Halifax Town’s memorable FA Cup run 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 Stanley Matthews, the Wizard of the Wing, inspired his Blackpool side to come from two goals down to defeat Lancashire neighbours Bolton Wanderers 4-3 at Wembley, with Matthews himself laying on the winner for Bill Perry.

All eyes had been on Matthews, and at last, at the third time of asking, he finally collected his winners’ medal at the grand old age of 38, and it was his performance that day which overshadowed that of team mate Stan Mortenson.

Mortenson, in fact, had written himself into the footballing record books by becoming only the third player to net a hat-trick in an FA Cup Final, and it seems a tad unfair that his feat that day should be so overlooked. But the competition that ultimately had a fairytale ending – unless, of course, you were

supporting Bolton – had already witnessed the sort of shock the FA Cup is famed for earlier in the competition, but ask football historians today to name the Lower league club that disposed of not one, but two First Division sides during that 1952-53 campaign, and most would be hard-pressed to tell you.

Halifax Town were a mid-table 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.

Yet, other than the locals who are old enough to remember it all, the remarkable efforts of the Shaymen that season have never been mentioned in the same breath as other famous giant-killing acts of First Division sides such as those of non-league Hereford United, who put out Newcastle United (aided by that Ronnie Radford screamer) in 1972, Wimbledon’s triumph over Burnley at Turf Moor in 1975, Sutton United’s unlikely victory at Gander Green over Coventry City

in 1989, or even that of Fourth Division Colchester United, who defeated the mighty Leeds United in 1971, perhaps the biggest shock of them all.

None of these teams, however, managed to follow up their triumphs with another over a top flight side, although Wimbledon did force Leeds United to a replay.

Therefore, then, Halifax Town’s exploits should rightly be given the credit they deserve. It would be fair to say that the post-war years hadn’t been kind to the club.

After a fairly successful period during the Thirties, Town had failed to successfully replace the players who had departed before and during the war period.

The first season of League football had ended with Halifax Town finishing bottom of the Third Division (North) for the first time, and a succession of managers had been frustrated in their attempts to turn around the fortunes of the club.

Halifax Town had found themselves applying for re-election three times in the four seasons after the war, and the former Leeds United half-back Gerry Henry became the fourth manager in almost as many seasons to try his hand.

Halifax Town were stranded at the foot of the table when he took but he impressed both the directors and the supporters by taking the side off the bottom of the table to safety by the season’s close.

In the 1952 close season, Henry started building his own team, bringing in left-back Albert Cox from Sheffield United, inside-forward Andy Geddes (Mansfield Town), Harry Darbyshire (Leeds United), outside-right Bert Wilkinson from Denaby United, formerly on the books of Bradford City, whilst centre-half Edgar Packard cost the club £400 from Sheffield Wednesday.

And together, with players already at the club such as winger Derek Priestley, forwards Eddie Murphy, Jackie Moss, Des Frost, locally-born George Holt, full-back and skipper Eric Williams, the Shaymen enjoyed better fortunes, and by the time their FA Cup campaign began in November, they held a healthy position in the top half of the division.

So in light of their ensuing cup exploits, it seems almost bizarre that Halifax Town were nearly cup shock victims themselves, needing two games to see off the part-timers of Ashton United from the Lancashire Combination, having been drawn at home in the first round.

It was the pint-sized Holt who put the Shaymen ahead, but Stuart Dimond’s equaliser meant a replay at Cross Hurst three days later.

There, Lady Luck shone for Town. On a freezing pitch – trainer Allen Ure had put special sponge pads in the boots of the players to help with the conditions – they were grateful to an eagle-eyed linesman who adjudged a long range shot from Roy Lorenson to have crossed the line when the ball bounced down off the underside of the bar.

However, Dimond proved a thorn in Town’s side as he levelled the scores after 70 minutes, but with ten minutes remaining Jimmy Moncrieff, an Oxford University student who had come in for the injured Des Frost, netted an untidy winner to set Town up for a home tie with Southport.

Both Moncrieff – who netted a brace – and Holt would score in the second round match with Southport, visitors who weren’t so unfamiliar.

Like Halifax Town, they had been founder members of the Third Division (North) in 1921, and the two sides had been playing each other every season since.

Only seven weeks earlier the Shaymen had dispatched the Sandgrounders 4-1 at The Shay in the League, and now, in the FA Cup, looked to be cruising when they romped into a three-goal lead after 51 minutes, courtesy of goals scored by Allen Hampson, Moncrieff and Holt.

But Town lapsed, allowing Southport to net twice in a ten-minute spell through Hitchen and Nuttall to put the game on a knife-edge, and nerves weren’t settled until Moncrieff latched on to Eddie Murphy’s pass to score Town’s fourth in the very last minute.

The Shaymen may have made heavy weather of seeing off Southport, but nevertheless, it was their name which went into the hat for the third round draw made that same evening.

