Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

1958 FA Cup final

1958 FA Cup final
Event1957–58 FA Cup
Date3 May 1958
VenueWembley Stadium, London
RefereeJack Sherlock
Attendance99,756
1957
1959

The 1958 FA Cup final was contested on 3 May 1958 by Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of almost 100,000. The referee was J. Sherlock. Bolton won 2–0, with a double by Nat Lofthouse, who scored the goals in the 3rd and 55th minutes.[1] United, who had lost the previous final to Aston Villa, had been decimated three months earlier in the Munich air disaster, and fielded only four crash survivors, along with several newcomers. Just two players featured in the United side from the previous year's final; six of them were among the dead (along with two others who had not played), two were injured to such an extent that they never played again, while another had not yet fully recovered from his injuries.

The second Bolton goal was a source of considerable controversy as it resulted from the Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg being bundled over the goal line by Lofthouse. Goalkeepers were, at that time, much less protected from physical contact with opponents. The resulting debate was one of the high-profile incidents that led eventually to the situation that prevails nowadays where no contact with the opposing goalkeeper is permitted.

Not one of Bolton's 11 players in the cup-winning team cost the club a transfer fee. Five of them were full internationals. Only Nat Lofthouse and Doug Holden remained from the Bolton team that lost to Blackpool in the Matthews Final five years earlier.[2][3]

Road to Wembley

As First Division clubs, both teams entered the competition at the third round stage.

Bolton Wanderers   Manchester United
Opposition Goalscorer(s) Round Opposition Goalscorer(s)
4 January 1958
Preston North End [D1]
A
3–0
Stevens
Parry (2)
Round Three 4 January 1958
Workington [D3N]
A
3–1
Viollet (3)
25 January 1958
York City [D3N]
A
0–0
  Round Four 25 January 1958
Ipswich Town [D2]
H
2–0
Charlton (2)
29 January 1958
York City [D3N]
H
3–0
Birch
Allcock (2)
Replay
15 February 1958
Stoke City [D2]
H
3–1
Lofthouse
Stevens
Parry
Round Five 19 February 1958
Sheffield Wednesday [D1]
H
3–0
Brennan (2)
Dawson
1 March 1958
Wolverhampton Wanderers [D1]
H
2–1
Stevens
Parry
Quarter finals 22 March 1958
West Bromwich Albion [D1]
A
2–2
Dawson
Taylor
Replay 5 March 1958
West Bromwich Albion [D1]
H
1–0
Webster
22 March 1958
Blackburn Rovers [D2]
Maine Road, Manchester
2–1
Gubbins (2) Semi finals 22 March 1958
Fulham [D2]
Villa Park, Birmingham
2–2
Charlton (2)
Replay 26 March 1958
Fulham [D2]
Highbury, North London
5–3
Dawson (3)
Brennan
Charlton
  • Square brackets [ ] represent the opposition's division

Match details

Bolton Wanderers2–0Manchester United
Lofthouse 3', 50' (Report)
Attendance: 99,756
Referee: Jack Sherlock
Bolton Wanderers
Manchester United
GK 1 England Eddie Hopkinson
RB 2 England Roy Hartle
LB 3 England Tommy Banks
RH 4 England Derek Hennin
CH 5 England John Higgins
LH 6 England Bryan Edwards
OR 7 England Brian Birch
IR 8 England Dennis Stevens
CF 9 England Nat Lofthouse (c)
IL 10 England Ray Parry
OL 11 England Doug Holden
Manager:
England Bill Ridding
GK 1 Northern Ireland Harry Gregg
RB 2 England Bill Foulkes (c)
LB 3 England Ian Greaves
RH 4 England Freddie Goodwin
CH 5 England Ronnie Cope
LH 6 England Stan Crowther
OR 7 Scotland Alex Dawson
IR 8 England Ernie Taylor
CF 9 England Bobby Charlton
IL 10 England Dennis Viollet
OL 11 Wales Colin Webster
Manager:
Wales Jimmy Murphy

References