Stan Mortensen

Stan Mortensen: In the Shadow of None is the remarkable tale of the only player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup Final – yet his story is about far more than that. Born in South Shields, ‘Morty’ almost never entered football. First, because he was told he was too slow; and second because of a wartime bomber crash that nearly ended his career before it began. Blackpool recognised his talent, and from 1941 to 1955 he became their second-highest scorer ever, netting in 12 consecutive FA Cup rounds and delivering his historic hat-trick in the 1953 final. The game was dubbed ‘The Matthews Final’, overlooking Morty, but he never complained. His England record was just as remarkable: 23 goals in 25 games, including four on his debut. When he died, thousands in Blackpool lined the streets to honour a player – and later a manager – who was loved by the town. This is the story of one of English football’s great goalscorers, a man who stood tall in the tangerine of his club and in England white.