Stan 'Electric Hills' Mortensen: An Iconic England Shirt Goes to Auction
Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers are delighted to present a remarkable piece of football history at auction—Stan Mortensen’s match-worn England shirt from the historic England vs Argentina friendly on 9th May 1951.
This match was significant for two reasons: it was the first time England had hosted a foreign team at Wembley Stadium, and it marked the first occasion the home side played in red, eschewing the classic white kit which had been the tradition since 1872.
Despite trailing 1-0 for much of the game against the world’s leading team, England equalised in the 79th minute when Preston North End’s Tom Finney took a corner, headed on by Harold Hassall and finished by Stan Mortensen. Just seven minutes later, Mortensen was instrumental in the winning goal, heading an Alf Ramsey free kick into the path of Jackie Milburn, who secured victory for Walter Winterbottom’s side.
Born in South Shields in 1921, Mortensen’s football career began at St Mary's School at just nine years of age, the smallest of a squad made up predominantly of fourteen-year-olds. In 1934, he was selected to play for South Shields Boys but only made the team sheet three times before being dropped. Having left school at fourteen to work in a timber yard on Tyneside, Mortensen continued to play football for his former teacher, John Young, at South Shields Ex-Boys. His improvement as a player saw him sign for Blackpool in 1937.
Impending global conflict saw Morty, as he was affectionately known, enlist in the RAF as a wireless-operator air-gunner. He narrowly escaped death at the age of eighteen when his Wellington bomber crashed in the forest near Lossiemouth. The only survivor, his injuries were deemed so severe that the doctors said he would never again be fit for operational duty and that his footballing career should be brought to an end as heading the ball could cause him serious health problems. Eventually, he was allowed to return to the game that he so loved and began to play for the RAF and in one game scored four goals in four minutes against Leyland Motors.
His impact on the game saw him selected to play for the RAF against the British Army, with appearances from Ted Drake, Raich Carter, Stanley Matthews, Frank Soo, Laurie Scott, George Hardwick and Joe Mercer.
With the return to peacetime came Mortensen's return to Bloomfield Road, where he made his league debut in the 1946/47 season. Blackpool triumphed over Chester, Colchester United, Fulham, and then Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final, making an incredible comeback from 1-0 down with just four minutes to go. This set up a final clash with Manchester United in the FA Cup. Despite Blackpool losing 4-2, Mortensen’s remarkable performances earned him a place in history as the first player in English football to score in every round of the FA Cup. That same year, Stan earned his first international cap, debuting against Portugal and impressively scoring four goals in a 10-0 victory.
In 1953, Blackpool reached the FA Cup final for the third time in five years, facing Bolton Wanderers in what would become one of the most infamous domestic football matches of all time. Blackpool conceded an early goal after just 75 seconds, but Mortensen equalised in the 35th minute. However, Bolton regained the lead just four minutes later. Ten minutes into the second half, Eric Bell extended Bolton’s advantage, leaving Blackpool 3-1 down. Thirteen minutes later, the tide began to turn. The devastating partnership of Stanley Matthews and Stanley Mortensen saw goals in the 68th and 88th minutes and, in the dying seconds of injury time, a Matthews cross from the right wing fell just behind Mortensen but was met by Bill Perry, who firmly buried it in the back of the net, securing Blackpool’s first-ever FA Cup victory. So impressive was their comeback that even Bolton stalwart Nat Lofthouse stood in applause for the tremendous efforts of Blackpool’s magnificent eleven.
Though history remembers 2nd May 1953 as "The Matthews Final," Mortensen's achievements in those 90 minutes made him the only English player to ever score a hat-trick in an FA Cup Final at the original Wembley Stadium. In later years, the ever-humble Sir Stanley Matthews insisted that he had been overpraised for his performance and, in his autobiography The Way it Was, referred to it as "The Mortensen Final." The two men shared a great fondness and respect for one another, developing one of the finest playing partnerships English football has ever seen.
Mortensen collected his last international cap in 1953 during a 6-3 defeat against Hungary, ending his England career with an impressive 23 goals in just 25 appearances. He left Blackpool in 1955, and after seasons at Hull and Southport, as well as non-league stints at Bath and Lancaster City, he hung up his boots in 1961. Mortensen finished his career with an incredible 307 goals from 505 appearances for both club and country and remains Blackpool’s all-time top goal scorer.
Stan Mortensen passed away in 1991, just four days before his 70th birthday. He was posthumously inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003 in recognition of his talents and achievements, and in 2006, into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road.
Beloved by the city of Blackpool and the team’s supporters for his contributions both on and off the pitch, such as auctioning his player’s medals to raise funds for the club when it was traversing a difficult financial period, Stan Mortensen was immortalised in statue in front of Bloomfield Road's new North Stand, which now bears his name, unveiled by his widow Jean and former Blackpool teammate Jimmy Armfield in 2005, and it is here that the great man remains, keeping an eye on his cherished club, through match day highs and lows.
Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers are honoured to offer this significant piece of football history at The Cheshire Saleroom in March 2025. Adam Partridge himself remarks, ‘As the great Bill Shankly said, “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.” The beauty of football is that its passion transcends rivalries. To offer a shirt worn by one of England’s greatest—yet often unsung—heroes is a privilege and encapsulates everything I love about the auction industry.’
Stan Mortensen’s No.8 shirt will be offered in the Sporting & Militaria with Stamps, Antiques & Collectables Auction, taking place 5th–7th March 2025 at The Cheshire Saleroom, Macclesfield.
For further information, contact macclesfield@adampartridge.co.uk
