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303
304 Party vs. Sweden
Wednesday, 9 May 1956
International Friendly Match

England 4 Brazil 2 [2-0]
Match Summary
England Party
Brazil Party
Team Records
 

 

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 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
____________________

CG