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Famed for his FA Cup final hat trick in 1953 and with twenty three goals in only 25 appearances for the national side, Stan Mortensen was a huge star during the post-Second World War years and remains an English footballing great — yet the start of his senior playing career had been set back heavily by the conflict.
Like so many young men and women of the time, war meant putting the future on hold and with Mortensen being posted to the RAF and the Football League being suspended, he had to make do with guest appearances in scratch XI’s at a time when he would’ve otherwise expected to be trying to establish himself at his parent club Blackpool.
There was even one occasion when playing at international level, during a match between England and Wales at Wembley, that he switched sides midway through due to the visitors not having any reserves, yet amongst the pick-up games and filling in, he was still able to make an impression.
It could be argued that the willingness to play whenever and wherever helped Mortensen stand out.
It even saw him being able to make a short return to his native North East in February 1944, when the South Shields-born forward represented Sunderland in a thrilling League North Cup tie at Middlesbrough, during which he scored in a 5-4 win for the Lads. Things then started returning to normal in 1945/1946 with the resumption of the FA Cup, and the following season finally brought him a taste of true Division One action.
One of Blackpool’s first trips of the campaign was to Wearside, with Mortensen now lining up against Sunderland. His hometown had always provided a healthy level of support for the club but with his appearance on the pitch, a few regular fans were said to have mixed feelings — being keen to see their ‘boy’ doing well, but not so well that it impacted their own team’s chances.
As it was, they couldn’t have asked for much more. Stan performed well and showed more ‘finesse’ than the Black Cats’ forwards did, but their more direct style brought them the win regardless.
The result was certainly a boost for manager Bill Murray, who’d been overseeing the side when Mortensen made his Sunderland guest appearance, and was now trying to build a more permanent squad.
With Dickie Davis not expected to return from the forces for a while yet, Murray was short on attacking options and was well aware that he needed to manage the players that were at his disposal due to many having other concurrent service duties to attend to still or being unable to have trained properly during the preceding years.
Earlier in the week, he’d taken in a game between Tottenham and Southampton, focusing on the Saints’ Don Roper.
In the end, a move didn’t materialise but it was clear to the group that Murray wanted more depth — particularly when his team then fell to a humbling 5-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic forty eight hours later. At least he had Willie Watson to call upon again next time out against the Tangerines, a man whose own schedule was further complicated by his first-class cricket career and had needed to be rested for the trip to the capital.
Refreshed, Watson was superb on this day, although the opposition went ahead when George Eastham connected with a left-wing corner. However, Watson was the one chiefly responsible for turning the tide when the Seasiders tried to push further ahead, and once things were back on an even keel, Stan Lloyd was able to set up the equaliser for an unmarked Cliff Whitelum.
With fifteen minutes to go before the break, Sunderland were gathering momentum and shortly after Len Duns had gone close, Lloyd, who’d also sat out the Charlton game, was able to fashion a goal for himself by shooting low past goalkeeper Jock Wallace.
The response to going behind had been commendable and for the vast majority of the second half, it seemed to have been enough to secure the points.
There was a brief period of uncertainty when Eastham levelled with ten minutes to go, but the Lads rallied once more and were able to both regain and then retain the lead through Whitelum, whose winner put the team third in the fledgling table — not quite the happy homecoming Mortensen would’ve targeted, but a decent match all the same.
> _Saturday 14 September 1946_
> _Football League Division One_
> _Sunderland 3 (Whitelum 30’, 85’, Lloyd 38’)_
> _Blackpool 2 ( Eastham 7’, 80’)_
> _**Sunderland:** Mapson, Stelling, Jones; Willingham, Hall, Housam; Duns, Lloyd, Whitelum; Watson, Burbanks_
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