Links With The Past: Commemorative FA Cup Final Headscarf

Heritage
21 Dec 2020
1 Minute
Seventy-one years ago, when Leicester City reached their first-ever FA Cup Final, the wives of both players and directors were each given a headscarf.

The design on the headscarf records the results of each of City’s games on the way to Wembley, where they were defeated 3-1 by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

These cup ties included three games in 10 days against Birmingham City in the third round, with two of the ties going to extra-time.

It also records the win over Preston North End, an epic against Luton Town, in which 18 goals were scored, the victory over Brentford and the amazing semi-final, when City, fighting relegation from the Second Division, defeated league champions Portsmouth 3-1, with star forward Don Revie scoring twice.

Key players, plus members of the backroom team, feature on the headscarf.

The cartoon depictions of players, together with their autographs, include Revie, who missed the final because of a serious nose bleed. His place was taken by Jimmy Harrison, who along the rest of the cup final team, appear on the scarf.

They were Gordon Bradley, Ted Jelly, Sandy Scott, Walter Harrison, Norman Plummer, Johnny King, Mal Griffiths, Jack Lee, Ken Chisholm and Charlie Adam.

Also depicted are squad members Billy Frame and Jim Johnston, the manager Johnny Duncan (wearing a suit) and trainer, George Ritchie.

Nine days after the game at Wembley, these same cartoons made another appearance, on the menu booklet for a cup final celebration dinner for the team at the now-demolished Bell Hotel in Leicester.