Match
The match took place in good weather, with the crowd approximately 62,000. Dignitaries present included Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, Colonial Secretary Alfred Lyttelton, Postmaster General Lord Stanley and Lord Kinnaird. Also in attendance were cricketers WG Grace, GL Jessop and CB Fry, plus several members of the Australian cricket team. Manchester City entered the field of play first, led by captain Billy Meredith, with the Bolton team emerging shortly after. Manchester City won the toss, and elected to play towards the southern end of the ground in the first half, with the wind at their backs. The opening exchanges were fairly even, the Athletic News reporting that "For some time there was little to choose between the rivals", but that "Manchester were the more systematic and scientific".
Twenty minutes into the game, a pass to the right wing by George Livingstone eluded Bolton's Archie Freebairn, and reached Meredith, who dribbled beyond Bob Struthers for a run on goal. He shot to goalkeeper Davies' left, scoring the opening goal. Reporters with Bolton sympathies, such as ex-Bolton secretary JJ Bentley, claimed the goal to be offside, though the Bolton players made no appeal to the referee. The goal led to one over-exuberant Manchester City supporter invading the pitch, and subsequently being escorted away by police, though in contrast to the modern image of the football hooligan, the Sporting Chronicle reported that the man was then allowed back onto the terraces, as the police had been impressed by the level of devotion that he had demonstrated.
Bolton had the majority of possession in the second half, aside from a ten minute spell, but the performance of the Manchester City defence limited Bolton's goalscoring opportunities. The Manchester Evening News singled out Herbert Burgess for particular praise in this respect, writing that City had "considerable reason to be thankful to their left-back, Burgess... ...the famous International played a game which has rarely been surpassed". The Bolton Evening News took a rather different view, claiming that physical play by Burgess provoked the ire of the crowd. Bolton's adoption of "kick and rush" tactics resulted in a spell of pressure, but to no avail. Bolton's best chance came in the final five minutes, a shot by White which "missed by inches". The match finished 1–0, giving Manchester City their first major honour.
Read more about this topic: 1904 FA Cup Final
Famous quotes containing the word match:
“Dying smokers sense
Walking towards them through some dappled park
As if on water that unfocused she
No match lit up, nor drag ever brought near....”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
““There’s not a man or woman
Born under the skies
Dare match in learning with us two,
And all day long we have found
There’s not a thing but love can make
The world a narrow pound.””
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“The upbeat lawyer/negotiator of preadolescence has become a real pro by now—cynical, shrewd, a tough cookie. You’re constantly embroiled in a match of wits. You’re exhausted.”
—Ron Taffel (20th century)