Read |Sir Stanley Matthews and the story of Englands humble wizard. The Lion of Vienna sleeps. My body became firmer and harder, I learned to take hard knocks without feeling them. Lofthouse scored all seven goals for Bolton. In 1943, Nat Lofthouse was called upon to serve as a Bevin Boy at the Mosley Common coal mine. He was the club's top scorer in 11 out of the 13 seasons between 1946-47 and 1958-59, with his highest tally in a season resting at 35 goals, attained in that final season of 1958-59. ], On 3 May 1958, almost five years to the day after losing the 1953 final, Lofthouse captained Bolton in the 1958 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. Playing at number 9 for Castle Hill, a position once occupied by Tommy Lawton at that point an England star young Nat firmly establishing himself as a school hero and, unbeknownst to him, earned a reputation among local scouts as the boy with such incredible heading ability that it was like he could kick with his head. He looked like a boxer at the end of a tough 15 rounds when he left the field. Nat would again take the caretaker reins on three more occasions including the summer of 1971 (in between seasons) and, briefly, in 1985 between Charlie Wright leaving and Phil Neal getting the job. On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 3-2 victory over Austria. Prisoner Of A Dubious Peace. Andy is a UK-born, football fanatic who follows the trials and tribulations of Aston Villa and his local non-league side, Stafford Rangers. When Lofthouse was given another shot at the FA Cup, he didn't let it slip away. For as much as Bolton Wanderers shaped him, his career and his life, he too left an indelible mark on the club, defining the team's most iconic era and playing a pivotal role in saving the club during its most ignominious age. Musil had to commit fully before I struck the ball. please support us. He scored 22 goals in 36 games for a Wanderers team that finished 14th. I learnt to take hard knocks without feeling them. Like many aspiring youngsters one of Nats early jobs at the club was cleaning the boots of the senior pros and he always paid special attention to those of star forward Ray Westwood, one of the players he had cheered from the sideline when a star-struck spectator. During Lofthouses career, Vienna played a crucial role. Next in line was a trial for Lancashire schools. In 1985, at the age of 60, Lofthouse became caretaker manager at the club again and became president in 1986. Lofthouse was at his imperious best, plundering goals at a rate that even the sportswriters who had grown up watching the likes of, The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. Both men were among the inaugural inductees to the Hall Of Fame. England conceded 24 free kicks, while Austria conceded 19. Two goals on his England debut against Yugoslavia wasnt enough to convince the notoriously finicky and often mystifying FA selection committee, but when he was recalled a year later, he took an iron grip on Englands number 9 shirt, one he wouldnt fully relinquish for another five years. Born and bred in Bolton, Lofthouse earned his. He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. Back from national team duty, he then scored six goals in a game for the Football League against the Irish League on 24 September 1952. His lifelong dedication to the club was not work, but a manifestation of who he was. Nat charged forward with the ball, in typical Lofthouse fashion receiving an elbow in the face and a tackle from behind. The Bevin Boy program came to an end in 1948. He hit the ground before the ball went over the line, knocked out cold for one of the most famous goals of his career. Bolton Wanderers On the Trot: Internationals, The Nat Lofthouse Stand - Bolton Blogroll. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He signed as a 14-year-old for the club in September 1939, making wartime appearances before becoming an established league star in peacetime. In the 16 international matches played since November 1949, 10 have been won, and only two have been lost.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',182,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-4-0'); From Englands perspective, it was necessary to note that Austria had defeated Scotland twice during this run and achieved a 2-2 draw at Wembley. That's the two words that go together and the thing about Nat was, as well, that you don't need to put his surname there, do you? Club Chaplain Phil Mason added: "We are absolutely delighted with the work Sean has done; the image captures Nat perfectly - his strength both physical and mental and his great sense of purpose on and off the field. It was something that Lofthouse would later describe as "the worst moment of his life." final", "England List of FA Charity/Community Shield Matches", 'The Cup Comes Home' - 1958 newsreel of Nat Lofthouse in Bolton, Lancashire, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nat_Lofthouse&oldid=1150190569, *Club domestic league appearances and goals, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 20:03. In his 1999 book, Bolton Wanderers, Dean Hayes illustrated what a typical day looked like for Lofthouse: "Bevin Boy Lofthouse's Saturdays went like this: up at 3.30 a.m., catching the 4.30 tram to work; eight hours down the pit pushing tubs; collected by the team coach; playing for Bolton. Lofthouse was witness to a Bolton Wanderers golden age of top flight success throughout the 1930s and although the Trotters won three FA Cups in Nat's life time, he was too young to witness the 1926 and 1929 wins over Manchester City and Portsmouth. He perhaps justified a claim to an earlier call-up by scoring both goals in a 22 draw against Yugoslavia at Highbury on his debut. In the first match of that campaign they travelled to London to play Chelsea matching him up against hero Tommy Lawton. Merrick plucked a corner cross from the air, who threw a long, swerving ball down the middle of the field. Austria equalised just two minutes after Nat Lofthouses opening goal in the 25th minute, and while England once again gained the advantage shortly after, the teams went into halftime level at 2-2. He grew up without much in the way of material comforts; his first sight of Bolton Wanderers came after shinning up a drain pipe at the clubs Burnden Park home rather than paying the threepence for schoolboy admission. The day for Bevin Boys was a long and tough one. Lofthouse had made his Wanderers debut back in 1941 aged 15, scoring. