The first Cup Final ever honoured by the presence of the King was won at the Crystal Palace on Saturday by Burnley by the only goal. It was a royal Lancashire day. The two finalists hailed from the County Palatine, from Burnley and from Liverpool. The Duke of Lancaster, as the King is now toasted in our County, witnessed the game, shook hands with the respective captains and presented the Cup and medals; and the majority of the crowd had come up from this northern area. It was a memorable scene. The spacious ground in the huge park of the Palace was lined with rows of people, estimated to number 90,000, and in the summer-like sunshine the sight was one to live in memory for its kaleidoscopic effect alone. But add to all this the scenes of enthusiasm when the military bands paraded the ground and then lined up in front of the pavilion to greet the King; the spontaneous outbursts of cheering as His Majesty arrived, greeted the rival captains, and, finally, presented the trophy; followed by the hearty singing of the National Anthem by all present; and you have Burnley associated with a final that, in all probability, will be unique in history.

It was a wonderful eye-picture - there is a spectacular suitability about the Crystal Palace ground that cannot be beaten, however many disadvantages the pitch possesses in other respects. As the brilliant sunshine flooded the arena, the scene was one of striking beauty. From the King's chair, in the little gilt-railed enclosure in the centre of the pavilion the solid mass of humanity on the banks and stands was curiously fascinating as it roared itself hoarse in song or thundered its cheers. Behind and above the spring tints of the foliage of the fringe of trees (dotted here and there with daring climbers to their topmost boughs) added the necessary touch of natural beauty. The Royal Standard was in readiness to be broken from the flag staff over the pavilion when His Majesty arrived.

There was a round of cheering when, about half-past one, the drum and fife band of the 1st King's Liverpool Regiment formed up and marched to a lively quickstep round the arena. Then the band of the regiment took up the tail while the band of the Irish Guards arranged their music stands. Then the first notes of "Tunnhauser" were heard. All the bustle and murmur ceased as the guards played the great overture. It was a magnificent performance, and the crowd expressed its approval in a storm of applause.

The visiting room set apart for the King was very plain, according to the wishes of His Majesty. Truth to tell, he had not a few moments to spend in it. His car was heralded by cheering outside the enclosure, where there were thousands of people, and the King and his suite arrived about five minutes before the scheduled time for the kick-off. The crowd were waiting. The bands were massed in front of the pavilion, and the great crowd broke into cheers on the arrival of His Majesty. At the back of the pavilion, the King was received by Lord Derby, Lord Kinnaird and the leading officials of the Football Association and at once proceeded through the gaily-decorated entrance of the pavilion. A few moments later, his Majesty emerged to take his seat in front of the great multitude, the bands played the National Anthem, and a tremendous cheer burst from the huge mass in front. His Majesty was clearly delighted.

Prior to the kick-off both teams, with the referee in the centre, lined up in front of the pavilion and cheered His Majesty. Both captains were called back from the line to be presented to the King by Mr F.T.Wall, the secretary of the Football Association. His Majesty took a keen interest in the game and, as had been hoped, was able to stay till the end and present the Cup and medals. Thus Boyle had the unique honour of receiving, for a Lancashire club, the national trophy at the hands of the Duke of Lancaster. The King spoke a few words of congratulation and then handed to each of the players the specially-struck gold medal. There was tremendous enthusiasm when the great assembly cheered His Majesty and sang "God Save the King", and again when he drove away.

Burnley added another record of their own. They are the first club in the history of the Cup which has defeated five First Division clubs in the several rounds from first tie to the final; and as draws go, this is likely to remain a unique feature of the competition for a long number of years. Afterwards, the Burnley players and officials left the precincts of the fateful ground in taxis amid the cheers of a waiting throng of supporters and, later, took the Cup to a celebration dinner at the invitation of the Member for the Borough and Lady Ottoline Morrell. Sunday was mostly spent in a drive, in two motor chars-a-banc, in the lovely country around Kew, Virginia Water, Windsor and Hampton Court. On Monday they received such a welcome that even the most imaginative person could not have preconceived.

Once of a day, on a long distance trip, people were content to set off and land in London as "luck leet" and return ditto. Nowadays, you can have everything pat, arranged in proper programme, and a marvellous amount for your money. Gone are the days when you get on a train and never know when it arrives. For Saturday, for instance, you could leave Burnley about midnight, arrive in London at six o'clock, spend the morning in driving about, have three meals, be carried to and from Crystal Palace - all for a guinea. It is wonderful. I spoke to one of the thousands who saw London this way, and his verdict was summed up in the all-embracing word "champion".

