1945 Football League War Cup South final explained

1945 Football League
War Cup South Final
Event:1945 Football League War Cup
Team1:Chelsea
Team1score:2
Team2:Millwall
Team2score:0
Date:7 April 1945
City:London
Attendance:90,000

The 1945 Football League War Cup South Final was the last final of the regional Football League War Cup, an unofficial cup competition held in southern England during the Second World War as a replacement for the suspended FA Cup. The match took place at Wembley Stadium on 7 April 1945 and was won by Chelsea, who beat Millwall 2–0. A month later, Chelsea contested a play-off against the winners of the equivalent North final, Bolton Wanderers. The trophy is now on display in the Chelsea museum at Stamford Bridge.[1]

Match summary

This was Chelsea's second consecutive appearance in the competition's final; they had lost to Charlton Athletic in the 1944 final and fielded four survivors from that match (captain John Harris, Dickie Foss, George Hardwick and Joe Payne). Millwall fielded Sam Bartram and Sailor Brown, who had been a part of the victorious Charlton team in 1944.[2] Both teams wore their away colours for the match, Chelsea red and Millwall white.[3]

The Times correspondent reported that the crowd "must have been sadly disappointed at the quality of play", but Chelsea "were the sounder in defence... and produced the majority of what good attacking movements there were." Millwall held their own in the first half, but a ten minute spell after half-time in which Chelsea scored twice was sufficient to win them the match.[1] The crowd of 90,000 was the highest for a club match during the war.[4] King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, their daughter the future Elizabeth II, King Haakon VII of Norway and Lord Wavell, Viceroy of India, were among those in attendance.[5] [3] After the match, the King presented Chelsea captain Harris with the cup.[6]

Match details

width=25!width=25
1 Ian Black
2 Danny Winter
3 George Hardwick
4 Robert Russell
5 John Harris
6 Dickie Foss
7 George Wardle
8 Les Smith
9 Joe Payne
10 Len Goulden
11 John McDonald
Manager:
width=25!width=25
1 Sam Bartram
2 Reginald Dudley
3 George Fisher
4 George Ludford
5 Ted Smith
6 Leonard Tyler
7 Sid Rawlings
8 Sailor Brown
9 Jimmy Jinks
10 Tom Brown
11 Clifton Williams
Manager:
Jack Cock

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Millwall 0 Chelsea 2. chelseafc.com. 24 January 2022.
  2. News: The Times. To-day's South Cup Final. 7 April 1945.
  3. Web site: 1944 and 1945 Football League South Cup finals. chelseafc.com. 25 January 2022.
  4. News: How English football responded to the second world war. The Guardian. 24 April 2020. 25 January 2022. Foster, Richard.
  5. News: The Times. The King and Queen at Cup Final. 9 April 1945.
  6. News: The Times. Chelsea Victory in South Cup. 9 April 1945.