A football used to score a
hat-trick in a famous FA Cup final at the original Wembley Stadium has smashed
its way into the history books again today. (Feb 22)
The ball, used when Blackpool
beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in the 1953 final, went under the hammer at
Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers and sold for £5,250.
The buyer did not wish to be
named but said he was a lifelong Blackpool fan and he would be happy to loan
the ball to football museums.
The famous match saw Stan
Mortenson score a hat-trick with help from his team mate, ‘The wizard’ Stanley
Matthews. The game was nicknamed the Matthews Final due to his outstanding
display.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons
Auctioneers, said: “A bit of money for old leather! We had three phone bidders
vying to buy this ball as well as bidders online and I was delighted to see it sell
just above its top estimate of £3,000-£5,000.
“It’s been incredible to handle a
football used in the famous Matthews FA Cup final. The ball was given to Stan
Mortensen at the end of a game, which was watched by 100,000 fans on May 2,
1953. Despite Bolton going 3-1 up, Blackpool came back to win 4-3.”
The ball was put up for auction by Chris Crook, 57, an IT business analyst from Dorking, Surrey, who said: “I am delighted the ball has sold and particularly delighted to learn that it has been sold to a Blackpool fan who is happy to see it go on display.”
Mr Crook described the eclectic path the ball took to reach him: “I was told it was donated to an FA charity raffle, possibly the tribute dinner for Stan Mortensen, at Blackpool’s Savoy Hotel on November 30, 1989, but not necessarily that event.
“The football was won by a waitress, who gave it to her brother who lived in Sutton, London. When his power failed at home one Christmas Day, he called his electrician, Tom Brown, to fix it.
“Tom knew about the football and joked about it being given as payment for coming out on Christmas Day. After fixing the electrics, Tom was given the football as a thank you.
“Tom was a great friend of my father-in-law, Harry Keith Simmons, and the ball was eventually passed down to me in 2007.”
Mr Hanson said: “The brown leather, 18-panel football was in a modern style for the period and would only have been used for internationals and finals. Back then, most footballs were of the cheaper laced variety. We expected the football to create worldwide interest and it did.”
The FA Cup final hat-trick football was sold at Hansons Auctioneers’ Football Auction on February 22. To find out more, call 01283 733988 or email [email protected].
