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Match
Summary |
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Officials
from West Germany |
France |
Type |
England |
Referee
(-) - Emil Schmetzer
x (-).
Linesmen -
tbc
The FIFA ruling of allowing a substitute to replace an injured player prior to the 44th minute, and a goalkeeper at any time, is in place.
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Goal Attempts |
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Attempts on Target |
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Hit Bar/Post |
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Corner Kicks Won |
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Offside Calls Against |
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Fouls Conceded |
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Possession |
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France
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 13th to 11th |
Colours: |
Blue collared jerseys, white shorts, red socks. |
Capt: |
Roger Marche |
Manager: |
Team chosen by the Selection Committee, announced on
Tuesday, 10 May 1955 |
France
Lineup |
|
Remetter, François |
26 |
8 August 1928 |
G |
FC Sochaux-Montb�liard |
11 |
13 GA |
2 |
Bieganski, Guilhem |
22 |
3 November 1932 |
RB |
Lille Olympique SC |
4 |
0 |
3 |
Marche, Roger |
31 |
5 March 1924 |
LB |
RC de Paris |
43 |
0 |
4 |
Penverne, Armand |
28 |
26 November 1926 |
RHB |
Stade de Reims |
15 |
2 |
5 |
Jonquet, Robert |
30 |
3 May 1925 |
CHB |
Stade de Reims |
32 |
0 |
6 |
Louis, Xerc�s |
28 |
31 October 1926 |
LHB |
RC de Lens |
5 |
0 |
7 |
Ujlaki, Joseph |
25 |
10 October 1929 in Buda-pest,
Hungary |
OR |
OGC Nice Côte d'Azur |
12 |
7 |
8 |
Glovacki, L�on |
27 |
19 February 1928 |
IR |
Stade de Reims |
7 |
3 |
9 |
Kopaczewski, Raymond |
23 |
13 October 1931 |
CF |
Stade de Reims |
19 |
11 |
10 |
Bliard, Ren� |
22 |
18 November 1932 |
IL |
Stade de Reims |
2 |
0 |
11 |
Vincent, Jean |
24 |
29 November 1930 |
OL |
Lille Olympique SC |
9 |
6 |
reserves: |
Paul
Sinibaldi (Stade de Reims), Ren� Pleimelding (Toulouse FC) and
Abderrahman Mahjoub (RC de Paris). |
team notes: |
Roger Marche played for France against England back in May 1947, when
he was winning his second cap. |
|
2-3-5 |
Remetter - Bieganski, Marche - Penverne, Jonquet, Louis
- Ujlaki, Glovacki, Kopa, Bliard, Vincent |
Averages: |
Age |
26.0 |
Appearances/Goals |
14.5 |
2.5 |
|
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England
Team |
|
Rank: |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 5th |
Colours: |
The 1954 Umbro
home uniform -
White v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, blue rayon shorts, black
socks with white tops. |
Capt: |
Billy Wright, 51st captaincy |
Manager: |
Walter Winterbottom, 42 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
69th match, W 43 - D 13 - L 13 - F 202 - A 101,
one abandoned. Team chosen by Selection Committee, announced Saturday, 14
May. |
England
Lineup |
|
Williams, Bert F. |
35 |
31 January 1920 |
G |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
21 |
28 GA |
2 |
Sillett, R. Peter T. |
22 |
1 February 1933 |
RB |
Chelsea FC |
1 |
0 |
3 |
Byrne, Roger W. |
25 |
8 September 1929 |
LB |
Manchester United FC |
11 |
0 |
4 |
Flowers, Ronald |
20 |
28 July 1934 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
1 |
0 |
5 |
Wright, William A. |
31 |
6 February 1924 |
CHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
66 |
3 |
6 |
Edwards, Duncan |
18 |
1 October 1936 |
LHB |
Manchester United FC |
2 |
0 |
7 |
Matthews, Stanley |
40 |
1 February 1915 |
OR |
Blackpool FC |
43 |
10 |
8 |
Revie, Donald G. |
27 |
10 July 1927 |
IR |
Manchester City FC |
3 |
2 |
9 |
Lofthouse, Nathaniel |
29 |
27 August 1925 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
24 |
25 |
10 |
Wilshaw, Dennis J. |
29 |
11 March 1926 |
IL |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
5 |
7 |
11 |
Blunstone, Frank |
20 |
17 October 1934 |
OL |
Chelsea
FC |
3 |
0 |
unused
substitutes: |
Reg Matthews (Coventry City FC),
Harry Hooper (West Ham United FC),
Albert Quixall (Sheffield Wednesday FC). |
team notes: |
Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally. |
|
2-3-5 |
Williams - Sillett, Byrne - Flowers, Wright, Edwards -
Matthews, Revie, Lofthouse, Wilshaw, Blunstone |
Averages: |
Age |
26.9 |
Appearances/Goals |
16.4 |
4.3 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
After
the euphoria of the magnificent win against Scotland, England were brought
back down to earth by France on this the first leg of their 1955 summer
tour. It was a very disappointing performance by England and the Union
Jacks in the crowd were waving in a rather forlorn way at the end. Once
again the continental style of play contrasted greatly to England's and
the gap in class seemed to widen again.
Nearly 55,000 people packed into the Colombes Stadium to see France
quickly move into their stride. Marche, their captain, soon latched on to
Stan Matthews and subdued the great man in a better way than many
defenders before him. It was also obvious why France had had such a good
season. Wins against Sweden, Germany and Spain, combined with a good draw
at Belgium, had boosted their confidence and now they were looking to add
the biggest scalp of all.
