1938 FA Cup final

The 1938 FA Cup final was contested by Preston North End and Huddersfield Town at Wembley Stadium. Preston, losing finalists the previous year, won by a single goal. This was their second win in the competition.

1938 FA Cup final

Event	1937–38 FA Cup
Preston North End Huddersfield Town 1 0
After extra time
Date	30 April 1938
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Referee	A. Jewell (London)
Attendance	93,497
← 1937 1939 →

Background

After 29 minutes of extra time it was still 0–0 and BBC commentator Thomas Woodrooffe said "if there's a goal scored now, I'll eat my hat". Seconds later, Preston were awarded a penalty, from which George Mutch scored the winning goal; Woodrooffe kept his promise, though it was one made of cake and marzipan.^[1][2] Bill Shankly (who played in that game for the Preston side) recalls that special moment in his autobiography from 1976: "The ball hit the bar, which was square then, took the paint off it, screamed into the middle of the goal and ran down the back of the net." And then adds: "The paint is on the ball to this day. I saw it again in 1971, when Liverpool reached the final and played Arsenal. When we were preparing for Wembley, Tommy Smith, who was the Preston captain in 1938, came to the training ground at Melwood and showed the ball to his namesake, Tommy Smith, the Liverpool captain in 1971."^[3]

This was the first FA Cup final to be broadcast on television, by the BBC. It was a repeat of the 1922 FA Cup Final. This time the scores were reversed but once again a penalty was needed to separate the two sides.^[4][5]

Three of the players who participated in the final (Andy Beattie and Bill Shankly of Preston and Eddie Boot of Huddersfield) would all manage Huddersfield within 20 years of this final.

The last surviving member of the winning team was Bobby Beattie, who died in September 2002 at the age of 86.

Match details

30 April 1938

15:00 BST

Preston North End	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Huddersfield Town
Mutch 119' (pen.)	Report

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 93,497

Referee: A. Jewell (London)

Preston

Huddersfield

GK George Holdcroft RB Frank Gallimore LB Andy Beattie RH Bill Shankly CH Tom Smith (c) LH Bob Batey OR Dickie Watmough IR George Mutch CF Bud Maxwell IL Bobby Beattie OL Hugh O'Donnell Manager: James Taylor (acting)

GK Bob Hesford RB Benny Craig LB Reg Mountford RH Ken Willingham CH Alf Young (c) LH Eddie Boot OR Joe Hulme IR Jimmy Isaac CF Willie MacFadyen IL Bobby Barclay OL Pat Beasley Manager: Clem Stephenson

Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Replay if scores still level.

Road to Wembley

Preston North End 8 Jan 1938 3rd Round Preston North End 3 - 0 West Ham United Deepdale, Preston 22 Jan 1938 4th Round Preston North End 2 - 0 Leicester City Deepdale, Preston 12 Feb 1938 5th Round Arsenal 0 - 1 Preston North End Highbury, London 5 Mar 1938 6th Round Brentford 0 - 3 Preston North End Griffin Park, London 26 Mar 1938 Semi-final Preston North End 2 - 1 Aston Villa Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Huddersfield Town 8 Jan 1938 3rd Round Huddersfield Town 3 - 1 Hull City Leeds Road, Huddersfield 22 Jan 1938 4th Round Huddersfield Town 1 - 0 Notts County Leeds Road, Huddersfield 12 Feb 1938 5th Round Liverpool 0 - 1 Huddersfield Town Anfield, Liverpool 5 Mar 1938 6th Round York City 0 - 0 Huddersfield Town Bootham Crescent, York 9 Mar 1938 6th Round Replay Huddersfield Town 2 - 1 York City Leeds Road, Huddersfield 26 Mar 1938 Semi-final Huddersfield Town 3 - 1 Sunderland Ewood Park, Blackburn