In looking back at the 1948 FA Cup Final, Blackpool historian Gerry Wolstenholme has chartered the route to Wembley, providing the then manager Joe Smith's reaction round-by-round.  

Prior to getting to Wembley in 1948 Blackpool had only ever progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup once when they lost 1-0 to Sunderland in the 1932/33 season. When the draw for the third round was made and Blackpool were to face Second Division Leeds United, manager Joe Smith simply commented, "Not a bad draw" and he added, "We should make the fourth round this time."

Before the Cup run the subsequent hero, Stan Mortensen, had requested a transfer but the Blackpool directors refused so he stayed and became the first player to score in every round of a Cup run through to the Final. But one other player did disappear from the ranks for on the eve of the third round tie goalkeeper Jock Wallace walked out on the club. This meant an untried goalkeeper, Joe Robinson, whose only other Cup experience with the club was in the Lancashire Senior Cup, not only had to play but also had to make his debut in the third round tie. By the time of the Final he had only played in 17 League and Cup games for the club. Leeds were beaten 4-0.

When the draw for the fourth round paired Blackpool with Chester, a conservative Joe Smith said, "We'll treat the match as if we're meeting one of the star teams in the game." They did and won comfortably 4-0.

It was non-league Colchester United in the fifth round and their manager Ted Fenton, a former West Ham United and England half back, had an 'M-Plan' that was to snuff out Matthews, Mortensen, McIntosh and Munro. It failed as Blackpool won 5-0.

It was to be Everton or Fulham in the sixth round as the clubs had drawn their first encounter and everyone expected it to be a trip to Goodison Park. But they were wrong as Second Division Fulham confounded the critics by defeating their First Division opponents. Blackpool fans flocked to London, led by the ebullient Syd Bevers and the colourful Atomic Boys, and they returned happy as Blackpool triumphed 2-0.

When the draw paired Blackpool with Second Division Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final at Villa Park Joe Smith commented, "If we've not met a First Division team we've met teams which have beaten First Division teams." A London correspondent saw the prospects this way, "It is Blackpool's first semi-final and I do not think they will survive." He was wrong for a Mortensen equaliser four minutes from time took the tie into extra-time. Mortensen did the rest with goals in the 92^nd and 100^th minutes he saw Blackpool home with a 3-1 victory. It was on to Wembley where the opponents were to be Manchester United, who coincidentally had beaten Derby County for whom Blackpool's ex-goalkeeper Jock Wallace was playing.

Less than two weeks before the final disaster struck for full back Ronnie Suart as he was injured against Sunderland. Centre half Johnny Crosland, who had only played five League games, stepped in at full back and he played the League game against Charlton Athletic the week before the final and appeared in the Cup Final side after just six first team games. Mortensen had been out injured and he returned to the side at centre forward (he had been playing at inside right) and this meant that Jimmy McIntosh, who had scored five goals in five Cup ties during the run, unluckily had to be omitted from the Wembley side. The final is often remembered as the greatest footballing final and it is well-known that Blackpool led 2-1 at half-time before losing 4-2.

Ironically the two sides met in a rearranged League game on the following Monday night at Bloomfield Road and it was none other than Stan Mortensen who scored the only goal to five Blackpool a 1-0 victory in front of a crowd of 32,236. As for poor Jimmy McIntosh he returned to the side for that game and for the final League game of the season when he wrote his name large in the annals of Blackpool football history with five of the seven goals by which Blackpool defeated Preston North End at Deepdale!