The 1923 FA Cup final was an association football match between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United on 28 April 1923 at the original Wembley Stadium in London.

Mounted policemen, including one on a grey horse which featured in the defining photographic image of the day, had to be brought in to clear the crowds from the pitch and allow the match to take place.

[11] In every match from the third round onwards, Bolton's single goal was scored by David Jack, which gave him a reputation for having single-handedly steered his team into the final.

[12] In contrast to Bolton's defensive style, West Ham's cup run was characterised by fast-moving, attacking play, which won them many admirers.

[34] Despite these fears, the new national stadium, which had been advertised as the greatest venue of its kind and had an unprecedented capacity of 125,000, proved to be a great lure and drew a large number of casual observers.

[30] The morning newspapers on the day of the match reported that around 5,000 fans were travelling from Bolton and that they were expected to be joined by "at least 115,000 enthusiasts from London and other parts of the country".

At Bethnal Green a big bunch of Jewish lads of the Hakoah football team, marching like soldiers came out of the Cambridge Heath Road.

Veterans from the great war on crutches, small boys pulling and pushing each other on every species of cart...a sea of claret and blue was rising toward Wembley.

[26] Significant number of Bolton supporters (5,000 had been expected before the game[34]) made their way from Lancashire to Wembley, including five fans who used the Daimler Hire plane service from Manchester Aerodrome to London,[26] with most of the remainder coming by train.

Bolton fans headed to the West End to celebrate after the game, with Piccadilly Circus impassable to traffic for a time due to the number of revellers.

Pathe's bid had failed to win the rights to film the event, but they sent a disguised cameraman anyway, wearing fake spectacles, a false moustache and carrying a camera hidden in a large cardboard hammer.

West Ham board members and players said that the teams were persuaded to go ahead with the game by a representative of the king, on the basis that it would be a friendly match, with the cup final itself played at a later date.

[46][47] The Times stated that at one point it seemed impossible that the match would ever be able to start, but the tide turned at 2:45pm, when King George V arrived and was escorted to the royal box.

While the pitch was being cleared, the event choir, St Luke’s, sang "Abide with Me"; the crowds of West Ham supporters walking back to the East End are also said to have sung the song.

[52] Eventually the police, assisted by appeals from the players for the crowd to calm, were able to manoeuvre the spectators to just beyond the touchline, and the game began approximately 45 minutes late, while fans stood around the perimeter of the pitch.

[35] West Ham's game plan initially centred on the two fast-moving outside-forwards Dick Richards and Ruffell, but Bolton set out from the start to keep the two players contained, rushing at them whenever they got the ball.

His shot beat West Ham goalkeeper Ted Hufton to give Bolton the lead and hit a spectator who was standing pressed against the goal net, knocking him unconscious.

A number of fans, many unconscious, required first aid from members of the British Red Cross on the pitch near the Bolton penalty area.

[54] Bolton continued to dominate the match, and were only prevented from scoring again by a strong performance from West Ham full-back Billy Henderson.

[30] When West Ham attacked, however, Bolton were able to quickly switch to a strongly defensive formation, as players changed positions to form a line of five half-backs.

[12] West Ham began the second half as the stronger team, and Vic Watson received the ball in a good goalscoring position but mis-hit his shot.

The Bolton players returned home by train, with two dining cars attached for the team, and were greeted at Moses Gate railway station by the chairman of Farnworth District Council before going on to a reception hosted by the Mayor.

As well as the team, the tramcar also carried a band from the Metropolitan Police; its illuminated features included the club badge of crossed irons on the front of the tram, together with the motto “Well done Hammers”.

[60] Bolton had completed their league season with a 13th place finish, the Saturday before their cup final, but West Ham still had two games to play.

[24] Although the conduct of the Police and crowd were widely praised, the FA was heavily criticised for its organisation of the final, and refunded 10% of the total gate money to fans who had pre-purchased tickets but were unable to reach their assigned seats.

[64] The chaotic scenes at the match prompted discussion in the House of Commons, where Home Secretary William Bridgeman paid tribute to the actions of the police and the general behaviour of the crowd.

During the debate Oswald Mosley, the MP for Harrow (which included Wembley) was chastised by the Speaker of the House for characterising the fans present at the stadium as hooligans.

Their proposals included the replacement of the turnstiles with more up-to-date models, the erection of extra gates and railings, and the division of the terraces into self-contained sections, each with its own entrance.

[67] In addition, the pre-purchasing of tickets was made compulsory for all future finals, eliminating the possibility that excessive numbers of fans would arrive in the hope of being able to pay at the turnstile.

[71] The executive director of the London Development Agency, which organised the poll, stated that the choice of name was appropriate given that the bridge, like the horse, would improve safety for fans at Wembley.