Pe & SportFea yesterdaytures

n the second of our new series designed to raise an I interest in our country’s great sporting heritage and provide a resource for those teaching and studying historical aspects of sport within their curricula, ‘PE & Sport Yesterday’ centres upon the home of English Football – Wembley Stadium – and more specifically focuses upon the dramatic events of the very first FA Cup Final ever to be PE&SPORT staged there. YESTERDAY – The White Horse Cup Final

50 PE & Sport Today • Spring 2006 The all new Wembley At a cost of £750 000, the By this time all the seats in dominated the black and Stadium is to be shortly stadium itself had been the stadium were filled and the white news pictures of this unveiled. Sadly, it will not be completed way ahead of two captains – Joe Smith of dramatic day. Over the next ready in time for the 2006 FA schedule in an astonishing 300 Bolton and West Ham’s George 45 minutes the massive Cup Final. One of the new working days. Given its Kay – were poised to start the crowds were pushed back by landmarks that supporters massive 127,000 capacity it game. A few supporters ‘Billy’ and his rider PC George may eventually pass across on would be an ideal choice to clambered on to walls and Scorey. their way to the ground is the host the 1923 FA Cup Final squeezed into seats already paid Though the officials were newly built ‘White Horse between West Ham United for but as perimeter fences happy that a match could Bridge’, a new footbridge that and Bolton Wanderers and so, collapsed there was nowhere indeed take place, it was crosses Wembley Stadium to accommodate the match, else for the masses to go but virtually impossible to observe railway station leading up to the venue was officially on to the pitch. Thousands of the rules of the game the new venue. The name opened in April 1923 by King fans surrounded both the correctly as the crowd ebbed originates from an incident George V. players and officials and and flowed over the that occurred during the first FA Cup Final day of 28 April threatened to force the touchlines. When a player event ever staged at the of that year began in bright abandonment of the game. took a corner kick, for original Wembley Stadium but spring sunshine with top- But for the anger of the instance, the crowd were so how many cup final fans that hatted VIPs lining up alongside mob and the presence of the close that he could not take cross that bridge will know King George V to celebrate the King in the Royal Box, the his run until the police could the true story that unfolded opening of the magnificent new match would have almost force people away from the some 83 years ago? stadium. At 2pm the gates certainly been called off. In a corner of the field. The Empire Stadium as it were closed to all but ticket- bid to salvage the fixture, the Eventually Bolton went on was originally known was holders but in the next hour players appealed directly to to win the match 2-0 and took built for The British Empire numbers continued to grow fans to let them get the match the Cup for the first time, after Exhibition of 1924, which outside as the event attracted underway with a handful of two previous appearances in was to be the largest far more attention that had police officers fighting a losing the Final. Not surprisingly, the exhibition ever staged and been anticipated. Estimates of battle to get the crowd back result of the game was would attract 17 million between 250,000 and 500,000 on to the surrounding cinder somewhat overshadowed by visitors. The event was to have been put on just how track. Eventually, mounted the events of the day and is still play host to delegates from many people turned up that reinforcements were called in. remembered to this day the 58 countries of the day but what is for sure is that, The most striking image of because of the iconic image of British Empire with its aim when the large exit gates were this operation was ‘Billy’, a ‘Billy’. The FA Cup Final of to stimulate trade and bring forced open by the madding giant white police horse, 1923 would always be known all members in closer crowd, thousands rushed whose presence at the centre thereafter as ‘The White Horse contact with one another. inside. of the milling crowds Final’.

PE & Sport Today • Spring 2006 51