EPW026432 ENGLAND (1929). Wembley, FA Cup Final between Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth, 1929

Good point. Bolton in white shirts are on the attack from right to left. Jock Gilfillan the Portsmouth goalkeeper is either taking a goal kick or gathering or clearing the ball upfield. I suspect it's not a goal kick as the Pompey right back is still in the penalty area, although Bolton are lined up as if to face a goal kick.



What is interesting is how spread out the teams are. This type of formational tactic carried through into the late fifties. Nowadays the two Bolton defenders would be pushed up to the half way line thereby cutting down the space that the Portsmouth players have to operate in and generally squeezing the game. The 1929 players actually cover 75% of the pitch whereas now they would only cover a maximum of 50% of the pitch. Tactics were rigid then and it's possible to see the Bolton formation of 2, 3, 5. The Bolton defence is completely in the Bolton half, even though the ball is with the Pompey goalkeeper. Both wingers are out wide with the inside forwards back on the half way line and the Bolton centre forward nearer the Portsmouth penalty box. Fascinating to see how rigid they're set out and how slow the Portsmouth defender is in getting out of his own penalty box.



Incidentally Bolton won 2 - 0 and their England international goalkeeper Dick Pym was sold to them by my hometown team Exeter City. Dick was a fisherman from Topsham and retired to Topsham and fishing when his career was over.

The player in the white shirt closest to the Portsmouth penalty area is almost certainly the Bolton centre forward Harold Blackmore. Harold who was born in Silverton near Exeter, worked at Silverton Paper Mill and starred in local football before joining Exeter City and then being sold to Bolton Wanderers. Harold was a phenomenal goalscorer at whatever level he played and along with goalkeeper Dick Pym he was one of two ex Exeter City players on the Bolton side in this FA Cup Final.