The period after the First World War was Bolton’s most consistent when measured by top-flight success, only finishing outside the top 8 on one occasion. Also in this period, they equalled their record finish of third twice, missing out on the title in 1924-25 by just two points in an era where 2 points were awarded for a win. On the 28th of April 1923, Bolton played in one of the most famous FA Cup Finals, known as The White Horse Final, in front of over 127,000 supporters, although some estimates state that as many as 300,000 fans were present.  Played against West Ham United, this was the first event of any kind to be held at Wembley Stadium, which was not due to be opened until 1924 but was finished ahead of schedule. The massive crowd was the result of a major advertising campaign by the FA luring swathes of casual observers to the exciting new stadium which was spruiked as the greatest venue of its kind. That was combined with fine weather, ease of access to the stadium by public transport and the fact that a London team were competing. These factors equated to one of the most chaotic days in football history.

 

Wembley’s gates were swung open at 11:30 am, and at 1:45pm with vast numbers of people swarming into the ground, the decision was made to close the turnstiles. Even so, thousands more people continued to arrive by train and amass outside the gates. Organisation within the stadium was non-existent, with fans not directed to any particular area and officials inside and outside the stadium having no idea what to do. With crowds outside continuing to grow, the local police were mobilised, but by the time they got there, the situation was too uncontrollable for them to take any sort of action. At 2:15pm, the crowd ran out of patience and rushed the gates, forcing their way into the stadium. Fans in the lower tiers had to climb fences to escape the crush, and the crowd overflowed onto the actual pitch. To reach the final, the Wanderers beat every team from the fourth round onwards 1-0, with David Jack scoring the solitary goal each time, but their biggest test was making it to the stadium itself. The surrounding roads were so blocked that they were forced to abandon their coach a mile away and make their way through the sea of people.

 

When King George V arrived however, the crowds behaviour improved somewhat, and after belting out a rendition of God Save the King, spectators began assisting authorities to clear the pitch so the match could actually begin. Eventually, mounted police were brought in to help, including PC George Scorey on his white steed Billie (who was actually grey, but appeared white in the black and white footage of the era). The image of Scorey and Billie clearing the crowd is one of the most famous football photographs ever taken. With the players appealing for the crowd to calm, police were finally able to manoeuvre the spectators to just beyond the touchline, and the match kicked off 45 minutes late with fans stood around the perimeter of the pitch. The crowd wreaked havoc throughout the game. After 2 minutes, West Hams Jack Tresadern got entangled in the crowd trying to take a throw in. Bolton’s David Jack took this opportunity to shoot for goal and he scored, his shot knocking out a spectator who was pressed against the back of the goal net. Mounted police were again called into action when the crowd surged forward in the 11th minute, and a number of fans required attention from the British Red Cross as players looked on. Policemen patrolled the perimeter in an effort to keep it clear for the linesmen. The players couldn’t even reach the dressing rooms at half time, so instead they stayed on the pitch before starting the second half.

 

Confusion reigned when Jack Smith scored despite West Ham’s players stating the ball had rebounded off the post and not entered the goal. The referee stated that it had gone in, but then rebounded off a spectator. Hammers players further stated that Bolton received unfair advantage when one of their fans kicked the ball toward Vizard, but these claims were rejected as well. For the record, Bolton won 2-0, with West Hams manager blaming damage to the pitch by the white horse for his teams loss. PC Scorey received free tickets to subsequent finals for his actions, but as he had no interest in football, he chose not to attend. In 2005, the bridge outside Wembley Stadium was named White Horse Bridge, and the story remains one of the most famous in English football lore. Bolton meanwhile, became one of the most successful Cup sides of the 1920’s, winning the trophy twice more before the decade was out.

Achievements: FA Cup – Winners x3
                        Lancashire Senior Cup – Winners  x3
                        Manchester Senior Cup – Winners x1

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Star player: Joe Smith, DOB 25 June 1889, Dudley, England

Smith signed for Bolton Wanderers in 1908, and with 254 goals for the club in 449 appearances, he is Boltons second all-time top scorer. When WWI occurred, Smith played as a guest for Chelsea and Port Vale. After the war, Smith was back with a club record 38 goals for the season. His goals helped the club reach the 1923 FA Cup final, in which he captained the club to a 2-0 win, and he also captained the club to glory in the 1925-26 FA Cup final against Manchester City. In that season, he was the clubs top scorer for the sixth time. The following season was his last at the club – Smith spent 19 years at Bolton. He went on to play for Stockport, Darwen and Manchester Central, and made 5 appearances for England. Smith then began his managerial career, player-managing at Darwen before taking the reigns at Reading back when they were nicknamed “The Buscuitmen”. His home record there was phenomenal – 84 matches played at Elm Park, 66 won and only 3 lost with an unbeaten home run of 55 games. This is when Blackpool came knocking, and being a big fan of the seaside, Smith accepted their offer immediately. After a 10th place finish the previous season, Smith led the club to promotion and then on to two mid-table finishes. He made several big signings, such as securing Jack Dodd’s signature for £10,000 and the recruitment of Stan Mortensen, Stanley Matthews and Jackie Mudie. He led the club to three FA Cup finals of which they won one – the famous “Matthews Final.”After 714 games in charge of The Seasiders, Smith retired aged 68. The Blackpool board thanked him with a nice golden handshake and purchasing a house for him in the town.