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309 vs. Yugoslavia
 
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339 vs. Yugoslavia
Sunday, 11 May 1958
End-of-season pre-World Cup Iron Curtain tour match

Yugoslavia 5 England 0
[1-0]
 
 
Stadion Jugoslovenska Narodna Armija, Autokomanda, Voždovac, Beograd
Kick-off (CET): 4.30pm 3.30pm BST
Attendance: 55,000; 58,000
; 'record crowd of 60,000';
"There was much sympathy for England on the grounds that the Munich air crash, in memory of which a minute's silence was observed had caused a set-back to England team-building."
  
Yugoslavia kicked off Billy Wright won the toss
[1-0] Miloš Milutinović 23
 'a left-footed shot bounced off Hopkinson's chest over his shoulder and into the net' from 20 yards after hitting a bump in the turf
[1-0] Dragoslav Šekularac lob comes off the crossbar
{1-0] Illijas Pašić scores disallowed: offside
The Yugoslavs evidently had two more goals ruled out for offside before the half ended
[1-0] Vujadin Boškov shot smashes against the crossbar
[2-0] Aleksandar Petaković 56
 right-footed from 7 yards following a left-side cross
[3-0] Aleksandar Petaković 77
 beat the defender to strike in a powerful right-footed shot
[4-0] Aleksandar Petaković 84 HATTRICK
 
took his time to place his right-footed strike into the net following a Todor Veselinović pass

[5-0] Todor Veselinović 86
 'Dragoslav Šekularac glided through four tackles to lay on for Veselinović' to score from 12 yards out
 
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"ENGLAND DEFENCE CUT TO SHREDS" Daily Mirror
Officials from Hungary Yugoslavia FIFA ruling on substitutes England Party
Referee (black)
István Zsolt
36 (28 June 1921), Budapest
28 Shots 2
3 Woodwork 0
Linesmen
Karol Tavs Sandor Bihori
     
Yugoslavia Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 11th to 10th
Colours Blue wing-collared continental jerseys, white shorts, red socks with blue/white tops.
Captain Branko Zebec Chief Selection Aleksandar Tirnanić, 46 (15 July 1911) since 1955.
Yugoslavia Lineup
1 Beara, Vladimir 29
190 days
2 November 1928 G Fk Crvena zvezda 53 65ᵍᵃ
2 Šijaković, Vasilje 28
284 days
31 July 1929 RB OFk Beograd 3 0
3 Crnković, Tomislav 28
328 days
17 June 1929 LB Nk Dinamo Zagreb 38 0
4 Krstić, Dobrosav 26
95 days
5 February 1932 RHB Fk Vojvodina 22 1
5 Zebec, Branko 28
359 days
17 May 1929 CHB Fk Partizan 48 15
6 Boškov, Vujadin 26
360 days
16 May 1931 LHB Fk Vojvodina 53 0
7
Petaković, Aleksandar 28
94 days
6 February 1930 OR FK Radnički 11 5
8
Veselinović, Todor 27
201 days
22 October 1930 IR Fk Vojvodina 26 19
9
Milutinović, Miloš 25
95 days
5 February 1933 CF Fk Partizan 30 16
10
Šekularac, Dragoslav 20
162 days
30 November 1937 IL Fk Crvena zvezda 5 0
11 Pašić, Ilijas 24
1 day
10 May 1934 OL FK Željezničar 7 1
reserves: not named
team notes: Goalkeeper Vladimir Beara was a doubt before the game, the former ballet dancer is troubled by an old injury, his place could have gone to Srboljob Kriuocka.
Outside-left Mukhamed Mujic had to drop out after picking up an illness. Vujadin Boškov was also considered a doubt, as well as Aleksandar
pre-match notes: The Yugoslavs were set up in a training-camp in Tuzla, located in the mountains 200 miles away, training night and day and playing practice matches against local sides on the evenings.
 
