FEVER PITCH

MARION MCMULLEN LOOKS BACK AT WEMBLEY STADIUM'S DRAMATIC OPENING 100 YEARS AGO

WEMBLEY nearly scored an own goal when it opened to the public for the first time a centenary ago.

It is estimated between 200,000 and 300,000 football fans surged into the stadium that had an official capacity of just 125,000. They all desperately wanted to see the first FA Cup Final at the London ground between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on April 28, 1923.

The Empire Stadium, Wembley, became so crowded that spectators spilled onto the sidelines and then onto the pitch itself to avoid the crush and the kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes.

Turnstiles had been built at the newly constructed ground, but lots of fans simply scaled the walls to get in.

There were fears the match would have to be cancelled before the first whistle was even blown for the kickoff, but mounted police were eventually able to clear the pitch with policemen patrolling the perimeter of the pitch during the game to keep it clear for linesmen.

The match later became known as the White Horse Final as the police calvary came to the rescue with policeman PC George Scorey and his grey horse Billie famously helping to keep the crowd back from the pitch so that play could go ahead.

Billie appeared as white on the black and white news footage and in photographs and stood out among the crowd going on to become a symbol of the day.

PC Scorey was offered free tickets to following cup finals by the Football Association, but never took them up on their offer because he was not a soccer fan.

The throng surrounding the pitch in 1923 meant the players could not even reach the dressing rooms at half-time and instead remained on the pitch for five minutes before starting the second half.