THE MAGIC OF THE CUP

There is a long history of South Africans competing in the English FA Cup final

- Mark Gleeson

Football's oldest cup competition can boast many stand-out moments, not least exactly a century ago when the FA Cup final marked the opening of the new Wembley stadium and a white horse was needed to control the crowd, which had spilled on the edge of the playing surfaces.

Historians still argue about which was the best ever final, but a persistent candidate remains the 1953 decider a game now 70 years old, and with a South African at the forefront.

It has become known as the 'Matthews final' - a dramatic come-from-behind win with the crafty play of the veteran Sir Stanley Matthews at its centre, but it was Bill Perry from Johannesburg who scored the match-winning goal.

Its mythical status lies in the fairy-tale circumstances surrounding Matthews' participation. He was England's most popular player of his generation, but had twice been on the losing side in FA Cup finals with the Seasiders, in 1948 and 1951.

At 38, it was the last chance for the 'Wizard of the Dribble' to make it third time lucky and his dream was secured by a last-minute winner from Perry, who, as Matthews said many years later, deserved a lot more credit for his role in one of the greatest comebacks of all time.