1953: Crowning Year of Sport

The year of the Queen's Coronation, 1953, was a year of great "first time" achievement for some of the best-loved sportsmen of the day, who in a matter of a few months fulfilled long held ambitions. In football, Stanley Matthews, arguably one of the best footballers of any era, reached the pinnacle of a long career as a member of Blackpool's cup-winning side and secured a coveted Winner's medal. A few weeks later, after more than 25 years of trying, champion jockey Gordon Richards landed the premier Classic, the Derby at Epsom on Pinza with the Queen's own horse Aureole in second place. On the eve of the Queen's Coronation on the 2nd June, news came from the Himalayas that an expedition to Mount Everest, led by Colonel John Hunt had achieved the first ascent of the highest mountain on Earth. Two of the party, Edmund Hillary and Tensing reached the summit on 31st May and news of their success was flashed around the world. Later in the summer, England's cricketers ended a barren period extending almost 20 years and regained the Ashes by beating Australia at The Oval. Led by their first professional captain Len Hutton, the players enjoyed a rapturous reception from a vast Oval crowd. In golf, the Open Championship was won by American Ben Hogan. Making his debut in the event and already a golfing legend, his win was the more remarkable because a year earlier he had been almost fatally injured in a horrific motorcar accident. Coronation year was remarkable for sport and sports fans and this book describes the people and the events.