1938 FA Cup Final: Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town

Preston North End 1 - 0 Huddersfield Town

  • Preston North End
    • Villa 8', 76'
    • Crooks 70'
  • Huddersfield Town
    • MacKenzie 11'
    • Reeves 50'

1st Match Ended 1-1 (Hutchison 79' o.g.) | (Hutchison 30')


Final went to a Replay (3-2)


1st Match: Wembley Stadium, London, Saturday 9th May 1938

Replay: Wembley Stadium, London, Saturday 14th May 1938

Attendance: 100,000

Match Referee: Keith Hackett (South Yorkshire)

Team Line-ups:

Preston North End

  • GK 1George Holdcroft
  • LB 2Len Gallimore
  • CB 3Andy Beattie
  • CB 4Bill Shankly
  • CM 5Tom Smith (c)
  • RB 6Bob Batey
  • RM 7Dickie Watmough
  • CF 8George Mutch
  • LM 9Bud Maxwell
  • CM 10Bobby Beattie
  • CF 11Scotland Hugh O'Donnell
  • Manager
  • England James Taylor (acting)

Huddersfield Town

  • 1 GKBob Hesford
  • 2 RBBenny Craig
  • 3 LBReg Mountford
  • 4 CBKen Willingham
  • 5 LMAlf Young (c)
  • 6 CBEddie Boot
  • 7 CFJoe Hulme
  • 8 CMJimmy Isaac
  • 9 CMWillie MacFadyen
  • 10 RMBobby Barclay
  • 11 CFPat Beasley
  • Manager
  • Clem Stephenson

Match Highlights

Match Breakdown

FA Cup Finalists Full Teams in 1938

fa cup final 1938: Preston North End team poster 1938

Preston were back at Wembley in 1938 to make amends. This time they faced Huddersfield, just as they had done at Stamford Bridge in 1922. Once again it was a match best forgotten ‑ dull and without pattern.

In fact, the 1938 Final produced another coincidence. Huddersfield won the first time with a penalty; now Preston won with a penalty, scored by Mutch sixty seconds from the end of extra time.

Had the Huddersfield inside‑forwards taken advantage of two or three clear openings made by Hulme, the former Arsenal player now appearing in his fifth Final, Preston would have met with a surprise defeat.

Mutch, the Preston inside‑right, set off on a long dribble. Thousands were already on their way towards the exits, as a little more than a minute of extra time remained of a drab Final. On and on he went until Young, the Huddersfield centre‑half and captain, moved in to the tackle. Mutch went down, and the referee pointed to the penalty‑spot.

The aggrieved player took the spot kick himself, and, with the crowd hushed, struck the ball firmly against the underside of the bar and over the line. Preston had won and an old debt had been settled.

fa cup final 1938: Preston North End team poster 1938

More Cup Final Results