Large numbers of people made a weekend of it. They travelled comfortably in corridor trains and dining cars for a fare and a third, and I was told by one gentleman that he had, during the previous ten days, written to over half a dozen hotels of medium tariff and couldn't get a room. But the vast majority of London's invaders were not of this order. They went for the day, travelled through one night going and travelled through the next night returning. In spite of the tiring schedule of the journey they were most lively, and as early as six or seven o'clock could be seen ferrying around the principal thoroughfares. After having witnessed all the chief sights, there was enough time for the exhibition of their party colours and some hearty cheering. There were all ages amidst the throng, though all were partisans - in claret and blue for Burnley and red and white for Liverpool. They were conspicuous the whole way to the Crystal Palace ground, with claret and blue and red and white everywhere. Some had entire overcoats in their team's colours, while others had ribbons in hats and lapels. The Liverpudlians went mad beforehand - it was as well they got their shout in, for they never got one at the match. It was Burnley who had the last laugh, which was the best laugh.

There had been nineteen Cup Finals at the Crystal Palace, and there has never been a wet day yet, I am told. Well there certainly has never been a finer one than Saturday. The sun shone uninterruptedly all day, and the trippers, estimated at over a hundred thousand - a fair proportion never went to the match, but simply took advantage of the cheap facilities - had a perfect time. In the early hours, thousands of wearied, sleepy beings left the northern railway stations. In all the hubbub and babble of Euston Road, with its conglomerate population of provincials and foreigners, the Lancastrian was the predominating personality. Breakfast was something in the nature of a movable feast. Ham and eggs were purveyed around King's Cross and Euston as early as 2 a.m., and at 10 o'clock the typical matutinal meal of the provinces was still being consumed by ravenous excursionists. Long before London itself awoke for business, the invaders had moved far afield. They took possession of The Strand, Piccadilly, Holborn and Regent Street before London had aroused itself. Cumbersome four-in-hands, which return from obscurity once a year, moved slowly along, and impeded the scurrying, impatient motor buses of the 20th century; and busy Londoners, hurrying towards the City, tried to dodge in and out between the crowds of rosetted holiday-makers. Street hawkers had a busy time.

In addition to hundreds of four-in-hand brakes which carried the excursionists through the principal streets, a fleet of motor omnibuses was chartered for the purpose of conveying parties on a round of sight-seeing. Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower, and the hundred-and-one recognised haunts of the tourist were crowded out, almost as soon as they opened their doors. Though sight-seeing was so enthusiastically entered upon, time was limited. The vehicles met the excursion trains at the railway terminal, ran about London for some hours, and then conveyed their passengers to Sydenham. Those on top of the omnibuses were not slow to take advantage of their position, and they leant over the sides, cheering loudly and making raucous noises with rattles and other specialities. Those who walked about were chiefly to be found near the Embankment, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament. Those who were tired out were to be seen in hundreds sound asleep on the grass in Hyde Park.

Mr. Morrell, MP, and Lady Ottoline Morrell had engaged to show visitors round the Houses of Parliament. About 300 to 400 people accepted their invitation, and they had the assistance of Mr F.E. Harvey, MP (Leeds) and Sir F. Cawley, MP (Prestwich Division) as guides. As showing the enthusiasm of the day, Mr. Morrell received a postcard as follows: - "Dear Mr. Morrell, I shall be very pleased to accept your invitation for a visit through the Houses of Parliament. I have reached the age of 72 years, and I am coming to London for the first time, bringing my five sons with me. Hoping we shall have a good time and win the Cup." Mr J. Beaumont, the writer, duly came with his five sons, and had the good time he desired.

Altogether there were from one part of the country or another close upon a hundred thousand trippers. These included over 15,000 from the Burnley district and about 20,000 from Liverpool. The first of the crowded trains reached London at eleven o'clock on Friday night, and from then onwards the five lines which dealt with the main part of the enormous traffic recorded the following arrivals: London & North Western, 45 trains; Great Northern, 41 trains; Great Western, 40 trains; Great Central, 25 trains; and Midland, 20 trains. The great majority arrived during the early hours of the morning, of course, and Euston, Pancras, King's Cross and Marylebone stations were choked from three o'clock in the morning, and many of the local trains had to be suspended or were delayed to get the trip trains and their loads away.

One does not know what London expected to see in the Lancashire visitors. Evidently, their impression stopped at dirty colliers or men in clogs and girls in shawls, which is the usual description of Southern critics. They were rather startled, therefore, to find that, except for their speech, Lancashire people were very much like themselves, as well-dressed, as decorous and as smart. In fact, says one, "For anything less like the Londoner's conception of mill girls in clogs and shawls, and anything more like the pretty misses of his own suburbs it would be impossible to find than these smart, staid young ladies from the North." Of course, it was the dialect that did it, but the Lancastrians were no more curiosities to the Londoners in this respect than the Southerners were to the Northerners.

