Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14877 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-04-18
• Rating: Exempt
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Synopsis
Footage of the 1953 FA Cup Final between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers. Having left Wembley empty-handed on two previous occasions, Blackpool were keen to make sure that they didn't suffer the same fate...

Customer Reviews

The Matthews Final
If your sick to death of modern footballers with their overpriced transfer fees, ridiculous weekly wages and silly inflated ego's then give this 1953 FA Cup Final a try. It's so refreshing to see two teams giving everything to win with a fair amount of skill and a never-give-up attitude. Compare this with the tedious coma inducing Man Utd VS. Chelsea final this year and I think you'll agree there could be no greater contrast.

Witness the late great Sir Stanley Matthews surging down the wing then popping up here, there and everywhere seemingly with the pace of a twenty year old. Indeed it is incredible to think that Matthews was actually thirty-eight at the time! in what was surely his last chance to lift that coveted trophy. Watch the almost-as-legendry Nat Lofthouse putting his body and career on the line in his eagerness to win the ball or Stanley Mortensen taking a magnificent freekick. Played at a time when football was still a contact sport Blackpool and Bolton serve up as good a final as your ever likely to see.

Amazingly all twenty-two players are still on the pitch at full time (no substitutes back then) despite a number of painful looking injuries which would have the players of today pathetically rolling around on the floor for minutes. Indeed, the sheer toughness and durability of these guys is inspiring to see. No arguments, no surrounding the referee when a decision goes the other way, no diving around at the slightest contact, just good honest football played the way it should be played and at the end of the game handshakes and pats on the back all round with true sportsmanship.

This DVD is a great reminder of yesteryear and well worth the purchase. If you like Football you will probably love this!.

a gift
Purchased this as a present for my father. His words were 'you couldn't have bought anything better'. He watched it with a group of his pals and some beers, they all had the best time in years. Don't know what this says about what they've done since 1953 but they agreed that this was arguably the best FA cup final ever and definately how football should be played.

Times remembered
This was the first football match I ever saw on TV. The video was of course not perfect and the sound nothing like the quality we expect today. However, this was explained in the product notes so I knew that what I would get was not great, but the memories it re-kindled were worth the effort. Watching Stanley Mathews and Nat Lofthouse put their hearts and souls into the game made it all worth while!