ENGLISH CUP FINAL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27339, 3 May 1954, Page 6

ENGLISH CUP FINAL

WIN TO WEST < BROMWICH I PRESTON "NORTH END I BEATEN, 3-2 (N.Z, Press Association—Copyright) ' , (Rec. 8 p.m.) fI.LONDON, May id West Bromwich Albion today won the Football Association Cup 1 final, beating 1 Preston North End by 3 goals to 2, after- 4 ing trailing, 1-2 early In the second half. It was the fourth time, West Bromwich had won the cup. More than 100,000 : persons packed the i Olympic arena at Wembley Stadium for the game. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret were among the crowd. -I West Bromwich will go down as the i team which used “refreshers” of oxygen I at the interval one way of winning the i cup. The manager, Mr Mi Buckingham, believes oxygen (breathed in through a ’ face mask) restores players to composure after exertion much more quickly than i allowing nature to take its course. Only one West Bromwich player did not have oxygen today. He was the rights winger Griffin, who , scored Bromwich’s winning goal. “I was so excited I forgot about it,”' he said, as he drank champagne in the dressing-room celebrations. There was an incident in the second half of the game. The West Bromwich players clamoured round the referee, protesting. that Preston North End’s Centreforward, Wayman, had been off-side when he virtually “walked through” to give Preston a lead by 2 goals to 1. On the other hand, Preston supporters claimed a penalty, which enabled West Bromwich to equalise near full time should not have been awarded. The Queen Mother presented the cup Ito the winners. When the West Bromwich captain called for three cheers for the Queen Mother, the response was deafening. • Other matches played today resulted:— ut fU. —Southern: Ipswich Town 2 ’ Northampton Town 1; Norwich City 1 ; Shrewsbury Town 3, Millf wall Athletic 1. ’ Rugby League : Championship Semi-Finals.—Halifax 18, i Workington 7; Warrington 11, St. Helens ; Rugby League—Huhslet 8, Featherstone , Rovers 4; Salford 26, Winton 6.