Guernsey Press

What was happening in the world when Salford last went to Wembley

Salford face Leeds this weekend in their first Challenge Cup final since 1969, while their last success in the competition was in 1938.

Published

Salford will end a 51-year wait when they run out at Wembley for Saturday’s Challenge Cup final against Leeds and it is 82 years since the club last lifted the famous trophy.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at what was happening in the world in both 1969 and 1938.

1969

Matt Busby steps down as Manchester United manager, Wales beat England 30-9 to clinch their 16th Five Nations Rugby Championship and 11th Triple Crown, Ireland’s cricketers dismiss West Indies for just 25 in Londonderry and there is also an upset at Wimbledon where Ann Jones defeated defending champion Billie Jean King in the final.

Harold Wilson is Prime Minister, the first B&Q store opens and Concorde makes its maiden flight, while in the United States Richard Nixon becomes president and in France Charles de Gaulle resigns the presidency.

British Airways Concorde
Concorde flew for the first time from the British Aircraft Corporation airfield at Filton in April 1969 (PA Images/Tim Ockenden)

The Woodstock Festival in New York attracts an audience of around 500,000 to watch, among others, Joe Cocker, and Jimi Hendrix, while the Rock opera  “Tommy” is released by The Who.

Moon landing 50th annniversary
Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969 (PA Images/NASA)

1938

The FA Cup final is televised for the first time but, with just 10,000 sets in the country at the time, it is thought there is a bigger audience in the stadium at Wembley (93,000) to watch Preston North End beat Huddersfield 1-0.

Scotland beat England 21-16 at Twickenham to win the Home Nations Rugby Championship, Triple Crown and Calcutta Cup, Joe Louis retains his world heavyweight boxing title and 17-year-old jockey Bruce Hobbs wins the Grand National on 40-1 shot Battleship.

Don Bradman runs riot on Australia’s tour of England, Italy beat Hungary 4-1 in the World Cup final in Paris and Helen Wills Moody wins Wimbledon.

DONALD BRADMAN BATTING ACTION
Sir Donald Bradman in action against Worcester in 1938 (PA Images)

Ella Fitzgerald is in the charts and Orson Welles broadcasts his adaptation of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.