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Despite the double strike many, including leading football writer John Thompson remained unconvinced. Following his first go at managing the club, Lofthouse took an administrative manager role at Burnden Park before being appointed as the club's chief scout. It was there that the conversation that would change his life forever took place. Wanderers gave the then 15-year-old his debut on 14 March 1941 in a wartime match with Bury again providing the opposition. Bolton's new number 9, Eoin Doyle, whilst playing for League Two side Swindon last season. They could not receive service medals and were not guaranteed a return to their old jobs, unlike those serving in the armed forces. From an early age, however, it was clear that as long as he or one of the neighbouring children had something approximating a ball, he felt natural and content. From an early age, Nat was a Bolton Wanderers supporter. For the recognition of club and country, a statue stands outside Boltons stadium.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'historyofsoccer_info-box-3','ezslot_4',180,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-box-3-0'); England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. For a time it appeared that he might not re-sign with the club for the 1957-58 season but he eventually relented and stayed at Burnden Park. An England international, Nat Lofthouse played his entire club career for his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, scoring 255 goals in 452 league appearances. As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. Charity No: 1050792, Open every day 10am 5pm (last admission 4pm), Email: info@nationalfootballmuseum.com Injured for the next match, in the quarter final game against Uruguay he equalized in the 16th minute, after receiving the ball in the 18-yard box.[which? Throughout the opening 20 minutes, Austria dominated, but England responded. Many would travel more than a mile down into the earth for around eight hours per day of very hard, physical work. If he fails again to accept changes from the clean breakaways against Italy, England will be doomed. Lofthouse was well aware of his uncertain status, saying later, I knew I played poorly in Florence [but] I wasnt prepared for the reception I received in the press.. Even after he was conscripted to work in the nightmarish Lancashire coal pits as part of the war effort (many miners volunteered for the Armed Forces in large part to escape the agonising, doom-laden drudgery of their vocation), he could still consistently put opposition defences to the sword with a combination of rugged, raw power, superb aerial ability and a remarkable fearlessness. And in an ironic twist, for all his on-field exploits, all his goals, all his charging, bulldozing, irresistible runs forward, arguably his greatest contribution to the club came long after hed retired and after his ill-fated spells as manager, when his tireless fundraising helped rescue Bolton from financial oblivion. One false start for his school team aside he was drafted in as a last-minute replacement in goal and conceded seven he began exhibiting a prodigious knack for goalscoring early on. If anything, this inspired a more violent second half, with both sides desperate for a meaningful win. Somehow, he managed to get the shot off before colliding with the Austrian keeper. He won that. Because the move came before the age of player power and agents controlling moves, Nat didn't have any say in the matter. There Lofthouse got the only goal of the first match. Bolton finished in the top half of the table for 6 of those 13 seasons. Named the Lion of Vienna after scoring three goals for England v Austria Nat was a Legend for Bolton Wanderers.and England. In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter below. Once again, Nat Lofthouse made his intent known early on, scoring his first goal 3 minutes in, bounding onto the ball inside the 6-yard box and poking it in. Lofthouse, chased by the Austrian defence, carried the ball into the area and placed it past goalie Musil for the winner. Lofthouse found the step up in quality in First Division defences hard to cope with, and he briefly considered leaving the game, as well as entertaining an offer from Tottenham, then of the Second Division. Even at that time, Bolton was an unfashionable club that hadn't exactly been lighting up the league for 10 years, and Nat felt this was slowing down his career. Honours:1 FA Cup Why was Nat Lofthouse called Lion of Vienna? Posts 7,107 Likes 2 Location swindon wilts. Discover Nat Lofthouse's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. All Rights Reserved. Josef Musil, Rudolf, Rockl, Ernst Happel, Walter Schleger, Ernst Ocwirk, Theodor Brinek, Ernst Melchior, Gerhard Hanappi, Robert Dienst, Adolf Huber, Walter Haummer. They overcame Southport (Lofthouse got a hat-trick), Accrington Stanley (where he scored twice), Blackpool (where he hit five over the two legs), Newcastle (three more for Lofthouse) and Wolves, where he shockingly failed to score, before beating Manchester United 3-2 on aggregate in the final. The Mayor of Bolton, Alderman Entwhistle who was also a director of the club approached the youngster and asked him to sign and, along with the manager they managed to stop the local lad from leaving town although as he had already been a regular spectator at Burnden Park. He slid the ball past the keeper but was knocked cold in the challenge as he did. In the Daily Herald, Clifford Webb wrote; Every man-jack did a heros job, but the player who provided the really tremendous thrill for the frantically cheering English colony was Nat Lofthouse. His strength and power were again prominent when he won the single honour of his career. Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. For 47 years after the program wound up, Bevin Boys were not recognized as full contributors to the war effort (despite being conscripted). Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. In the 11th minute, Melchior hit Eckersley with a shot that struck his arm. As with the other definitive match of his career, the match was emotionally charged, this time due to the fact that the opponents, Manchester United, had been decimated only three months earlier in the tragic Munich Air Disaster. Nats prolific strike rate in the war leagues left Wanderers in little doubt as to his abilities, but the cessation of the conflict and resumption of the football league ushered in a tough period of acclimatisation for club and player.
Bermuda Triangle Missing Boat 2021,
Rifts Monsters And Animals Pdf,
William Reese Obituary,
Articles W