1953 The year Matthews was crowned FA Cup royalty, Puskas hit England for 6, the Gunners grabbed league title... and Man City narrowly avoided the drop
Chief Sports Writer JEREMY CROSS looks back to the football headlines 70 years ago when Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation took place on June 2
THE last time a ruling monarch was the subject of a Coronation it coincided with football boasting its own royalty.
Queen Elizabeth (inset) might have been the centre of attention, but back in 1953 Stanley Matthews was the rock star of the game.
And the dazzling winger led Blackpool to their famous 4-3 FA Cup triumph over Bolton at Wembley.
The balls might have been heavier, pitches muddier and shorts longer, but the dazzling skills of the best in the business were no less impressive then than they are now.
After finding themselves 3-1 down, Matthews inspired a comeback which saw Stan Mortensen score a hat-trick to seal victory.
To this day Mortensen remains the only player to ever score three goals in the showpiece game.
The match was later renamed ‘The Matthews Final’ and the man himself lifted his winners’ medal to the skies so his late father could see it.
The famous stadium, now rebuilt of course, would also host another legendary game later that year.
It was November when Hungary, including the genius of Ferenc Puskas, thrashed England 6-3 on the hallowed turf to become the first overseas team to win there. The British press hailed it the ‘game of the century’ and the late Sir Bobby Robson later recalled: “We thought we would demolish them, but it was the other way round.”
Playing in the England side that day was a certain Alf Ramsey, who would go on to make much happier memories at Wembley almost 13 years later.
On the domestic scene Arsenal won their second league title of the post-war era, finishing above Preston on goal difference (left).
Manchester City, who could well win a Treble in the coming weeks, avoided relegation by just one point.
How things have changed.
But then again some things haven’t, because in that same season Sheffield United got promoted to the top tier of English football.
So what is the one biggest change in football since 1953?
The answer is simple: wages. Back then the maximum wage of a footballer was increased to £14 a week.
Fast forward 70 years and there is no limit. The explosion of television, sponsorship and other revenue streams means we now live in a world in which Cristiano Ronaldo can earn £200m a season – or £3.8m a week.