The Northern League celebrated its Golden Jubilee season by providing both finalists although Willington had slightly more play there was no score until a bizarre goal broke the deadlock in the 10th minute of extra-time wearsider Jimmy Sumby having an outstanding game for Willington jumped up and caught the ball thinking the referee had blown for an infringement the whistle heard by many had come from the crowd and Laurie Wensley netted from the resulting free kick Wensley headed a second three minutes later and with seven minutes to go completed a hat trick against a utterly dispirited side

WILLINGTON
Jackie Coe
Fred Cooper Bobby Etheridge George Hardy Jimmy Sumby
Billy Hindmarsh Mickey Mitchell Laurie Pratt Mac McLean
Billy Davidson Joe Elliot

BISHOP AUCKLAND
Jack Washington
Jimmy Kirtley Ken Humble Teddy Wanless Carl Straughton
Bob Paisley Ken Twigg Laurie Wensley Mattie Slee
Billy Evans Harry Young

Referee G Hewitt (Liverpool)

To reach the final
Willington beat:
Stockton 2-1 (B Davidson B Hindmarsh) Att 4516
Shildon 2-0
Moor Green 1-0
Kingstonian 1-0
Norton Woodseats 1-0 (semi-final)

Bishops beat:
Wallsend St Lukes 0-1
South Bank 1-7
Leyton 2-0
IIford 3-1
Leytonstone 0-0 - 2-1 replay (semi final)

Three players in the 1939 final joined Football League clubs:

Billy Hindmarsh (19) Willington's Crook born left half signed for Portsmouth

Laurie Wensley (19) whose father Harry played for Bishops in the 1921 Amateur Cup final joined Sunderland

Bob Paisley (20) an apprentice bricklayer from Hetton signed for Liverpool

Auckland's goalless draw in the semi-finals against Leytonstone at Wimbledon marked the Amateur Cup debut of Bob Hardisty but their was no fairy story for Hardisty that day By his own admission he had a terrible game and was dropped for the replay at Darlington which Bishops won 2-1 after extra-time Nor did Hardisty figure in the final at Roker Park Sunderland.

What prouder man could there have been in the 20,200 crowd at Roker Park than Harry Wensley father of the hat trick hero and member of the 1921 Amateur Cup winning side Bishops centre half Carl Straughan who already had a Amateur Cup winners medal from 1935 who then gave his 1939 medal to Gordon Leary who missed the final through injury. Straughan and Hardisty were later given replica medals but it would be 16 years before Hardisty got a real winners medal