SOUTH WEST FA CUP FINALISTS
PRE-WAR
1923 & 1930 David Jack (Bolton Wanderers & Arsenal)
After starting his career with Plymouth Argyle in 1919, David Jack played 45 times for the Pilgrims, where his father Bob Jack was manager, and scored ten goals.
His performances brought him to the attention of his home town club, Bolton Wanderers, who paid £3,500 for his services in 1920. He went on to make football history when he became the first player to score an FA Cup final goal at Wembley in 1923 for the Trotters as they beat West Ham United 2-0 in the ‘White Horse’ final, the first cup to be played at Wembley.
Jack later found further fame in his career when he moved to Arsenal to become the world’s first £10,000 footballer. He appeared for the Gunners in their 1930 final win over Huddersfield Town and he became the first player to win the cup with two different clubs.
1923,1926 &1929 Dick Pym (Bolton Wanderers)
The Bolton side that won the ‘White Horse final’ also featured Topsham-born goalkeeper Dick Pym, who had started his career at the turn of 1920’s with Exeter City. Pym would also win two further cup winners’ medals with Wanderers in 1926 and 1929 before he dropped into non-league football to sign for Yeovil and Petters United, a pre-runner of Yeovil Town, in 1930. In later life, he earned the title of being the longest lived England footballer when he died in 1988 at the age of 95.
1933 Sid Cann (Manchester City)
The next cup finalist with South West connections came in 1933 when former Torquay United full back Sid Cann appeared for Manchester City against Everton.
Cann had started his career with the Magpies, as Torquay were then known, in 1928 before joining City in 1930.
In the 1933 final, which Everton won 3-0 saw former England schoolboy cap Sid found himself lining up alongside future Manchester United manager Matt Busby and facing a Toffees’ side captained by the legendary Dixie Dean.
Following the final, Sid left Maine Road two years later to join Charlton Athletic and he later managed Southampton and Wycombe Wanderers.
1930 & 1936 Cliff Bastin (Arsenal)
Heavitree born Cliff Bastin appeared 17 times for Exeter City and scored six goals before he was enticed away from St James’ Park by Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman in 1928.
Cliff went on to help Arsenal dominate English football during the 1930’s and, by the age of nineteen, he had won a league title, an FA Cup and had been capped by England, becoming the youngest player to achieve all three feats, after picking up a winners' medal in 1930 final which saw the Gunners defeat Huddersfield Town.
He won a second cup winners’ medal in 1936 and he remained with Arsenal for the remainder of his career and he is currently their third all-time leading scorer behind Thierry Henry and Ian Wright.
1936 Ray Bowden (Arsenal)
Looe born Ray Bowden scored 83 goals and 149 games for Plymouth Argyle before he joined Arsenal as a replacement for David Jack in 1933. He was the Gunners’ joint-top scorer with Cliff Bastin in the 1933-34 season. He later added an FA Cup winners’ medal to his collection of honours in 1936 as Arsenal beat Sheffield United.
Ray later joined Newcastle United before retiring from professional football before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.