Remembering Town’s FA Cup giant-killers in 1952-53
THINK OF the 1952-53 FA Cup competition and most people’s minds will jump immediately to what was labelled ‘The ‘Matthews Final’, where 38-year-old Stanley Matthews inspired his Blackpool side to come from two goals down to defeat Lancashire neighbours Bolton Wanderers 4-3 at Wembley.
But the competition that ultimately had a fairytale ending had already witnessed the sort of shock the FA Cup is famed for earlier in the competition.
Halifax Town were a midtable Third Division (Northern Section) outfit when they pitted their wits against top flight sides Cardiff City and Stoke City, so their achievements in overcoming both these teams shouldn’t be understated.
Town were stranded at the foot of the table when Gerry Henry took over, but an influx of new signings in the 1952 close season, together with players already at the club, saw the Shaymen enjoy better fortunes, and by the time their FA Cup campaign began in November, they were in the top half.
They needed two games to see off the part-timers of Ashton United from the Lancashire Combination before knocking out Southport in the second round.
Cardiff, 18th in the First Division, would be the visitors to The Shay in round three; expecting a well-above-average crowd, crush barriers were erected on the Hunger Hill end of the ground, with Chief Constable of Halifax Gerald Goodman allowing the capacity to be set at 35,000.
The match was made all-ticket, and within two days of them going on sale, 15,000 had been snapped up.
The Shaymen produced a rip-roaring performance, with goals from Derek Priestley, Eddie Murphy and Jimmy Moncrieff handing them a 3-1 win.
Stoke awaited Town in round four, and with the town of Halifax once again gripped in cup fever, the ground record was smashed when 35,621 squeezed into The Shay.
They witnessed a classic match but one spoilt somewhat by a strong breeze which blew from one end of the ground to the other.
Derek Priestley’s goal just before half-time proved decisive as Town held out for another sensational victory, and with scenes that were becoming familiar, hundreds of supporters ran onto the pitch upon the final whistle to chair the Town players off.
Henry was full of praise for his players, saying: “Give the lads credit for their team work and confidence in themselves. We shall be in there trying and fighting next time.”
But despite being handed a fifth successive home tie, Halifax Town’s glorious 1952-53 FA Cup run ended at the hands of the mighty Tottenham Hotspur, though in that there was no shame.
The interest in the game on 14 February 1953 was intense, but a fall of heavy snow posed a great threat to the match.
Two days before the game there was a four inch covering over the Shay pitch and on the eve of the match, another flurry caused further problems.
Work began on clearing the pitch – the lines were eventually marked out in thick blue dye – and just before 10.30am an official announcement that the game was definitely on brought a rapidly increasing flow of supporters to the ground to help shift the piles of snow.
By kick-off the gate had been swelled to a 36,885, not only a Shay record but also the biggest gate for any sporting event in Halifax, a figure never to be broken.
After an even first-half, Spurs’ Les Bennett broke the deadlock, and added another after Len Duquemin also found the net.
But Halifax could take pride in putting up such a gallant fight.
After the game, Spurs’ boss Arthur Rowe spoke of how impressed he’d been with Halifax Town’s performance: “If this is typical of Third North football, then you are well served.
“It is great stuff. I take my hat off to Town.”
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