England looked sluggish
and for long spells the quick and delightful football of the French stole
the honours. Kopa, Glovacki, Bliard and the long-legged coloured player
Louis showed some super skills. Alas, the English challenge never really
got going. Matthews was marked out of it by Marche and with Ron Flowers
having a quiet debut, thus making Don Revie ineffective, they rarely
threatened.
Only Dennis Wilshaw looked dangerous for the visitors
and he put in some spirited attempts. Ironically, despite the quality of
France's football, the goal that settled the match came from a penalty.
Indeed, some questionable refereeing decisions had a big say in the
outcome.
In the 21st minute, Blunstone was sent sprawling by a
reckless challenge in the French penalty area. To England's disgust the
German official waved play on. It was a different story some 15 minutes
later, though. This time Peter Sillett brought down the elusive Vincent in
the England box and the referee showed no hesitation in awarding the
spot-kick. There was no doubting his decision but this foul was no less
obvious than the one against Blunstone. Kopa stepped up calmly to beat
Bert Williams with his shot and the French fans went wild with delight.
After the interval, Kopa, who was outstanding throughout, and Vincent,
both crashed fierce shots against the England goalposts and the writing
was on the wall. Bliard featured in one amazing incident when he found
himself clean through. Believing he was offside he simply tapped the ball
to Williams, only afterwards realising the whistle had not blown.
Williams, always the busier of the two goalkeepers, then made flying saves
from Bliard and Vincent. Despite all of this French pressure, England
could still have won the match. On 62 minutes they began an eight-minute
spell when they might easily have scored three times.
First Wilshaw
sent Nat Lofthouse clean through, only for his shot to strike Remetter's
body as the 'keeper came out. Then, England's best move of the game
involving Duncan Edwards, Revie and Wilshaw ended with the latter also
finding his shot somewhat fortuitously blocked by Remetter's body.
Finally, Matthews, with a mavellous piece of skill, killed a high pass
superbly to set up Lofthouse. This time the centre-forward did beat
Remetter, only to see Penverne appear from nowhere to clear off the goal
line.
That was the end of England's efforts and at the end France
did a lap of honour to celebrate their famous victory. As for England,
only Billy Wright and Edwards could be totally happy with their
performances and the party now moved on to Spain.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
Peter
Sillett, making his debut at right-back, conceded the thirty-sixth minute
penalty from which the great Raymond Kopa scored the winning goal for
France. Just a month earlier Sillett's penalty goal against Wolves had
virtually clinched the League championship for Chelsea, and forced Wolves
into settling for runners-up place. Ron Flowers, making his debut
alongside his Wolves skipper Billy Wright, had to wait three years for his
second cap and then won forty in a row - an unbroken sequence beaten only
by Billy's seventy consecutive appearances. The nearest England came to
scoring was when Frank Blunstone was unceremoniously pulled down as he
shaped to shoot. England appeals for a penalty were turned down, while the
German referee had no hesitation in awarding the penalty to France for a
less obvious foul by Sillett.
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The
Top Twenty UK Music Chart
by New Musical Express |
On
Friday, 15 November 1952, The New Musical Express published the first ever singles chart in the UK,
comprising the twelve highest selling singles of the week, it increased to
twenty on Friday, 1 October 1954. When England lost in France,
Tony Bennett's Stranger in Paradise
was the best selling single. The chart was published on Friday, 13
May 1955:-
1. |
(2) |
Stranger In Paradise - Tony
Bennett (Philips) |
11. |
Unchained Melody -
Al Hibbler (Brunswick) |
2. |
(1) |
Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom
White - Perez Prado &
His Orchestra (HMV) |
12. |
(11) |
Under The Bridges Of Paris
- Eartha Kitt (HMV) |
3. |
(4) |
Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom
White -
Eddie Calvert (Columbia) |
13. |
(14) |
Unchained Melody -
Jimmy Young (Decca) |
4. |
(5) |
Earth Angel - Crew Cuts
(Mercury) |
14. |
(9) |
Ready, Willing And Able
- Doris Day (Philips) |
5. |
(3) |
Give Me
Your Word - Tennessee Ernie Ford (Capitol) |
15. |
(10) |
Melody Of Love -
Ink Spots (Parlophone) |
6. |
(=) |
Softly Softly -
Ruby Murray (Columbia) |
16. |
(=) |
Prize Of Gold
- Joan Regan (Decca) |
7. |
(=) |
Stranger In Paradise - Tony
Martin (HMV) |
17. |
Unchained Melody -
Les Baxter (Capitol) |
8. |
(re) |
If You Believe -
Johnnie Ray (Philips) |
18. |
(13) |
Under The Bridges of Paris -
Dean Martin (Capitol) |
9. |
(8) |
(I'm Always Hearing) Wedding Bells
- Eddie Fisher (HMV) |
19. |
Stranger In Paradise
- Eddie Calvert (Columbia) |
10. |
(12) |
If Anyone Finds This I Love
You - Ruby Murray with Anne
Warren (Columbia) |
20. |
(15) |
Serenade -
Mario Lanza (HMV) |
♪Most weeks at number one when
England played: Doris
Day and
Frankie Laine five, Guy Mitchell two, Tony Bennett, Vera Lynn, Al Martino, Lita Roza,
Stargazers, Tennessee Ernie Ford and
David Whitfield one each |
|
Source Notes |
"Pushing, shoving,
elbowing, the French were allowed to run through the full Continental book
of obstruction, yet the most innocuous England tackle was punished."
- Monday, 16 May 1955, Daily
Mirror
"It was a bad performance.
Our young players failed!" - Sir
Stanley Rous, F.A. Secretary "We did not use the ball well
and there was too much individualism!" - Walter
Winterbottom
TheFA.com
FFF.fr
Allezlesbleus.free.fr Original newspaper reports Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
(Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author officialcharts.com singles chart
____________________
CG
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