When they were paired at home with Cardiff City, vice-chairman Walter Beecham immediately said: “If they play as well as they did on Saturday they will beat any team”.

Much had to be done in order to host the First Division club in the weeks leading up to the tie; 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, fifteen thousand had been snapped up. But many of the five hundred tickets sent to Cardiff were returned, the Bluebirds supporters either foreboded, or perhaps feeling the outcome was a formality – in their favour, of course.

Between the Southport and Cardiff cup matches, Halifax Town played five League games, including a double-header with Bradford over the Christmas period.

Town triumphed at Park Avenue, but lost the return at The Shay, and not without cost.

Goalkeeper John Savage badly injured his wrist and finished the game at centre-forward, although he did go on to net Town’s first goal in the 4-2 defeat.

Expected to be out of action for six weeks, his unavailability suddenly thrust reserve keeper Dave McCormick, a converted centre-back, into the fray.

He duly took his place between the sticks for the home match with Chesterfield five days before Cardiff were due, but couldn’t stop his side from slipping to a 2-1 defeat.

Left out of the side for the match with the Spireites was George Holt, but with good reason.

He’d been asked, along with two others, to accompany manager Gerry Henry to watch Cardiff at Sheffield Wednesday, and after the home side had defeated the Bluebirds,

Holt was adamant that Town could triumph over them, too.

Cardiff had just returned to the top flight under Cyril Spiers after an absence of 23 years and their defeat at Hillsborough had left them lying 18th in the Division One table.

But three weeks earlier they had held league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers to a goalless draw, and included din their side Welsh international full-back pairing of Derrick Sullivan and Alf Sherwood.

So they were clearly an outfit that had something about them, although there was the general feeling that Cardiff were not noted travellers.

Despite The Shay’s raised capacity, the crowd of 23,162 was a slightly disappointing one, but they themselves were entertained pre-match by the Mytholmroyd-based Moderna Brass Band before settling down to watch a rip-roaring performance by the Shaymen.

Quicker to the ball, they forced the issue and created a number of chances, notably Holt’s shot which hit the post, and the goal they deserved came in the 22nd minute with Holt the creator, opening up to Derek Priestley, who drove home a fast shot which left Cardiff keeper Ron Howells helpless.

The visitors awoke from their slumber and created chances of their own, the best coming six minutes before the break following a free-kick awarded just outside the box.

Billy Baker took it but Ken Chisholm’s header was just wide.

After the break, they shuffled their pack, with Wilf Grant switching to centre-forward, and two minutes in he had the ball in the net, only to be ruled offside.

Still, the warning signs were there for the Shaymen, and they were thankful to McCormick who denied Chisholm from point blank range, then made telling saves from Grant and Sullivan.

Somewhat against the run of play, Town stunned their opponents by doubling their lead after 62 minutes, when Hampson, back in the side following a knee injury, set up Eddie Murphy, and his first time rising shot simply stunned Howells.

Cardiff responded in an effort to retrieve the game but they found centre-half Edgar Packard a tower of strength in the Town rear-guard, and behind him, McCormick was having the game of his life.

So how the visitors’ hearts must have sunk when the Shaymen grabbed a third goal with just eight minutes remaining.

It came courtesy of Jimmy Moncrieff, who, having taken a return pass from Priestley, got the better of Stan Montgomery and gave Howells no chance from close range.

The visitors did manage a reply from Baker two minutes later, a stunning drive from almost 30 yards, but it served as no more than a consolation.

Town, in fact, had the ball in the net once more through Holt, though his effort was ruled out for an earlier infringement.

Moments later, the final whistle signalled the cue for a mass invasion of home supporters who, like the players they mobbed, looked forward to another possible big draw in round four.

It came in the form of Stoke City, who had moved into the fourth round themselves at the expense of Wrexham, a club, like the Shaymen, in the Third Division’s Northern Section.

Stoke had never won any domestic silverware but had been close to clinching the League title in 1946-47, but missed out by losing their last match.

In the run-in that season, they’d also lost the services of their most famous player, Stanley Matthews, whose move to Blackpool would culminate in him collecting his FA Cup winners’ medal.

Stoke had fallen on leaner times and by the time they travelled to The Shay, they were fighting a relegation battle they would ultimately lose.

The Potters would still fancy their chances against the Shaymen, however, having gone into the game on the back of an emphatic 5-1 victory over League leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Among the crowd that day at the Victoria Ground was a contingent from Halifax, among them George Holt once more, and who remembered thinking that Town had no chance this time, and in light of the results the Shaymen had had since defeating Cardiff, he probably wasn’t alone in thinking that.

Town had suffered a home defeat to Gateshead and followed that up with draws with Tranmere and at York.

Stoke’s resounding win over West Brom had come at a price, one which would affect the outcome of the match at The Shay.

