Despite coming just three years after emerging victorious from the Second World War, the national mood as the London Olympics approached in 1948 was not a merry one. The public purse had been stretched to breaking point and rationing was still in force, leading to the nickname ‘The Austerity Games’. No jokes about 2012, please.
Along with the Empire Stadium – later to become Wembley Stadium – White Hart Lane, Lynn Road (home of Illford F.C), Griffin Park and more, Selhurst Park was chosen to host the football. It staged two matches: Denmark v Egypt and eventual gold medallists Sweden v South Korea.
Sweden would go on to triumph in the final at Wembley, while Great Britain missed out on a medal in fourth, much to the chagrin of their charismatic, young manager, then just plain-old Matt Busby. Whatever happened to him?