VIVID memories will flood back on Sunday for one granny who stepped out with the Wanderers stars of the 1923 FA Cup triumph -- as the team mascot.

Dorothy Gale, who celebrated her 85th birthday last week, nervously walked into the middle of the hallowed turf as a girl of eight to hand over lucky white heather to the Wanderers heroes.

The paint was only just dry on the twin towers when excited Dorothy was swept up in the tremendous atmosphere of an estimated 250,000 cheering fans.

Still an avid Bolton Wanderers fan, Dorothy will be cheering them on as loudly as she did more than 75 years ago when she saw the Trotters beat West Ham United 2-0.

This time her seat will be from the comfort of her own home, watching them on TV -- not even invented back in 1923.

Dorothy said: "It was a wonderful atmosphere. We were all very excited. I went into the middle of the pitch before the match started. I gave the players some white heather for good luck. They were all lined up and gave it to the captain.

"He patted me on the head and thanked me. That lucky heather must have done the trick."

She remembers the policeman on a white horse and said that he only had to ride past unruly sections of the crowd for them to start behaving.

Dorothy, who now lives in Shropshire, said: "He was the only policeman, more or less, on patrol. The crowds were enormous. It was absolutely packed. It was a terrific match."

It will be with mixed emotions that she will watch Sunday's match, knowing Wembley Stadium will be demolished after the FA Cup final.

She said: "It is sad, but you can't stop progress and things have to move on."

Dorothy's father William Bentley was a director of the Wanderers in the 1920s and took her to games.

Formerly of Harpers Lane, Bolton, she met all the players between the two world wars and knew many of them personally.

She was a good friend of Harry Goslin, the gentleman player, and is still upset by his untimely death in the Italian campaign of the Second World War.

Dorothy has donated a valuable autograph book, including all the signatures from the Wanderers 1923 FA Cup Final players, to the club.

If you have any cup memories or are planning a special Sem-Final day contact the News Desk on 0204 361270. How Wanderers were first Wembley winners THE 1923 FA Cup final was "won deservedly" by Bolton Wanderers, according to the BEN's report of the match.

They beat West Ham "pretty much as they pleased" during a game which it appeared everyone wanted to see. A flat-capped crowd of an estimated 250,000 crammed into Wembley Stadium -- which at the time held 125,000 people -- causing the game to be delayed for 40 minutes.

In a dramatic spot of reporting, sports journalist "Olympian" wrote: "People scaled high walls and clambered into seats for which others had paid. Such was the pressure on the ring-side fences that they gave way.

"In an incredibly short time the beautiful greensward was occupied by a black, uncontrollable mass." Footballing legends David Jack and JR Smith smashed the ball home sparking the first of three Wembley triumphs for the Wanderer between the wars, 1926 and 1929 being the others.

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