The match is most remembered for a young Frank Swift's heroics in goal and the predictions of City forward Fred Tilson.

Two quick goals shortly before half-time gave Manchester City a 2–0 lead,[6] but Hull regrouped in the second half.

The sixth round was a home tie with Stoke City, a match seen by 84,569 fans, which is still the record highest attendance at an English club ground.

The Potters were beaten 1–0, setting up an intriguing semi-final against Aston Villa, who had knocked out the three-time champions Arsenal in the previous round.

Leicester City were the opponents in the semi-final, held at St Andrew's, Birmingham, in front of a record crowd for the venue.

[14] The issue was raised in Parliament by Westhoughton MP Rhys Davies,[14] who voiced his concern that such resale was an evasion of Entertainments Duty.

In the words of a Wembley official: "It is curious that when we get two Northern teams in the Final there is always an exceptional demand for meat pies.

[16] The superstitious Portsmouth manager Jack Tinn wore white spats over his shoes, as he had done throughout the cup run.

[11] The goalkeeper recounted his disappointment at conceding in his 1949 autobiography: "Rutherford, the Pompey outside-right, came coasting in and fired a ball across the goal to my right hand.

""[18] Swift blamed the goal on his decision not to wear gloves in the wet conditions; the teenage goalkeeper had opted to imitate the choice of his opposite number, the more experienced Jock Gilfillan.

[18] With seventeen minutes to go, Jimmy Allen, Portsmouth's tall defender, temporarily left the field injured.

[19] Matt Busby, who later achieved great successes as manager of City's rivals Manchester United, was the last surviving player on the winning side by the time of his death in January 1994, at the age of 84.

Jimmy Allen, on the losing side, died a year later at the age of 85 and was believed to be the last surviving player from the game.

Frank Swift, who moved into football journalism after retiring from playing, was killed in the Munich air disaster in February 1958 along with 22 other people, including eight Manchester United players.