The England Party for the matches against Brazil and the Continental Tour   May 1956
Player	Birthdate	Age	Pos	Club	starts	subs	App	G	Capt
Astall, Gordon	22 September 1927	28	OR	Birmingham City FC	0	0	0	0	0
Atyeo, P. John W.	7 February 1932	24	IR	Bristol City FC	1	0	1	1	0
Berry, R. John	1 June 1926	29	OL	Manchester United FC	3	0	3	0	0
Bryne, Roger W.	8 September 1929	27	LB	Manchester United FC	18	0	18	0	0
Clayton, Ronald	5 August 1934	21	RHB	Blackburn Rovers FC	2	0	2	0	0
Cummings, Thomas S.	12 September 1928	27	CB	Burnley FC	0	0	0	0	0
Dickinson, James W.	24 April 1925	31	RHB	Portsmouth FC	45	0	45	0	0
	Dickinson withdrew from the party on 7 May because of an ankle injury.
Edwards, Duncan	1 October 1936	19	LHB	Manchester United FC	5	0	5	0	0
Grainger, Colin	10 June 1933	22	OL	Sheffield United FC	0	0	0	0	0
Hall, Jeffrey J.	7 September 1929	26	RB	Birmingham City FC	5	0	5	0	0
Haynes, John N.	17 October 1934	21	IL	Fulham FC	4	0	4	2	0
Lofthouse, Nathaniel	27 August 1925	30	CF	Bolton Wanderers FC	30	0	30	27	0
Matthews, Reginald D.	20 December 1932	23	G	Coventry City FC	1	0	1	1ᵍᵃ	0
Matthews, Stanley	1 February 1915	41	OR	Blackpool FC	46	0	46	10	0
	Matthews was chosen for the Brazil match only
Taylor, Thomas	29 January 1932	24	CF	Manchester United FC	6	0	6	2	0
Wheeler, John E.	26 July 1928	27	RHB	Bolton Wanderers FC	1	0	1	0	0
	Wheeler replaced Dickinson in the party on 7 May after his withdrawal.
Wilshaw, Dennis J.	11 March 1926	30	IL	Burnley FC	9	0	9	9	0
Wood, Raymond E.	11 June 1931	24	GK	Manchester United FC	2	0	2	2ᵍᵃ	0
Wright, William A.	6 February 1924	32	CHB	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	73	0	73	3	58

All information is complete to and including England's last match, the fifth of the 1955-56 season, against Scotland on 14 April 1956.

Diary

Tuesday, 21 February 1956 - The FA Council have stated that the additional international match against Brazil on 9 May is not to be considered as a precedent for future matches. For the next few years, in order to clear up outstanding return matches owing to Continental associations, an additional match should be arranged each year early in May until the games have been completed.

Friday, 27 April 1956 - The England team that will play Brazil for the first time has been announced, and Stan Matthews has finally earned a deserved recall from the selectors. It comes because Tom Finney is unavailable, Vic Groves is injured, Harry Hooper only has experience as a reserve and Peter Harris was a flop for the Football League match against the Irish counterparts. Matthews was due to fly to Kenya has part of a coaching mission on 9 May. There is a further surprise in the dropping of Bill Perry, replaced with Colin Grainger.
At the same time, the party to tour the continent was also chosen. It excludes Stan Matthews, but does include the the uncapped Tommy Cummings and Gordon Astall. Johnny Berry has been recalled after three years away from the international scene.
At the same time in Lausanne, England and Republic of Ireland were drawn together in Group One of the European Zone of the 1958 World Cup, alongside Denmark.

Monday, 30 April 1956 - Following the news of Grainger's inclusion in the party, Bill Perry was told he will be taking Grainger's place in the FA Tour of South Africa. Fulham's Bobby Robson takes the place of Leyton Orient's Ron Heckman, who drops out because of a fractured jaw.

Thursday, 3 May 1956 - The invited party reported in London today for a practise session at the Bank of England ground in Roehampton. In half an hour's warming up before the practise match, Stan Matthews and Nat Lofthouse, two of the oldest players on view, ran a mile round the ground. Unfortunately, as the team were doing laps, Jimmy Dickinson felt a twinge in his left ankle. He missed out on the practise match, as did Jeff Hall, who will be playing for Birmingham City at the FA Cup Final on Saturday, and was with his club in Twyford, so his place at right-back went to Tommy Cummings. The opposition was drawn from other members of the Continental party and South African tour plus some London club players (Reynolds; Charlton, Evans; Greenwood, Owen, Marchi; Hurst, Ayre, Lofthouse, Bloomfield and Tucker).

Monday, 7 May 1956 - The FA have stated today that Portsmouth's wing-half, Jimmy Dickinson, has withdrawn from the England party because of his ankle injury. His place in the team to face Brazil has gone to Ronnie Clayton. However, the selectors have called up Bolton Wanderers' Johnny Wheeler to replace Dickinson for the Continental tour. Wheeler last played for England in October 1954.
After lunch at Roehampton, the party played a fast 20 minute each-way game against a side composed of the best of the England tour men plus some London club players. The result was a draw, Tottenham's Duquemin scored for the Rest and Taylor brilliantly headed in the equaliser. Despite the heat, Stanley Matthews showed great speed off the mark. FA Cup runner-up Jeff Hall was on hand to help his England teammates.

Wednesday, 9 May 1956 - The morning newspapers are convinced that this will be Stan Matthews last ever appearance in an England shirt.
    "Stanley Matthews will pull the white shirt of England over his slender shoulders for the last time today. The cap he wins against Brazil at Wembley will be his last." - Frank McGhee, Daily Mirror.
    "This afternoon Stan makes what I feel will be his last appearance in an England shirt, and he is the one person the Brazilians fear." - Alan Williams, Birmingham Gazette

England Form: last six games
L W L W W D   f 15:a 8  success: 58%
297	22 May 1955 - Portugal 3 England 1 [1-1] Estádio do FC Porto, Oporto (55,000)	Águas (2), Matateu Bentley	Fr	AL
298	2 October 1955 - Denmark 1 England 5 [0-3] Idrætsparken, København (>50,000)	Lundberg Revie (2 (1 pen)), Lofthouse (2), Bradford		AW
299	22 October 1955 - Wales 2 England 1 [2-0] Ninian Park, Cardiff (60,000)	Tapscott, Jones J.Charles OG	BC	AL
300	2 November 1955 - England 3 Northern Ireland 0 [0-0] Empire Stadium, Wembley (58,000)	Wilshaw (2), Finney		HW
301	30 November 1955 - England 4 Spain 1 [2-0] Empire Stadium, Wembley (95,550)	Atyeo, Perry (2), Finney Arieta	Fr	HW
302	14 April 1956 - Scotland 1 England 1 [0-0] Hampden Park, Glasgow (132,817)	Leggat Haynes	BC	AD