The England World Cup Finals Party Pre-Spain  June 1950
Player	Birthdate	Age	Pos	Club	starts	subs	App	G	Capt
Aston, John	3 September 1921	28	LB	Manchester United FC	16	0	16	0	0
Baily, Edward F.	6 August 1925	24	IL	Tottenham Hotspur FC	0	0	0	0	0
Bentley, T.F. Roy	17 May 1924	26	CF	Chelsea FC	6	0	6	1	0
Cockburn, Henry	14 September 1921	28	LHB	Manchester United FC	10	0	10	1	0
Dickinson, James W.	24 April 1925	25	L/RHB	Portsmouth FC	9	0	9	0	0
Ditchburn, Edwin G.	24 October 1921	28	G	Tottenham Hotspur FC	2	0	2	3ᵍᵃ	0
Eckersley, William	16 July 1925	24	LB	Blackburn Rovers FC	0	0	0	0	0
Finney, Thomas	5 April 1922	28	OR	Preston North End FC	27	0	27	18	0
Hughes, Laurie	2 March 1924	26	CHB	Liverpool FC	2	0	2	0	0
Mannion, Wilfred J.	16 May 1918	32	IL	Middlesbrough FC	21	0	21	10	0
Matthews, Stanley	1 February 1915	35	OR	Blackpool FC	30	0	30	9	0
Milburn, John E.T.	11 May 1924	26	CF	Newcastle United FC	7	0	7	6	0
Mortensen, Stanley H.	26 May 1921	29	IR	Blackpool FC	20	0	20	20	0
Mullen, James	6 January 1923	27	OL	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	5	1	6	2	0
Nicholson, William E.	26 January 1919	31	RHB	Tottenham Hotspur FC	0	0	0	0	0
Ramsey, Alfred E.	22 January 1920	30	RB	Tottenham Hotspur FC	7	0	7	0	0
Scott, Lawrence	23 April 1917	33	RB	Arsenal FC	17	0	17	0	0
Taylor, James G.	5 November 1917	32	CHB	Fulham FC	0	0	0	0	0
Watson, Willie	7 March 1920	30	LHB	Sunderland AFC	2	0	2	0	0
Williams, Bert F.	31 January 1920	30	G	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	9	0	9	9ᵍᵃ	0
Wright, William A.	6 February 1924	26	RHB	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	31	0	31	2	16

All information is complete to and including England's last match, the ninth of the 1949-50 season, against United States on 29 June 1950.

Diary

Monday, 22 May 1950 - In Rio de Janeiro, England have been drawn to play against Spain, United States and Chile in the World Cup finals next month, they will be based in Belo Horizonte.

Tuesday, 23 May 1950 - The selectors have sprung no real surprises in choosing the 21 footballers who will represent England in the World Cup finals. The party leaves by air for Brazil on June 19. All but one of the A team which toured the continent, plus Laurie Hughes who had withdrew from the side, have been picked. The absentee is Bill Jones. Members of B side, which faired indifferently on the Continent, who find places are Eddie Baily, Laurie Scott, Bill Eckersley, Willie Watson and Bill Nicholson. The inclusion of Stan Matthews will be welcomed, particularly in Brazil, where his reputation is well known. He is at present with the FA touring team in Canada, along with Jim Taylor, who is the only member of the Rio party who has not appeared in international football, he is the Football Association's attempt to solve the centre-half problem caused by the departure of Neil Franklin. John Aston and Henry Cockburn are with Manchester United in United States.

Monday, 29 May 1950 - The World Cup finals timetable have been released in Rio. England will play Chile on 25 June, then face United States on 29 June and finally, will play Spain on 2 July.

Monday, 12 June 1950 - Seventeen of the 21 footballers who leave England next Monday assembled in Dulwich Hamlet today for three days of light traning and tactical discussions. The four missing are Matthews, Taylor, Aston and Cockburn.
This afternoon, the players were fitted out with tropical suits. Tomorrow and Wednesday, they will train on the reserve pitch at Dulwich Hamlet's ground, before going to Ascot races and an ice show later in the day. After training on Thursday, they will leave for home, reporting back on Sunday.

Friday, 16 June 1950 - Sir Stanley Rous, Secretary of the FA, and his associate, Arthur Drewry, Chairman of the Selection Committee, arrive in Buenos Aires to arrange for an Argentine team to tour England during next years Festival of Britain. They will then fly to Rio to meet up with the rest of the party.

Monday, 19 June 1950 - Seventeen players, Walter Winterbottom, trainers Jimmy Trotter and Bill Riddings and four referees, Reg Leafe, George Reader, Arthur Ellis and George Mitchell, are all on the plane (Panair Do Brasil PP-PCF 2049 (L049)) bound for Rio. Their flight from London Airport delayed by ninety minutes due to head winds, before heading to the Luxor Hotel in Copacabana.

