WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER, 1954
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHARITY SHIELD MATCH AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS v F.A. CUP WINNERS Attendance 40,842
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERS 4 (Swinbourne 2, Deeley, Hancocks)
Williams; Guttridge, Shorthouse (capt); Flowers, Russell, Clamp;
Hancocks, Broadbent, Swinbourne, Deeley, Wilshaw;
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 4 (Allen 3, Ryan)
Sanders; Rickaby, Millard (capt); Dudley, Kennedy, Brookes;
Griffin, Ryan, Allen, Carter, Lee;
Referee:- C.Gibson, Manchester
In the match programme veteran journalist Ivan Sharpe said 'tonight's the night'. The first floodlit Charity Shield match, long before the game became a Wembley showpiece, between the two Black Country rivals who were league champions and cup winners last season. Sharpe went on to outline the history of this annual charity game which started back in 1907-8 between the winners of the Football League (Manchester United) and the winners of the Southern League (Queens Park Rangers).
Then for a few years it was a game between Professionals and Amateurs at different venues in the London area including New Cross, then the home of Milwall. Even in 1950-51 the game was played between the World Cup Team (heading for Brazil) and a F.A. team selected to tour Canada at Stamford Bridge. Since that time it has always been League Champions against F.A. Cup winners.
Unfortunately the match today was played when both teams were weakened by England calls on Wright and Slater of Wolves and Barlow of Albion. In addition three Wolves players, Stuart, Pritchard and Mullen were injured as well as Nicholls of Albion. It was thought that the match would suffer from the absence of all these star performers, but this was not so. The powerfully built young centre half, Russell, was making his very first appearance in Wolves first team.
After a first half hour of what might be termed 'charity football', the game developed into as thrilling and fierce a struggle between these two great sides as their supporters, split almost evenly among the forty thousand present, could have possibly wished for.
It was a battle of styles, the clever short passing and real FOOTBALL skill of the Albion against the contrasting long passing and robust chasing of the Wolves. A robustness which practically got out of hand in the last fiery half hour, in which Albion had to call upon Hodgkinson and Dugdale as substitutes for Lee and Dudley. The latter the victim of a vicious late tackle by Shorthouse. Allen also ended the game limping on the left wing.
After thirteen minutes play Wolves scored the only goal of the first half. Russell, a strong, hard-kicking defender in the true Wolves, mould who often had the beating of Allen with with his vigorous first time tackling, blasted the ball down the centre. Swinbourne ran on to beat Kennedy and placed the ball past Sanders as he advanced. A few minutes later Albion had their first piece of bad luck. Griffin ran onto a pass from Lee and after Carter had got out of his way, shot into the net, but the referee rules Carter offside.
Then Dudley hit the bar from twenty yards. Just before the interval Ryan had the easiest of chances, but with only Williams to beat he sliced his shot well wide. During the half time interval with Wolves leading 1-0, the Cup and League trophies were paraded round the ground together.
Two minutes after the interval Wolves were two up. Kennedy was adjudged to have fouled Swinbourne near the touchline and Hancocks took the free kick for the diminutive Deeley to run in and head a splendid goal. Five minutes later Albion again had the ball in the net. Awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area, Dudley touched the ball to Allen who drove the ball into the top corner of the net. However, as Dudley's touch had not rolled the ball it's full circumference the goal was disallowed!
Within minutes Allen scored a legitimate goal, holding off a vigorous challenge from two defenders he cracked it into the corner of the net and this time it was allowed. 2-1 to Wolves. Two minutes later Albion were level when Allen hooked it home following a corner. How the crowd roared at this great fight back by Albion.
Lee went off injured after an hour's play, Hodgkinson came on at inside left, Carter moved to centre forward and Allen to outside left. After sixty five minutes Swinbourne scored a fine goal out on the left and eight minutes later crossed the ball to Hancocks who made it 4-2 to Wolves. Albion, unbeaten since August 25th meant to stay that way and three minutes later Ryan started and ended a move when his shot slipped through Williams' hands just inside the post. 4-3 to Wolves.
Then after Dudley had been carried off seven minutes from the end and Dugdale came on as substitute, there came the great climax to the game as Albion equalised. Rickaby, surely England's best right back on this performance, came up into the Wolves penalty are, his terrific shot hit the bar, but Allen on the edge of the area, with two defenders closing in on him, cracked it into the net to complete a great hat-trick.
The pressure was really on now and either side could have snatched the winning goal in the last hectic minutes. Sanders made a brilliant save from Swinbourne and then Williams was very lucky to push away a shot from Griffin. Finally it ended all square 4-4 - perhaps a fair result to a breath taking game.
The Charity Shield Trophy was shared with each club holding it for six months.
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