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It has been said that the 1953 FA Cup Final between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers has become one of the most mythologized in British sporting history. Forever remembered as the ‘Matthews Final’, despite the hat-trick from team mate Stan Mortensen, it is now elevated to a status in history that became more than just a football game. It defined an era. The newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II was present at the game, and television beamed the excitement into thousands of homes for the first time.

The story of the game itself is remarkable, yet Blackpool’s route to the Twin Towers was tortuous in itself with doubts and fears littering the pathway to eventual glory. At the time the seaside town played host to one of the most attractive and magnetic of football teams with the famous names of Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen, Harry Johnston, Ernie Taylor and the rest expertly marshalled by the astute management of Joe Smith. Their style of football, alongside their bright tangerine shirts, lit up grounds up and down the country and it is fair to say that Blackpool Football Club held a special place in many fans’ hearts.
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