Why Town fans missed out on seeing Stanley Matthews play at Blundell Park on Good Friday, 1947

                                                        

Triumphant teammates hold Stanley Matthews aloft after the 1953 FA Cup Final 

IN the run-up to Easter 1947, Grimsby Town fans were excited about the prospect of seeing England's most exciting footballers  play at Blundell Park.

Some bought tickets many weeks in advance to see the great man - the so-called - 'wizard of dribble' - Stanley Matthews of Stoke City and England..

But come Good  Friday, the day of the match . . . disappointment! Matthews had not been included in the Stoke team.

In his memoir, Feet First, Stanley Matthews revealed what happened:

"In view of the fact I was due to play for England against Scotland the following Saturday, I made a special request to miss travelling for the game against Grimsby."

Stoke's manager, Bob McGory, agreed but, after after his team beat The Mariners, he then left Matthews out for the remaining two Easter fixtures because he wanted to stick with a winning team.

For various reasons, among them that he owned an hotel in Blackpool, the winger had been unsettled at Stoke during the 1946-47 season.

He continues: "I was fed up.

"Don't accuse me of being temperamental, but, in order to play on top form, every player must have the confidence of his club - the directors, the manager and the other players - behind him.

"If he doesn't get it, his own confidence is undermined and his game deteriorates.

"I was unhappy at the way I was being treated, so I asked to meet the directors in order to request a transfer.

"This was at first refused, but when I explained I wanted to get to Blackpool to look after my hotel and to avoid the continuing travel to Stoke which rendered even home fixtures as away games to me, the directors reconsidered and agreed to let me go to Blackpool."

A few minutes before midnight on May 10, 1947, Matthews learned he had become a Blackpool player after directors of the two clubs agreed a fee of £11,500.

At the time of the news, he had been relaxing  with the Great Britain team that, the previous day, he had helped to defeat a Rest of Europe team 6-1.

At Blackpool, Matthews' career continued to flourish, playing until he was 50,  and he was man of the match in a 1953 FA Cup Final win against Lancashire rivals Bolton Wanderers.

The famous footballer, who died aged 85 in February 2000, dedicated his book to the ordinary fan - "the little man of football  who stands on the terraces, week in and week out, because he believes that soccer is the cleanest and finest entertainment there is  to be had".