Injury to goalkeeper Dennis Herod forced manager Frank Taylor, in his first season in charge, to throw in Frank Elliott for his first team debut having being signed only the previous Tuesday from Swansea Town.

For the Shaymen, manager Gerry Henry made only one change from the side which had defeated Cardiff, with Des Frost coming into at an unaccustomed outside-right position in place of injured Hampson.

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.

When Stoke won the toss, they elected to play with the elements in their favour and had most of the early play, forcing a succession of corners and going close with efforts from Harry Oscroft and Don Whiston, while Frank Bowyer’s shot tested McCormick. The Shaymen did offer a warning, however, when Murphy collected a ball on the run and shot narrowly wide, and three minutes before the interval they scored the vital goal with Stoke keeper Elliott sadly culpable.

Architect was Jackie Moss, who did well to lift a high centre across from the by-line, and though Elliott got his hands to Jimmy Moncrief’s header, he could only knock the ball down, and in a brief goalmouth scramble, Priestley drove the ball home.

The second half saw a series of exciting exchanges though it was Town who came closest to scoring next.

Andy Geddes brought out a good save from Elliott, Priestley’s cross worried the Stoke keeper, whilst Murphy saw his corner hit the bar.

At the other end, Town were indebted to McCormick who made a great full-length save to deny Oscroft, the closest the visitors came to getting back on level terms.

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.

Manager Gerry 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”.

Indeed they did, but despite being handed a fifth successive home tie, Halifax Town’s glorious 1952-53 FA Cup run ended at the hand of Tottenham Hotspur, though in that there was no shame.

After all, Spurs were, along with Manchester United, Arsenal and Wolves, one of the major forces in the game at the time, having been League champions as recently as 1950-51 when their famous push-and-run style of play, instilled by manager Arthur Rowe, took their rivals by surprise and saw them romp to the title just a year after winning the Second Division championship.

Spurs may not have been enjoying the best of fortunes this term, but they were still a force to be reckoned with, their side containing six England internationals in goalkeeper Ted Ditchburn, skipper Bill Nicholson, left-back Arthur Willis, inside-forward Eddie Baily, outside-left Les Medley and current right full-back incumbent Alf ‘The General’ Ramsey.

The interest in the game on 14 February 1953 – Valentine’s Day – was intense, so much so that the threat of a strike by the amateur players of the Halifax & District AFL caused the cancellation of that weekend’s local programme, though it is unlikely that it would have gone ahead anyway after a fall of heavy snow which now posed a great threat to the match at The Shay, too.

Two days before the game there was a four inch covering over the 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.

Gerry Henry’s side showed a couple of changes from that which defeated Stoke, with Harry Darbyshire taking the place of the unlucky Holt, who had suffered an eye injury in the previous week’s victory over Grimsby Town, and Hampson coming in at outside-right to allow Des Frost to lead the line after flu victim Jimmy Moncrieff was ruled out.

Spurs manager Arthur Rowe had been quoted in the run-up to the match that “we shall treat Halifax Town as if they are the League champions” and the first half was an evenly contested affair with both keepers busy, though neither having to make telling saves.

The Shaymen tried to play an open game, but with the blanket of snow being a big handicap to both teams it was the visitors who perhaps just shaded things, with the corner count six to two in their favour.

In the second period, Len Duquemin served a warning to Town when he brought a good save out of McCormick, then minutes later Baily blazed over the bar when it seemed easier to hit the target.

But Spurs began to turn the screw and after 56 minutes they broke the deadlock. Baily transferred the ball inside to Les Bennett and from ten yards he found the roof of the net.

There was little hiding Spurs’ relief, but the goal didn’t necessarily break Town’s resolve.

Frost nearly equalised with a shot on the run which produced a magnificent save from Ditchburn, but thereafter it was the visitors who took control.

Len Bennett released Duquemin who calmly stroked the ball past McCormick for their second goal in the 62nd minute, and the same player was unlucky to have another effort ruled out a minute later after Medley had strayed offside.

Spurs, however, were not to be denied their third, and nine minutes from the end Bennett compounded Town’s misery when he dashed in to net from close range after McCormick had failed to hold Sonny Walters’ shot.

There, Town’s hopes ended, but they could take pride in putting up such a gallant fight.

Against a lesser defence they may have had more luck, the coolness of England full-back Alf Ramsey shining through.

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.”

Words of consolation, but whilst his side would see off Second Division Birmingham City at the third attempt in the next round before bowing out to eventual cup winners Blackpool in the semi-finals, Halifax Town were left to concentrate on League affairs in front of more regular crowds.

For whilst the huge attendance for the Tottenham game had brought record receipts of £4,889, their next home fixture with Wrexham drew a crowd of just over six thousand.

T’was always the case; how quickly people forget, but at least they had the chance to.

Many footballing folk never even knew about the feat that lowly Halifax Town pulled off, and hence, it never gets a mention. Some of us, though, know different.