See first comment, from one Reginald Levy DFC:
Blackpool 3 Cardiff 2 - full match report - Blackpool Today
"I was a Bomber Command Mosquito and Halifax pilot during the war and was so well looked after by the team when they were playing near me. During and after the war, whilst still in the RAF I was always given tickets by Sam Jones, that lovely Irish half back , fellow RAF man Stan Mortensen and I still supported Blackpool and actually had tickets for that first Cup final in 1948 but had to fly to India on the very day of the Final and my Wife and Brotherin law saw their terrific battle with Man. Utd. It is still considered as the finest football final ever although Blackpool lost. I flew all my life until I was sixty and actually flew the Blacxkpool team back from Belgium when they had been over there to play Anderlecht. It was my pleasure to introduce my children to the wonderful Joe Smith, still their manager at that time. I later became great friends with Stan Matthews whom I encountered in a street in Johannesburg where I was based flying up to Europe. He was training local black South Africans and we became great friends. he invited me and my Wife to a dinner given in his honour by the S.African Football Association and Jackie Mudie was there and I have some lovely pictures and also a bottle of South African Wine made in Stan's honour with the contents still unopened and a special label with Sta..."