London has always so many mouths to feed that it has no difficulty in dealing with an influx of a hundred thousand folk, and there was no difficulty about meals either as to quantity, quality or price - all tastes and pockets were catered for. It is not a bad idea, on these occasions, to go early to the Palace and to lunch there. In the grounds and the great glass hall is a plethora of entertainment and amusement. Here are great dining halls, and the following arrangements for the feeding of the multitude were made: 75 lbs beef, 25 sirloins, 35 ribs of beef, 60 loins of mutton, 100 shins of mutton, 250 fowls, 150 hams, 30 cwt of pressed beef, 400 lettuces, 3,000 lbs potatoes, 2,500 veal and ham pies, 25,000 pats of butter, 30,000 rolls, 75,000 slices of bread and butter, 25,000 buns and scones, 50,000 slices of cake, 6,000 pastries, 1,500 gallons of milk, 1,500 doz bottles of beer, and 2,000 gallons of beer. London, too, is used to such traffic and people that, with the exception of the "decorated" ones, the invasion made no appreciable difference, except where several vehicles congregated together. So far as can be ascertained, there was no serious accident in the streets. There was a railway mishap to the north of London, in which 26 people received bruises and scratches, some of the passengers hailing from Manchester. None came from Burnley.

Over 250 motor and other buses conveyed special parties to and from Crystal Palace, and as they averaged 30 to 40 passengers apiece, there were thus 7,000 spectators accounted for. Others went by ordinary buses, brakes and taxis, and one of the most remarkable things about the day was the number of ordinary working men who thought nothing of paying half a sovereign each way for a special taxi. Crystal Palace is a long way out - you have to take something on wheels and there was no stint about the cost of getting there. On the way one noticed, nearing Sydenham, that the houses on the line of the Royal route were decorated with flags and bunting, and there were thousands of spectators all along watching the excursionists in the first instance, and waiting for the King to pass afterwards. Many were astonished to find, when they alighted, that they had a shilling to pay to get inside the Palace buildings, and that this was in addition to the ground admission or the price of their booked seats. Among the sights outside was a big dog, dressed up in coat and trousers, in Liverpool colours. Inside the astonishing size of the Palace hall of glass was an eye-opener to many. Just as we passed through, the organist was playing Rachmaninov's "Prelude" on the great organ, and great as this amphitheatre seemed, it was but a portion of the tremendous building. In contradistinction to the organ recital, the officials were booking seats for Bombardier Wells' boxing match in the evening.

"By gum!" said one Burnley visitor as he gazed back to look at the wonderful glass facade on his way through the grounds to the football enclosure, "aw wouldn't like to go and mend a brokken pane up theer. Aw'm a plumber, but aw'd jib at that!" And so would most of us. It is a marvellous structure, and yet it has stood since 1851, and today looks as solid as can be. Paint and varnish would make a big difference. Down the terraces went the thousands, to be astonished at the size of the oval and the puny stands in comparison. The spectators on half the enclosure were massed back into the trees and, like rooks in a colony, scores were perilously perched at a giddy altitude on the branches of the trees. It was a most impressive sight in the brilliant sunshine to see this huge crowd. The immensity of it all seemed to prohibit any display of cheering, for the voices of hundreds in concert are lost. That is why, with a neutral crowd, things fell so flat. But one gathered what a great noise can be made by a hundred thousand people of one mind when the King appeared, and when the military band manoeuvres electrified them into vocal activity.

The game was - well, "nowt to talk abeawt." We won, and that's all that need be said here. Sportsman and Brunbank are more in that line, and you can read what they say. The arrival and departure of the King were witnessed by a good many Burnleyites - the rest cheered in unison. Still it was a great afternoon, and it passed with many comical interludes. One was when some youths brought "Burnley and the Cup" in effigy; another consisted in the efforts - not bad either - of a company of seedy looking acrobats who had, whilst clever and strong, come down to the cadging stage; and a third was the good-honoured squashing of the man who would give a dissertation on "Be sure your sins will find you out," but the most comical expressions to be seen on human countenances were when, at our end, a Liverpool contingent thought Lacey had scored and he hadn't, and when they thought Freeman hadn't scored and he had. We'd exhibited the same expressions in our time, so we sympathised.

There was not half the crushing getting away that one imagined, and one of the most remarkable things about the home journey was the fact that half an hour after the Final, so many waysiders enquired the result. They had been yelling in Burnley twenty minutes then. Most of the trippers did not leave until midnight, and to their chagrin found that nearly every place of entertainment was full. This they were left to walk the streets, which the Burnleyites did with cheerfulness and the Liverpool contingent with gloomy feelings. Nor did the East Lancashire lads forget to rub it in, for the Merseysiders had done all the crowing beforehand. At night, as huge crowds wended their way to the three principal railway termini, there was unmistakable evidence of Burnley's followers, who were a sober, orderly yet joyous lot. In several instances, members of both sexes indulged in dances to the music supplied by the piano organs, amid the interested gaze of the Londoners.

Vendors of toys, etc., which could be construed into momentos of the Cup Final did a roaring trade, with such things as miniature cups, squeaking dolls, chanters which remind one of the bagpipe - paper trumpets of various colours, rattles and paper confections for headgear. Burnley's colours were predominant. The vast crowd cheered as they wended their way to the stations, and altogether made a jovial set, the gentler sex forming by no means an insignificant number. There was no horseplay, however, the crowd was a very orderly one, if boisterously buoyant. Those who stayed the weekend were chiefly to be found on Sunday at Kew, Windsor and Hampton Court, or at Hendon, where looping the loop was in progress. Hampton Court grounds were simply beautiful.

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