The Matthews Final: Magic, Mortensen, and One Last Shot at Glory
Stan Mortensen remains the only player ever to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup Final.
He did so in 1953, as Blackpool came from 3–1 down to beat Bolton Wanderers with a dramatic late winner.
And yet, this was not Mortensen’s final.
This final belongs to a 38-year-old winger who didn’t even score that day at Wembley.
This is the Matthews Final.
Matthews' Final Final Chance
It’s funny how the FA Cup Final so often seems to reflect the mood of the country at large. With the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II just around the corner, the mood of the 100,000 fans making their way to north-west London from the north west of England was jubilant.
By 1953, the pilgrimage to Wembley was a well-worn tradition. TV and radio coverage had turned FA Cup Final day into a national phenomenon.
Much of the pre-match coverage focused on veteran Blackpool winger, Stanley Matthews.
A hugely respected figure in the game, the 38-year-old Matthews was approaching the end of his career. Despite widely being considered England's best player for years, he had never won the FA Cup, losing in two finals since joining Blackpool from Stoke City.
Matthews’ chances of finally getting his hands on the trophy weren’t exactly slim, but everyone connected to Blackpool knew Bolton would be formidable opponents.
Led by England’s Nat Lofthouse, they posed a serious attacking threat – proven by their 4–0 win over Blackpool earlier in the season. They were also a physical side, perfectly cast in the role of spoilers.
Adding to the intrigue was a larger-than-ever TV audience. The 1953 FA Cup Final was the first to be televised in full by the BBC.
You can celebrate Matthew's brilliance at home with this framed 1953 FA Cup Final programme.
We've taken a genuine matchday programme from Wembley and framed it on a white background with a red surround.
The result is a piece of football memorabilia as eye-catching as it is historic.
How Blackpool Turned the Tide
As if to hammer home the point that Bolton were difficult opponents, Nat Lofthouse opened the scoring for Wanderers after just two minutes.
By half-time, Bolton were 2–1 up — Stan Mortensen's equaliser soon followed by a goal from Willie Moir. The half-time team talk didn’t appear to help Blackpool, as a stricken Eric Bell was somehow able to shake off a hamstring injury and put Bolton 3–1 up. In the eyes of many viewers, that looked to have taken the game away from the Tangerines.
In fact, the stage was now set for Matthews.
He used every trick in the book to jink, slalom and dance past any defender who tried to stop his trademark dribbles. Time and time again, Matthews beat his man and carved out chances for his teammates.
Although the Blackpool goals came from Mortensen — including one from a powerful free-kick — and Bill Perry, nobody at Wembley or watching from home was in any doubt about who the catalyst was for Blackpool’s comeback.
When Perry scored in the 92nd minute, Matthews must have known that his FA Cup destiny had finally been fulfilled. 21 years after making his professional debut, he was an FA Cup winner at last.
Why They Called It the Matthews Final
Stanley Matthews was respected throughout football for the dedication he showed to his career. At a time when professional standards were generally far lower than they are now, Matthews trained diligently — often on his own after team sessions — ate well, and never drank.
His ability to perform at such a high level on the biggest stage at the age of 38 was the direct result of all that hard work and sacrifice.
There’s no doubt that sentimentality played a large part in the “Matthews Final” billing. Just like Rory McIlroy at Augusta National, Andy Murray at Wimbledon, or Mark Cavendish returning to the Tour de France to match Eddy Merckx’s record, the national mood could be summed up as: let him win one.
But as with McIlroy, Murray, and Cavendish, Matthews’ success ultimately came down to his sheer ability.
He was head and shoulders the best player in the final 30 minutes of the 1953 FA Cup Final. Drawing on his superior fitness, he showed once again why his dribbling skills were the stuff of legend.
Every Blackpool attack went through Matthews. He was the man Bolton tried desperately to stop.
Trouble was they couldn't.
Matthews grabbed the match, and the moment, by the scruff of the neck. And in doing so, he cemented his place in football history.
The FA Cup Final That Sets the Standard
The Matthews Final is the game against which all other FA Cup Finals are measured.
In all the talk of one man’s brilliance, it’s easy to forget just how many top-class footballers played their part in a seven-goal thriller that was only settled in injury time. Mortensen’s hat-trick, Perry’s winner, Lofthouse’s early strike — all of them key to one of the most dramatic matches Wembley has ever seen.
But this isn’t really a story about goals or stats. It’s a legend.
It’s about a 38-year-old winger, still jinking past defenders with the game on the line. It’s about persistence, grace, and the idea that if you work hard enough, and wait long enough, your moment might still come.
Matthews didn’t just win the FA Cup that day. He won for sentimentality, for completeness, and for everyone who still believes that good people can get the fairytale ending they deserve.