29 April 1933
Everton 3-0 Manchester City
Wembley Stadium
FA Cup Final
Attendance: 92,950
The 1933 FA Cup final was a momentous one for many reasons. Ted Sagar and Dixie Dean appeared in what turned out to be their only FA Cup final, it was Everton's first Wembley cup final appearance, and the players wore numbers on their shirts for the first time in a competitive match.
The numbers were from 1-22, with Everton wearing one to eleven and City 12-22.
With both teams' first choice jerseys being blue, neutral strips had to be worn. City chose red and Everton chose white. Everton had no proper manager at the time and so the team selection was made in consultation with skipper Dixie Dean.
The selection was to prove a slightly controversial one; Everton's decision to omit Ted Critchley in preference of Albert Geldard on the right wing caused some consternation amongst the Goodison faithful.
Critchley, who had lost his place seven months earlier, had been brought back in for the semi-final game against West Ham United and scored the winning goal.
City, too, had their problems. Striker Freddie Tilson was ruled out and Marshall came in at inside-right with Herd moving to centre-forward.
And it was City who were fastest out of the starting blocks, creating a chance within the first minute. Toseland sent over a high, searching far-post cross, which Sagar did well to hold. Although he was rarely troubled on the day, Sagar's calm assurance when he handled the ball had a positive, inspiring effect on his team-mates.
And Everton soon turned the tables on their opponents to get a foothold in the game. With Dean in tremendous form, it was only a matter of time before City's defence buckled. It did so with 41 minutes on the clock.
City goalkeeper Langford dropped a Cliff Britton cross under intense pressure from Dean and winger Jimmy Stein had the simple task of side-footing the ball home from close range - 1-0 to Everton!
The hapless Langford was guilty of another howler seven minutes into the second period when he failed to hold another Britton cross and Dean powerfully headed home a deserved goal.
Ten minutes from time, Jimmy Dunn got his name on the scoresheet with the third, getting on the end of Geldard's looping cross. The winger's selection had been vindicated by his valuable contribution.
The referee blew for full-time and Everton climbed the steps to the Royal Box. Dean received the trophy and held it aloft to the Blue half of the 92,950 crowd and the party went on well into the night - both in London and all the way back to Liverpool.
