Blackpool historian hits target to complete Stan Mortensen celebration book in time for landmark day

To this day, Mortensen remains the only player to score three goals in an FA Cup Wembley final.

As well as Morty’sunique hat-trick, his record of scoring in 12 consecutive FA Cup rounds – including the final of 1948 – remains unmatched.

He died in May 1991, four days short of his 70th birthday.

Born on May 26, 1921, in South Shields, he made 354 appearances for the Seasiders between 1941 and 1955, and his 226 goals made him the club’s all-time greatest scorer.

He scored 23 goals in 25 appearances for England, was the first England player to score in a World Cup final tournament and later managed Blackpool between 1967 and 1969, with his most notable signing the midfield star Tony Green.

Morty is commemorated with a statue at the north end of the Bloomfield Road stadium and the tribute on the 100th anniversary of his birth is being organised by the lifelong fan who co-ordinated the statue, Chris Hull.

Chris plans a ceremony at which Tony Green will say a few words and fans are invited to show their colours.

Chris is also hoping to have Mortensen’s 1953 FA Cup winner’s medal at the event for fans to have their picture taken with it.

Afterwards, as darkness falls, the Tower will light up, with a ‘Morty 100’ message and a heart shape.

Limited edition artworks depicting Stan, along with books on him, will also be available.

Club historian Gerry Wolstenholme has written a new book in tribute to Morty. Entitled ‘Stan Mortensen: A Centenary Tribute 1921 -2021’, it is priced just £10. However, only 226 copies are available, representing the goals Morty scored for Pool.

The first 23 copies, produced in hardback and representing his goals for England, have already sold out.

All 226 books will be numbered and signed by Gerry.

He told The Gazette: “The publisher got in touch with me on my birthday, on March 25, to ask what we could do to commemorate it.

“I said we could write a book but it’s a bit tight. In the end, I gave it a go and luckily it’s worked out.

“It was five weeks of hard work but I’m quite pleased with it. At one point I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew but it worked out okay.

“The book takes you all the way through his career from being a young lad at school to his arrival at Blackpool, who didn’t really want to sign him at the time.

“They wanted another player from South Shields but he was part of the deal, and Morty was the one that made it big.

“It’s a very nice gesture on the part of Blackpool to pay tribute to Morty. He was a freeman of the town and was passionate about the football club and the town.”

To purchase a copy, visit https://redrosecricketbooks.com/product/671289

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