Thursday, 22 June 1950 - England's footballers performed well in a stiff work-out under a fierce sun in Botofogo. Half an hour of the practise as devoted to an eight a side match between the probable defence and attack. The forwards moved well in the steamy conditions and were continually changing positions. All the players left the field in fine condition. Stanley Matthews and Jim Taylor arrive from New York.

Friday, 23 June 1950 - England have dropped Jackie Milburn for their first World Cup match against Chile. In his place comes Jimmy Mullen. Milburn is being considered as a reserve centre-forward, not a winger. The England team resumed training in Botofogo before visiting the brand new purpose built stadium in the Maracana area.

Sunday 25 June 1950 - England won their first match in the World Cup finals, beating Chile 2-0. England led 1-0 at the interval, with a goal by Stan Mortensen. Mannion scored the second-half goal. The match was played in conditions similar to those in England, with rain falling, but the England attack never really 'clicked', and the defence found the Chilean forwards fast and tricky. Billy Wright was forced to leave the field with an injured left knee, and Mortensen dropped to half-back. The England captain resumed after three minutes, and seemed to have fully recovered, taking over his normal position.

Monday, 26 June 1950 - The England team are training for their second match at the British mining camp one thousand feet in the hills above Belo Horizonte. They are guests of the British owned gold and silver mine of Saint John Del Rei-the largest mine of its kind in Brazil. The players are feeling at home in this picturesque encampment of Morro Velho, pitched above the town of Nova Lima. They have been given the freedom of the camp by the Britons running it. The team arrived from Rio in time to reach the camp—sixteen miles from Belo, round the steep mountain roads with 67 acute curves—for lunch. After a short rest, the team played cricket, had a swim, a game of snooker, and generally amused themselves.

Thursday, 29 June 1950 - The team had light training this morning. All players seem fit except Jackie Milburn. He is having a massage for a slightly strained muscle. In a practise session on the local club's ground he badly strained his neck muscles while heading the ball and had to be treated at hospital. The rest of the Party spent the day resting and amusing themselves in a snooker championship organised for the team. Wilf Mannion appeared to be the best-or the luckiest.
England's officials are dumbounded by their 1-0 defeat by the United States. So are the public at home. It was probably the worst display ever by an England side and not a single player could be proud of his showing. Mr Arthur Drewry declared "It's unbelievable!". Sir Stanley Rous said the Americans were fitter, faster and better fighters. Walter Winterbottom said "The team played very badly indeed, especially the forwards, who were far too eager." The Americans hung stubbornly on to the lead they gained in the 38th minute through deflected header by the centre-forward Joe Gaetjens following a 25-yard shot.
Spain now head the Pool after their 2-0 win over Chile. They need only to avoid defeat in the final pool match to kill all hope of England progressing. If England can win, they will need to play Spain again in a play-off to win the Pool. And if United States should beat Chile, they will also be part of that play-off for a Pool winner.

Friday, 30 June 1950 - The English players returned to Rio from Belo Horizonte. Walter Winterbottom at once planned a workout ot the reserves before giving his views to selector Arthur Drewry. Should they fail to beat Spain, they will return home almost at once.

Saturday, 1 July 1950 - The are four changes to the team that lost to the United States, significantly, Stan Matthews is back in the side, as is Jackie Milburn. Bill Eckersely and Eddie Baily are making their debuts, in this, a must-win match for England.
Sixteen pairs of canvas football boots, called for by Walter Winterbottom, arrived by air liner today, in time for the match against Spain. The boots have special rubber studded soles and rubber toe caps, the staff at a Liverpool factory working overtime for two weeks to prepare new moulds to make them.
The United States side that beat England have decided the ball with which they used must become a museum piec. Autographed by all the team, it is being sent to the United States to remain there in perpetual memory of the day when US beat England at its own game. Some even suggest that 29 June should become a public holiday in US.

England Form: last six games
W W W W W L  f 14:a 5  success: 83%
252	30 November 1950 - England 2 Italy 0 [0-0] White Hart Lane, Tottenham (71,527)	Rowley, Wright	Fr	HW
253	15 April 1950 - Scotland 0 England 1 [0-0] Hampden Park, Glasgow (133,250)	Bentley	BC/ WCP	AW
254	14 May 1950 - Portugal 3 England 5 [0-3] Estadio Nacional, Lisboa (70,000)	David (2), Vasques Finney (4 (2 pen)), Mortensen	tour	AW
255	18 May 1950 - Belgium 1 England 4 [1-0] Stade du Heysel, Bruxelles (55,750)	Mermans Mullen, Mortensen, Mannion, Bentley		AW
256	25 June 1950 - England 2 Chile 0 [1-0] Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (29,703)	Mortensen, Mannion	WCF	NW
257	29 June 1950 - United States 1 England 0 [1-0] Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte (10,151)	Gaetjens		NL