26th April 1947. Match of the Day.

The first FA Cup-Tie, other than a Final, to be televised was the 5th round match featuring Charlton who beat Blackburn 1-0 in February 1947, before going on to win the Cup.(1)

The 1947 FA Cup Final was a game notable for a burst ball which also happened in the previous year’s Final; it was blamed on poor quality leather after the war.

The Charlton v Burnley FA Cup Final of 1947 also made another little bit of history as it was the first to be televised in its entirety. The result after extra-time, Charlton 1 Burnley 0, made up for Charlton’s defeat in the previous year’s Final when they were defeated 4-1  by Derby County.(2)

Duke of Gloucester meeting Burnley.

The BBC started TV in 1936 though it was nearly a year before the first TV football was screened in a specially arranged friendly between Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves at Highbury on 16th September a year later.

It was followed, only on London BBC TV, by the first TV International between England and Scotland from Wembley on the 9th April 1938 when Scotland won 1-0. Commentators were George Allison and Thomas Woodroofe.

England v Scotland with players wearing black armbands owing to the death of SFA President.

The first FA Cup Final which saw televised excerpts of the game, followed on the 30th between Huddersfield who lost 0-1 to Preston North End.

Unbelievably to modern fans coverage of football TV didn’t expand for 2 decades except for the FA Cup Final along with the annual England and Scotland match.

Televised matches were broadcast only from London games in those early days for technical reasons thus the preponderance of Charlton and Arsenal games.

Charlton’s Peter Croker died December 2011 in his 90th year, the last surviving player of the 1947 Final.

Unofficial programme 1947 Final.

Official Programme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Played on 8.2.1947.

(2) Chris. Duffey scored in extra-time.

 

References:

englishfootballonline.com/Pic.

live.football.com.

lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/Pic.

wikipedia.org.

Television and Football. Wikipedia.org.

ebay.co.uk/Pic of Programmes.