Stanley Harding Mortensen (26 May 1921 – 22 May 1991) was an English professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
, most famous for his part in the
1953 FA Cup Final (subsequently known as the "
Matthews
Matthews may refer to:
People
* Matthews (surname)
Places
* Matthews Island, Antarctica
* Matthews Range, Kenya
* Mount Matthews, New Zealand
United States
* Matthews, Georgia
* Matthews, Indiana
* Matthews, Maryland
* Matthews, Missouri
* Mat ...
Final"), in which he became the only player ever to score a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
in a Wembley
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official atten ...
. He was also both the first player to score for England in a
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
qualifying campaign and the first England player to score in the tournament proper.
Wartime career
South Shields
South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
-born Mortensen went to
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in 1939 as a teenage wireless operator and overcame an injury – sustained when his
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
bomber crashed, leaving him as the only survivor – to be signed by
Blackpool in 1941. While stationed at
RAF Lossiemouth
Royal Air Force Lossiemouth or more commonly RAF Lossiemouth is a military airfield located on the western edge of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, north-east Scotland.
Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast-jet stations in the R ...
in Scotland, he played several unofficial matches for
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
,
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
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
when they needed a reserve during a game against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
on 25 September 1943. Wales'
Ivor Powell
Ivor Verdun Powell, MBE (5 July 1916 – 6 November 2012) was a Welsh football player and manager. He won eight caps for Wales.
A wing half, he began his professional career with Queens Park Rangers in September 1937. His career was inte ...
was injured and had to leave the field and, as England's 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 Powell's injury — were under the impression the injured Welsh
wing half
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
was returning. Even when "Powell" went to
inside-left
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
, 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 club career
In a playing career spent mostly with Blackpool, Mortensen scored 197 league goals in 317 games.
Between 1945 and 1950, Mortensen scored in twelve consecutive rounds of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, including in defeat in the 1948 FA Cup Final. He also scored in 15 consecutive First Division games in 1950–51, although he missed two games due to injury during the span. 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. Mortensen's third goal came with just a minute left in the game, and Bill Perry's injury-time goal sealed the victory.
After nine years with Blackpool, Mortensen went on to play for Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's t ...
, Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Iris ...
, Bath City
Bath City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset FA and currently competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club have ...
and, after coming out of retirement, Lancaster City
Lancaster City Football Club is an English semi-professional non-League football club based in the northern city of Lancaster, Lancashire. They currently compete in and play at Giant Axe. They are full members of the Lancashire County Footb ...
.
After joining Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Iris ...
, 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.
International career
On 25 May 1947, Mortensen made his full England debut against Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
and immediately announced himself on the scene by scoring four goals in a 10–0 win.
In 1948, Mortensen played all six England internationals and scored seven goals, including a hat-trick against Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
.
He was also a member of the England team that lost 6–3 to Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
in the ''Match of the Century'' on 25 November 1953.
By the end of his career, he had played twenty-five times for England and scored 23 goals.
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
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
first-round tie with Bolton Wanderers. Former Bolton Wanderers forward Nat Lofthouse
Nathaniel Lofthouse (27 August 1925 – 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Bolton Wanderers for his entire career. He won 33 caps for England between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals, with o ...
, 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 Blackpool's Savoy Hotel. Attended by many former Blackpool players, the event was arranged to honour ''Morty''s 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 minute's silence was held before the final against Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
.
On his death, it was said, "They'll probably call it the Matthews funeral," in reference to Mortensen's overshadowing by Stanley Matthews after the 1953 FA Cup Final. His funeral was held at St John's parish church, Blackpool, and he was cremated at Carleton Crematorium in Carleton, Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
.
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
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
*Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies
*Indie game, any game (board ...
band Half Man Half Biscuit, who call him "The Tangerine Wizard"[Blackpool F.C. are nicknamed "The Tangerines".] and "The Jesus Christ of Bloomfield Road".
In 2003, Mortensen was posthumously inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and man ...
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
James Christopher Armfield, (21 September 1935 – 22 January 2018) was an English professional football player and manager who latterly worked as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at B ...
in front of Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is a single-tier football stadium in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901. It is the third stadium in the club's existence, the previous two being Raikes Hall Gardens and the At ...
's 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
Gavin McGregor Rossdale (born 30 October 1965) is an English guitarist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. He helped form Bush in 1992; on the band's separation in 2002, he became the lead singer ...
of Bush
Bush commonly refers to:
* Shrub, a small or medium woody plant
Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to:
People
* Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name
**Bush family, a prominent American family that includes:
*** ...
fame. The BBC notes that some viewers may be amused by the fact that "Mortensen – a working class Geordie – sportrayed n the film
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
as 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
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is a single-tier football stadium in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901. It is the third stadium in the club's existence, the previous two being Raikes Hall Gardens and the At ...
, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield
James Christopher Armfield, (21 September 1935 – 22 January 2018) was an English professional football player and manager who latterly worked as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at B ...
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
Club
International
:''Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mortensen goal.''
Stats taken from England national football team results (1930–59).
Managerial statistics
Honours
Blackpool
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
: 1952–53; runner-up: 1947–48, 1950–51
Footnotes
See also
* List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals
In top-level football competitions, 23 players have scored 500 or more goals over the course of their career in both club and international football, according to research by the , first published in 2007. Taking into account competitions of a ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Profile at Blackpool F.C.'s official website
Playing profile at Soccerbase
Managerial profile at Soccerbase
England profile at the FA's official website
Appearances and goals record for England
Mortensen in the Blackpool Supporters Association Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortensen, Stan
1921 births
1991 deaths
English footballers
Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
Wales wartime international footballers
England international footballers
England wartime international footballers
1950 FIFA World Cup players
Arsenal F.C. wartime guest players
Blackpool F.C. players
Hull City A.F.C. players
Southport F.C. players
Bath City F.C. players
Lancaster City F.C. players
Huddersfield Town A.F.C. wartime guest players
Aberdeen F.C. wartime guest players
English Football League players
First Division/Premier League top scorers
English football managers
Blackpool F.C. managers
Footballers from South Shields
English Football Hall of Fame inductees
English people of Norwegian descent
Watford F.C. wartime guest players
English Football League representative players
Association football forwards
Royal Air Force airmen
FA Cup Final players