The FA Cup Final First Televised - BBC 100

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Close menu The FA Cup Final first televised

30 April 1938

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The FA Cup Final was first televised on 30 April 1938. The match at Wembley was between Preston North End and Huddersfield. With fewer than 10,000 sets in the country at the time and 93,000 people in attendance, many more people saw the game in the ground than at home. But it started something that is now a major part of television output, fought over by broadcasters and worth millions of pounds to the teams.

The Cup Final was only the second complete football match shown, after the England v Scotland game earlier that month, which was viewed as a test run for the bigger event. The BBC's outside broadcast unit of two vans relayed the action to Alexandra Palace via an aerial set up between the famous domes of the stadium.

Preston's team featured the legendary Bill Shankly, but the match was goalless until the final minute of extra time, when George Mutch scored to make Preston the winners. The late goal caused a problem for commentator Thomas Woodrooffe, who rashly said "If there's a goal scored now, I'll eat my hat!" Woodrooffe was later held to his word, though his hat was made of cake for the occasion.

Watching football on television has become an essential part of many football fans lives. The FA Cup Final remains a cornerstone of the BBC's sport output and is one of the listed events that must be broadcast on free-to-air channels.

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  The FA Cup Final is first televised

  30 April 1938

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