"MORTENSEN WAS ENGLAND'S INSPIRATION" Aberdeen Journal

Fifteen goals to one in three matches is a record any team can be proud of, but the bare figures give little idea of the extent of the England team's success. As many of the journalists accompanying the official party reported, the tour was more than a success of English football—it also showed that sport can be one of a country's most valuable ambassadors.
The tour had originally been planned to include a match with Czechoslovakia, but following changes in the organisation of the Czech F.A., this was cancelled. An attempt was made to arrange a substitute game with Spain, but when this was found to be impossible, at the last moment the programme was completed by the inclusion of two matches with the Swiss teams.
The players...were all fit except Lawton who was still suffering from an injury to the groin; he recovered sufficiently to take part in the match against Italy, but was not included in the matches against the Swiss elevens.
The party travelled by air from Northolt to Geneva, then by two smaller planes to Milan where their reception was tumultuous. Here, as throughout the tour, flowers and cheering crowds enveloped the players, whose prospects had been discussed for weeks in the Italian press and whose reputations were well known to the Italians. The four days before the Turin match were spent at Stresa on Lake Maggiore in rest, excursions, sleep, and training.
After a morning of rain the afternoon of Sunday, May 16, turned out to be hot and sunny, and by 5 p.m., the advertised time of the kick-off, the Juventus Stadium at Turin was packed by 85,000 spectators.
The Italian team had enjoyed a highly successful season, and was made up of some of the best players seen for quite a time in a country where the game is as popular and as well played as anywhere in Europe; Italy had already defeated France 3-1 in Paris, and in England's two previous visits the result had been a draw. Many Italians believed that while English tactics and style had stood comparatively still during and since the war, their own team's development of the dashing, individual attack would make their victory almost complete.
The toss was won by Swift who chose to play against the sun, anticipating that it would be a greater drawback to do so in the second half. The game opened at a tremendous pace and the Italian tactics gave the English defence plenty to think about. The Italian forward line remained unusually far up, and were kept well supplied by long clearance kicks by the backs. This made the task of our half-backs difficult; on the other hand, once the English attack got under way, they enjoyed unaccustomed freedom.
England's first goal followed a break-away by Mortensen who mis-led Bacigalupo into expecting him to centre and scored with a difficult kick, just before reaching the goal line. The second goal was also scored largely due to Mortensen who, after a brilliant solo run which he evaded Parola, centred low to Lawton who scored.
In the second half the English half-backs asserted their superiority in mid-field, and the attacks on their English goal were less frequent, although the Italians continued to put up a vigorous game. England's third goal came from Finney, who volleyed a pass from Mannion straight into the net. The fourth and last goal was also scored by Finney from a pass by Mortensen.
The result, 4-0, perhaps favoured the English side too generously, in view of the brilliance of many of the Italian players and the tenacity of their attacks. But there was no doubt among the spectators that the English team, by their craft and instinctive sense of co-operation, earned the victory.
  

"ITALIAN SOCCER CHAMPIONS
"DIE IN PLANE WRECK — ONE ENGLISH VICTIM
"Italy's champion Association football team, the Torino F.C., with their English trainer, 38-year-old former Manchester United star, Leslie Lievesley, were killed in a plane crash near Turin on Wednesday evening.
"The death-roll includes the full team, at least three reserves, another trainer, three journalists, the president of the club (Professor Agnesina), a masseur, and the crew of the plane. In all the victims number 31.
"The aircraft, which was bringing the team back from a friendly match in Lisbon, was trying to land on Turin Airfield in bad visibility when it struck the Superga hill and burst into flames.
"Fragments of wreckage were shot through the roof of the famous BasIlića of the Superga, a burial place of the Royal House of Savoy. The plane's wing-tip is thought to have touched the tower of the BasIlića.
"The Torino, five times consecutively winners of the Italian championship, included many internationals, some of whom played against a British team in Turin last year.
"A one-week 'black-out' of all Italian football may follow the crash."