team is always going to be a ‘roller coaster’ ride. Here are two well known examples:

100 YEARS AGO: THE FIRST WEMBLEY FINAL

On April 28, 1923, Bolton Wanderers won the first FA Cup Final played at the new Empire Stadium at Wembley.

They beat West Ham United 2-0 thanks to goals by David Jack and JR Smith. This final is remembered not just for being the first at Wembley but because of the chaotic crowd scenes.

The ground capacity was 100,000 but an estimated 300,000 watched (or tried to watch) the match. Thousands of supporters without tickets somehow managed to enter the ground from all directions with the police and ground officials unable to stop them.

As can be seen from the photographs, the crowd spilled on to the pitch, which meant that unless the pitch could be cleared the match would not take place.

‘Cometh the hour cometh the man’, and the pitch was eventually cleared by PC George Scorey on his white horse, Billy’. The kick off was delayed by 45 minutes while this took place and the game has been known as the ‘White Horse Final’ ever since.

Among the fever of excitement and anticipation in Bolton at the time, there is a famous local story about Bob Carr who reputedly walked to Wembley pushing a wheelbarrow.

However, this epic feat was cast into doubt many years later when he allegedly told a friend that he had help with his ‘transport’ along the way!

Bolton Wanderers went on the repeat their FA Cup winning exploits in 1926 and 1929, making them the ‘Cup Kings’ of the 1920s. It wasn’t until the 1950s that they returned to Wembley.

David Jack was Bolton’s most famous player of the time and, after winning the FA Cup twice with Bolton, he was transferred to Arsenal in 1928 for a then record fee of £10,000 (twice the previous highest fee).

He played for England nine times (four times as captain) and achieved great success at Arsenal winning three First Division titles and another FA Cup winner’s medal in 1930.

He is one of only three players to have scored over 100 goals for two top flight clubs – the others are Jimmy Greaves and Alan Shearer.

Those looking for even more historic links with the Wanderers latest Wembley triumph against Plymouth will be interested to hear that David Jack played for Plymouth between 1919 – 1920 before signing for the Wanderers – and what a signing he turned out to be!

As a timely, mark of respect for this famous Bolton ‘son’, Bolton Family History Society has decided to honour David Jack with a blue plaque which is to be unveiled at his birthplace, 119 Chorley Old Road at 12 noon on Saturday, April 29.

For those with a particular interest in the history of Bolton Wanderers, Bolton Museum’s latest exhibition is entitled ‘Going to the Match’, a wonderful display of Wanderers photographs and artefacts including the famous Lowry painting.

Alongside this, there will be a series of talks in the Library Theatre about the club’s history and, if that’s not enough for you, Bolton Little Theatre will be presenting ‘And Did Those Feet’, a play about the ‘cup fever’ that gripped the town in the run up to the 1923 final from April 22 to 29.

70 YEARS AGO: THE ‘MATTHEWS’ FINAL

On May 2, 1953, Bolton Wanderers were back at Wembley for the first time since 1929 to take on Blackpool.

This was the first major sporting event to be screened live on BBC television and I can still remember crowding round a tiny black and white TV, with my scarf & rosette, in a room full of family, friends and neighbours (we were the only ones with a TV at the time).

It all started so well with Bolton leading 3-1 at half time. But then tragedy struck when one of our players (Eric Bell) was injured and had to play on the wing (no substitutes in those days).

Suddenly the game turned in Blackpool’s favour and the ‘wing wizardry’ of Stanley Matthews came to the fore.

He created three goals in the last 20 minutes and Blackpool won 4-3 in what has been called one of the greatest finals of all time, and will be forever known as the ‘Matthews’ Final’.

As a young boy, I was devastated – but it prepared me for a lifetime of ‘ups and downs’ with my home-town team.

In all fairness, Stanley Matthews deserved his winner’s medal.

At the age of 38, it was his first in an outstanding career (having lost in the 1948 and 1951 finals). Remarkably, he continued playing until he was 50.

It was unfortunate for the other Stanley in that final, Stan Mortensen, whose hat-trick for Blackpool was over-shadowed by the sentiment surrounding Matthews’ achievement.

Nat Lofthouse scored for Bolton that day, but his disappointment in defeat would be short-lived, as he led Bolton to a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the 1958 final, only five years later.

Both of these Cup Final matches are featured in the ‘Heroes & Heirlooms’ Exhibition which is currently running at the Horwich Heritage Centre, Longworth Road , Horwich.

The centre is open from 2pm to 4pm every weekday and 10am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. The exhibition continues until May 11.