1923 FA Cup Final - Aftermath

Aftermath

Although around 900 spectators were treated for slight injuries, only 22 were taken to hospital and ten of those were quickly discharged. Two policemen were also injured during the match. The chaotic scenes at the match prompted discussion in the House of Commons, where Home Secretary William Bridgeman paid tribute to the actions of the police and the general behaviour of the crowd. During the debate Oswald Mosley was chastised by the Speaker of the House for characterising the fans present at the stadium as hooligans. Bridgeman was asked to consider opening a public inquiry, but ultimately concluded that the police had dealt successfully with the incident, and that he was happy for the stadium authorities and the police to decide on a plan to prevent similar events from happening again.

A committee examined the stadium a month after the match, and made a number of recommendations to the stadium authorities. Their proposals included the replacement of the turnstiles with more up-to-date models, the erection of extra gates and railings, and the division of the terraces into self-contained sections, each with its own entrance. In addition, the pre-purchasing of tickets was made compulsory for all future finals, eliminating the possibility that excessive numbers of fans would arrive in the hope of being able to pay at the turnstile. The gross gate money for the match was £27,776. After the deduction of the stadium authorities' costs, the Football Association and each of the two clubs took £6,365, although the refunds to fans unable to reach their assigned seats were deducted from the FA's share.

After the match the players and officials attended a dinner at which former Prime Minister David Lloyd George proposed the toast. The Bolton players returned home by train and were greeted at Moses Gate railway station by the chairman of Farnworth District Council before going on to a reception hosted by the Mayor. The club presented each of the victorious players with a gold watch. The players from both teams received gold commemorative medals. In 2005 the medal presented to West Ham's George Kay was sold at auction for £4,560, and tickets and programmes from the match have also been star lots at auctions.