Blackpool
Which team did Stan Mortensen play for from 1941 to 1953?
Stan Mortensen Stanley Harding Mortensen ( 26 May 1921 – 22 May 1991 ) was an English professional footballer , most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final ( subsequently known as the Matthews Final ) , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final . He was also both the first player to score for England in a FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and the first England player to score in the tournament proper . Wartime career . South Shields-born Mortensen went to war in 1939 as a teenage wireless operator and overcame an injury – sustained when his RAF bomber crashed , leaving him as the only survivor – to be signed by Blackpool in 1941 . While stationed at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland , he played several unofficial matches for Aberdeen , also turning out as a guest for Arsenal with an impressive scoring record ( 25 goals in 19 appearances ) . During the war , he scored dozens of goals before making a strange piece of history by switching teams to play for Wales when they needed a reserve during a game against England on 25 September 1943 . Wales Ivor Powell was injured and had to leave the field and , as Englands reserve , Mortensen took his place in the Welsh side . Wales lost 8–3 , and Stanley Matthews later wrote of the game : Nobody in the 80,000 crowd had any idea that Mortensen was going to change . When , a quarter of an hour later , the player in the red jersey returned to the field , a cheer went up from the crowd , who — not knowing the seriousness of Powells injury — were under the impression the injured Welsh wing half was returning . Even when Powell went to inside-left , the onlookers did not suspect anything unusual , as team switches are often necessary after a player has been injured . Even some of the England players did not know that Mortensen was playing on the other side , and the football reporters , whose headquarters at Wembley are at the top of the main stand , did not know of the change until after half-time . Post-war career . On 25 May 1947 , Mortensen made his full England debut against Portugal and immediately announced himself on the scene by scoring four goals in a 10–0 win . The next year , Mortensen played all six England internationals and scored seven goals , including a hat-trick against Sweden . He was also a member of the England team that lost 6–3 to Hungary . In a playing career spent mostly with Blackpool , Mortensen scored 197 league goals in 317 games . By the end of his career , he had played twenty-five times for England and scored 23 goals . Between 1945 and 1950 , Mortensen scored in twelve consecutive rounds of the FA Cup , including the Final in 1948 . After nine years with Blackpool , Mortensen went on to play for Hull City , Southport , Bath City and , after coming out of retirement , Lancaster City . Mortensen topped the First Division goalscoring charts in 1950–51 , with 30 goals . His most famous performance occurred two years later in the 1953 FA Cup Final , when he helped Blackpool to a 4–3 win against Bolton Wanderers , after being 3–1 down , by scoring a hat-trick . Mortensens third goal came with just a minute left in the game , and Bill Perrys injury-time goal sealed the victory . After joining Southport , Mortensen announced his retirement from playing on 24 April 1958 , at the age of 37 . I have been having trouble with my knee and have had several injections , he said , after deciding against renewing his contract . Making the decision was not easy . Despite the announcement , he went on to play for two more non-League clubs over four years . Post-retirement . After retiring for good , Mortensen returned to Blackpool as manager between 1967 and 1969 , when he was sacked . He also auctioned his football medals in order to help Blackpool through a tough spell . On 20 October 1983 , at the Blackpool supporters annual general meeting , Mortensen was voted vice-president . On 18 November 1989 , Mortensen led the Blackpool team out onto the Bloomfield Road pitch for their FA Cup first-round tie with Bolton Wanderers . Former Bolton Wanderers forward Nat Lofthouse , who faced Mortensen and Blackpool in the 1953 FA Cup Final , led the visitors out . Twelve days later , on 30 November , a tribute dinner for Mortensen was held at Blackpools Savoy Hotel . Attended by many former Blackpool players , the event was arranged to honour Mortys fifty years of service to both Blackpool Football Club and the town . Death and legacy . Mortensen died four days before his 70th birthday , on 22 May 1991 , the day Blackpool reached Wembley for the first time since 1953 . They had beaten Scunthorpe United 3–2 on aggregate to reach the Fourth Division play-off final . A minutes silence was held before the final against Torquay United . On his death , it was said , Theyll probably call it the Matthews funeral , in reference to Mortensens overshadowing by Stanley Matthews after the 1953 FA Cup Final . His funeral was held at St Johns parish church , Blackpool , and he was cremated at Carleton Crematorium in Carleton , Lancashire . The month of May became associated with much of his life . During May , he was born , signed professionally , made his England debut , won the FA Cup , and died . Mortensen is mentioned with admiration in the song 1966 and All That on the 1986 vinyl EP The Trumpton Riots ( incorporated into the 2003 CD re-release of the 1985 album Back in the DHSS ) by the indie band Half Man Half Biscuit , who call him The Tangerine Wizard and The Jesus Christ of Bloomfield Road . In 2003 , Mortensen was posthumously inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his talent and achievements . On 23 August 2005 , a statue of Mortensen was unveiled by his widow , Jean , and former Blackpool teammate Jimmy Armfield in front of Bloomfield Roads new North Stand , which now bears his name . Of all the honours that Stan won in football , he would think this was top of the league . He was so very proud of playing for Blackpool and loved everything about the town . Nothing was ever too much trouble for him when the club or town came knocking . For him to be remembered in a statue , he would think it was the creme de la creme . A massive thank-you has to go to the generous people of Blackpool , who have dug deep to raise money for this . Stan would have been really proud . Jean Mortensen died in July 2009 at the age of 88 . In the 2005 film The Game of Their Lives he is portrayed by Gavin Rossdale of Bush fame . The BBC notes that some viewers may be amused by the fact that Mortensen – a working class Geordie – [ is ] portrayed [ in the film ] as [ a ] sneering toff , suggesting that the American film stereotyped English players in a wooden and clichéd manner . Blackpool F.C . Hall of Fame . Mortensen was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road , when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006 . Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association , Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes . Five players from each decade are inducted ; Mortensen is in the 1950s . Career statistics . International goals . Stats taken from England national football team results ( 1930–59 ) . Honours . Blackpool - FA Cup : 1953 - FA Cup runner-up : 1948 , 1951 - Lancashire Senior Cup : 1953–54 External links . - Profile at Blackpool F.C.s official website - Playing profile at Soccerbase - Managerial profile at Soccerbase - England profile at the FAs official website - Appearances and goals record for England - Mortensen in the Blackpool Supporters Association Hall of Fame