Bolton 2 - 0 West Ham
On 28 April 1923 the very first match ever played at Wembley was between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham, also King George V was in attendance to present the trophy to the winning team.
Each team had progressed through five rounds to reach the final. Bolton Wanderers won 1–0 in every round from the third onwards, and David Jack scored the lone goal each time.
The final was preceded by chaotic scenes as vast crowds surged into the stadium, far exceeding its official capacity of approximately 125,000. A crowd estimated at up to 300,000 gained entrance and the terraces overflowed, with the result that many spectators found their way into the area around the pitch and even onto the playing area itself. Mounted policemen, including one on a grey horse which became 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.
Mounted police keep an excess of 300,000 fans from spilling onto the Wembley pitch, including constable George Scorey and his white horse Billy.
The match began 45 minutes late as the vast crowd was shepherded by police to clear the pitch and stand around the perimeter. Although West Ham started strongly, Bolton proved the dominant team for most of the match and won 2–0. David Jack scored a goal two minutes after the start of the match and Jack Smith added a controversial second goal during the second half.
The pre-match overcrowding prompted discussion in the House of Commons and led to the introduction of safety measures for future finals. The match is often referred to as the "White Horse Final" and is commemorated by the White Horse Bridge at the new Wembley Stadium.
The image of Billie the white horse remains famous within English football lore, and the match is often referred to as "The White Horse Final".