Those were the days when good sportsmanship was an accepted code of conduct. The days, when all 22 players gave everything to win this prestigious trophy.

This should have been called the Mortenson final because of his goalscoring prowess in this cup final. The first Bolton goal was a goalkeeping error by Farm and Bolton’s second goal can also be counted as an error by Farm, as he missed the ball.

It was the Year of the Coronation of HH Queen Elizabeth II but the 1953 FA Cup final between Bolton Wanderers and Stanley Matthews at Wembley on 2 May would go down as arguably the greatest of all FA Cup finals. Five years back there was indeed another FA Cup final between Manchester United and Blackpool with the former winning 4-2 but this 1948 final though a classic didn't have the final excitement as that of the 1953 final. For it was the great England winger Stanley Matthews whose brilliant wizardry as a flanker turned the tide in Blackpool's favour.Down 1-3,Matthews inspired Blackpool to stage perhaps the greatest ever comeback in FA Cup history. Wearing the number 7 shirt,Matthews knew that at 38 this would be his final chance to win an FA Cup winners medal after having to go through disappointments in the 1948 and 1951 final. Indeed in those closing minutes Matthews wingplay was decisive as Blackpool scored the winner through South African Bill Perry. Much as Sir Stanley Matthews would like the 1953 FA Cup final to be remembered as the "Matthews Final" but in his autobiography,he insisted that the final should be the "Stanley Mortensen's Final" as the latter scored a hattrick.

The free kick goal from Mortenson looked something special.

Was the commentator Ken Wolstenholme?

Matthews always says it shld be "The Mortensen Final" as he scored a hat trick.

The Mortensen final

Everything looks " clunky" compared to the game today. How the players controlled & ran with the ball like grandads. The massive spaces in midfield. No cohesive defensive backlines & clumsy goalkeeping. Still, a good end to end match.

The winning goal scorer Bill Perry. A fine South African.

ERROR:IT SHOULD BE SEVEN NOT EIGHT.

IN 1953 WHEN BLACKPOOL FACED BOLTON WANDERERS IN THE FA CUP FINAL AT WEMBLEY ON MAY 2,THE ENGLISH PLAYERS THEN WERE BEING PAID UNDER THE MAXIMUM WAGE WHICH WAS LIFTED IN 1961. IT WAS EIGHT YEARS BEFORE THE MAXIMUM WAGE WAS DONE AWAY WITH WHEN BLACKPOOL AND BOLTON WANDERERS CONJURED ARGUABLY THE GREATEST OF ALL FA CUP FINALS. NOT ONLY THE FINAL ENDED WITH A GOALS GALORE OF EIGHT BEING SCORED BUT FOR THE GREATEST COMEBACKS EVER SEEN IN FA CUP HISTORY. WEMBLEY HAD WITNESSED ANOTHER GREAT FA CUP FINAL BETWEEN BLACKPOOL AND MANCHESTER UNITED WHICH ENDED WITH THE LATTER WINNING 4-2. BUT THE 1953 FA CUP FINAL WAS A DIFFERENT CUP OF TEA.NO TEAM EVER HAD COME BACK BEING DOWN TO FINALLY WIN 4-3 IN THE END. AND THE ENGLAND AND BLACKPOOL VETERAN STANLEY MATTHEWS AT 38 MADE ALL THAT POSSIBLE IN THOSE DYING MINUTES OF AN FA CUP CLASSIC. HIS WING PLAY WAS EXTRAORDINARY AND THAT EXPLAINS WHY BLACKPOOL COULD STAGE A REVIVAL AND SNATCH VICTORY OUT OF THE JAWS OF DEFEAT. IT SEEMED ALL OVER FOR BLACKPOOL WHEN BOLTON LED 3-1 BUT MATTHEWS HAD OTHER IDEAS.HE INSPIRED ARGUABLY THE GREATEST EVER COMEBACKS IN FA CUP HISTORY. IN THE DYING SECONDS HIS SHEER WIZARDRY WING PLAY ENABLED SOUTH AFRICAN BILL PERRY TO SCORE THE WINNER. IT WAS 4-3 AND AT LAST AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 38 STANLEY MATTHEWS HAD WON HIS FA CUP WINNERS MEDAL AFTER HAVING BEING DISAPPOINTED TWICE IN 1948 AND IN 1951. LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST.THE OTHER STANLEY "STANLEY MORTENSON" WHO SCORED A HATTRICK THUS THE ONLY PLAYER TO DATE TO ACHIEVE THAT. SIR STANLEY MATTHEWS HIMSELF CONFIDED LATER ON THAT IT SHOULD BE THE "STANLEY MORTENSON FINAL" NOT THE "MATTHEWS FINAL."

commentator dont tell us the score from time to time shame that Ball was rock hard when wet I was in junior football with a lighter ball we went unbeaten the same year Dolphin Cadets Gosport Saw Mathews at Fratton Park -----when Mortenoson got his first the commentator said nothing

Any footballer who runs rings around the opposition wearing shorts that long deserves the utmost respect!

I never knew this footage existed

The camera quality was so fucking bad back then... it makes it so hard to imagine how bright and vibrant it actually was on the day

Both keepers made bad mistakes.

General comment.........truly dreadful defending and goalkeeping, plenty of SPACE due to WM tactics, POOR ball retention like a CURRENT Div 1 or 2 game but exciting, Matthews WOULD be good even now in modern team and fantastic free kick by Mortenson. No wonder so many goals were scored before defences became organised in the late 60's. Comments please. Chris

"What an end to a great career" says the commentator. He only played for another 12 years lol.

I cannot believe how terrible the goal-keeping was then!

When I was a little boy I read about Sir Stanley Mathews, who played football in the age of 47 or so. From this moment on I looked at my own Grandfather with completely new eyes. Kick da ball, grampa!

I guess this was a little before that shocking innovation, the "instant replay."

I have the live film reel of that game ........ Epic

What a great game

4:15 you would never hear that today

and divers of course

Real football, real English football, no cheats and they are allowed to tackle, the ball was 10 times heavier, not like the feathers they kick today. all these overseas players are stunting the development of English players, due to the stupid money involved in the game today, as the clubs buy players from abroad for the quick fix rather than developing local talent. English clubs dominated europe in the 70's and 80's without overseas players. the prem is bought these days, its all about money.

When the FA Cup meant something; and what names! Matthews, Johnston, Lofthouse, Farm, Mortensen, Perry. Would it was like this today instead of the bloody Premiership.

Great post of one of football's great occasions. True, the goalkeeping was nothing special, but Stan the Man looks like he would not have been out of place in today's game. Super footwork, and a tremendous ability to get to the byeline and put in a cross for his team mates. What is so funny is Kenneth Wolstenholme saying what a great end to his career - he played for another 12 years after, when he reached the age of 50! So funny too when Nat Lofthouse gives his teammate a kiss around 3:07!

Keepers must have been really useless in those days. Mind you the ball was leather and when it was wet, it would have been like handling concrete.

@IrudienLantegia I'm almost certain that you're correct that this was from the tele-recorded version of the match.

Matthews, Matthews, Matthews! Companion of my old dreams !

That´s not a film, that´s tv record. Wonderfull!

i <3 Blackpool

Should have been called the crap goalkeepers final

Matthews.... what a great player !