1939 FA Cup final

March 2015 March 2015 1939 FA Cup final Old Wembley Stadium (external view).jpg 200 1938–39 FA Cup Portsmouth 4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 29 April 1939 Wembley Stadium London T. Thompson 99,370 1938 1946 The 1939 FA Cup final was contested by Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Portsmouth won 4–1, with goals from Bert Barlow, John Anderson and two by Cliff Parker. Dicky Dorsett scored Wolves' effort. As a result of the suspension of the FA Cup for the duration of the Second World War, the next FA Cup final was not until seven years later in 1946, thereby enabling Portsmouth fans to claim that their team has held the Cup for the longest time. Wolves had entered the game as clear favourites, having scored 19 goals in their five FA Cup games and lying second in the league table. By contrast, Portsmouth were struggling in the relegation zone. Captain Jimmy Guthrie was presented with the cup by King George VI. Portsmouth manager Jack Tinn said afterwards that his side won thanks to the help of his "lucky spats". Match summary Approaching the half-hour mark, Barlow scored Portsmouth's first goal from within the area. Portsmouth pressed their advantage, refusing to let Wolves back into the contest. Anderson hooked in a second just before half time after McAlinden's chip in from the right had left the advancing Scott in no-man's-land. Immediately after the restart, Wolves goalkeeper Scott fumbled a shot on the goal line and only prevented the strike creeping in with an outstretched hand on top of the ball. However, Cliff Parker slid in to kick the ball from under the keeper's hand to make it 3–0. Wolves drove forward to try to mount a recovery but a solitary Dorsett strike from eight yards was their only success. Portsmouth put the result beyond any doubt when Parker headed in his second and Portsmouth's fourth from close range from a Worrall cross. Additional history When World War II began in September 1939, this caused the 1939 FA Cup champions Portsmouth to hold the distinction of holding the FA Cup trophy for the longest uninterrupted period - seven years - as the FA Cup competition was not held again until the end of World War II. Portsmouth manager Jack Tinn was rumoured to have kept the FA Cup trophy 'safe under his bed' throughout the duration of the war, but this is an urban myth. Because the naval city of Portsmouth was a primary strategic military target for German Luftwaffe bombing, the FA Cup trophy was actually taken ten miles to the north of Portsmouth, to the nearby Hampshire village of Lovedean, and there it resided in a quaint thatched roof country pub called The Bird in Hand for the duration of the war.http://www.lovedeanbirdinhand.co.uk/?BIHrequestID=4C55838218D9D39854D199BD64BA29 LoveDeanBirdInHand After the war, the FA Cup trophy was presented back by Portsmouth F.C. to the Football Association in time for the 1946 FA Cup Final. Portsmouth's Tommy Rowe, who died in May 2006 at the age of 92, was the last surviving player from the 1939 FA Cup Final match. Match details 29 April 193915:00 GMT Portsmouth 4–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers https://web.archive.org/web/20100303170403/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk:80/1939.htm Barlow 29Anderson 43Parker 46, 71 Dorsett 54 Empire Stadium, Wembley, London 99,370 T. Thompson (Lemington, Newcastle upon Tyne) _collarwhite _whitetop 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF FFFFFF 000000 Portsmouth right _collarblack _hoops_black FDB913 FDB913 FDB913 000000 FDB913 Wolverhampton Wanderers GK 1 ENG Harry WalkerRB 2 SCO Lew MorganLB 3 ENG Bill RochfordRH 4 SCO Jimmy Guthrie (c)CH 5 ENG Tommy RoweLH 6 ENG Guy WhartonOR 7 ENG Fred WorrallIR 8 NIR Jimmy McAlindenCF 9 SCO John AndersonIL 10ENG Bert BarlowOL 11ENG Cliff ParkerManager:ENG Jack Tinn GK 1 ENG Alec ScottRB 2 ENG Bill MorrisLB 3 ENG Frank TaylorRH 4 ENG Tom GalleyCH 5 ENG Stan Cullis (c)LH 6 ENG Joe GardinerOR 7 ENG Stan BurtonIR 8 SCO Alex McIntoshCF 9 ENG Dennis WestcottIL 10ENG Dicky DorsettOL 11ENG Teddy MaguireManager:ENG Major Frank Buckley Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Replay if scores still level. Road to Wembley Portsmouth Round 3: Portsmouth 4–0 Lincoln City Round 4: Portsmouth 2–0 West Bromwich Albion Round 5: Portsmouth 2–0 West Ham United Round 6: Portsmouth 1–0 Preston North End Semi-Final: Portsmouth 2–1 Huddersfield Town (at Highbury)Wolverhampton Wanderers Round 3: Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 Bradford Park Avenue Round 4: Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–1 Leicester City Round 5: Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–1 Liverpool Round 6: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 Everton Semi-Final: Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–0 Grimsby Town (at Old Trafford) See also FA Cup 1938-39 External links FA Cup Final lineups References Mike Neasom, Mick Cooper & Doug Robinson Pompey: The History of Portsmouth Football Club Milestone Publications 1984 0-903852-50-0 Category:FA Cup finals Final FA Cup Final 1939 FA Cup Final 1939 FA Cup Final FA Cup Final