2-3-5 Beara -
Šijaković, Crnković -
Krstić, Zebec, Boškov -
Petaković, Veselinović, Milutinović, Šekularac, Pašić.
Averages: Age 26 years 298 days Appearances/Goals 26.9 4.7
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 3rd to 4th
Colours The 1954 Umbro home uniform - White v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, blue shorts, red socks with white calf hoop.
P 27th of 43, W 17 - D 5 - L 5 - F 75 - A 34.
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 45 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
rec. 76th of 90, W 46 - D 14 - L 16 - F 196 - A 110. Trainer: Harold Shepherdson P 94th of 139, W 59 - D 18 - L 17 - F 270 - A 131, one abandoned.
  ³   Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Joe Mears, on Saturday, 10 May.
England Lineup
unchanged trom the previous two matches FINAL league positions (30 April)
  Hopkinson, Edward 22
194 days
29 October 1935 G Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 15th) 6 9ᵍᵃ
2 Howe, Donald 22
211 days
12 October 1935 RB West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 4th) 6 0
3 Langley, E. James 29
93 days
7 February 1929 LB Fulham FC (FL2 6th) 3 0
final app 1958
4 Clayton, Ronald 23
279 days
5 August 1934 RHB Blackburn Rovers FC (FL2 2nd) 20 0
the thirtieth player to reach the 20-app milestone
5 Wright, William A. 34
94 days
6 February 1924 CHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 91 3
most apps 1952-58
6 Slater, William J. 31
12 days
29 April 1927 LHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 5 0
7 Douglas, Bryan 23
349 days
27 May 1934 OR Blackburn Rovers FC (FL2 2nd) 6 1
8 Charlton, Robert 20
212 days
11 October 1937 IR Manchester United FC (FL 9th) 3 3
9 Kevan, Derek T. 23
66 days
6 March 1935 CF West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 4th) 6 3
10 Haynes, John N. 23
206 days
17 October 1934 IL Fulham FC (FL2 6th) 19 8
11 Finney, Thomas 36
36 days
5 April 1922 OL Preston North End FC (FL RU) 72 28
reserves: Colin McDonald (Burnley FC (FL 6th)), Peter Sillett (Chesea FC (FL 12th)), Tommy Banks (Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 15th)), Eddie Clamp (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS)), Maurice Norman (Tottenham Hotspur FC (FL 3rd)), Peter Broadbent (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS)), Bobby Robson (West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 4th)), Brian Clough (Middlesbrough FC (FL2 7th)) and Alan A'Court (Liverpool FC (FL2 4th)).
team notes: Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally, in his record 56th consecutive match.
Ronnie Clayton is the thirteenth player to make twenty England appearances under Walter Winterbottom, and by virtue, post-war.
With the inclusion of nine reserves, four for the first time, there has now been 150 players to have been named by Winterbottom and the Selection Committee onto teamsheets (starting XI and reserves).
records: It is the first time in four years that England have conceded four goals in a half. The last time they were significantly defeated...Hungary, May 1954.
England fail to score for the first time in two years.
 
2-3-5 Hopkinson -
Howe, Langley -
Clayton, Wright, Slater -
Douglas, Charlton, Kevan, Haynes, Finney.
Averages: Age 26 years 161 days Appearances/Goals 21.5 4.2
 
                Match Report by Mike Payne

Temperatures were in the 90s as the teams took to the field for this match and England, trying to establish a side capable of winning the forthcoming World Cup tournament, had a disastrous day. They were well and truly beaten by a Yugoslav side that, on the day, was in a different class.

Everything went wrong from the start and Yugoslavia took a deserved lead in the 23rd minute. Milutinović gained possession, sold Bobby Wright a dummy, and then let fly a shot from some 25 yards. The ball hit the ground just in front of Eddie Hopkinson's dive and hit the goalkeeper on the shoulder before flying into the net. It was a good shot but Hopkinson could have perhaps done better.


From then on Yugoslavia dominated the play. Three times before half-time they beat Hopkinson again, but each time the goal was disallowed for offside. On another occasion a screamer from Šekularac crashed against the England crossbar.

The visitors were struggling. Wright being given a torrid time by Milutinović, Ronnie Clayton could not get into the game, and Johnny Haynes and Bobby Charlton looked jaded and ineffective. Jim Langley battled well and Wright, despite his difficulties, was still England's best defender. However, his side were fortunate to only be the one goal down at the break especially as they had not put in one worthwhile effort of their own.

After the interval the England crossbar was again nearly broken in two when a fierce shot by Boškov bounced back into play off it. The visitors probably had their best spell of the match in the opening ten minutes of the half and actually applied some pressure on Yugoslavia. But on 56 minutes any hope that England had of gaining anything from the game was shattered by a brilliant goal by Petaković. A superb move involving Kristić, Veselinović, Šekularac and Pasić ended with Petaković lashing home the cross.

England were now out of the contest and the Slavs produced some brilliant play as the game progresses. For some strange reason little went beyond the England penalty area, though as the home side showed a reluctance to shoot. But with 15 minutes left all that changed. Šekularac put through and his fierce shot flew past Hopkinson. Moments later the right-winger completed his hat-trick when he scored following a pass from Veselinović.

To complete England's misery a brilliant run by Šekularac ended with him setting up Veselinović for number five.

The crowd were ecstatic by now and fires were burning on the terraces with their team showing everyone what they were capable of. Milutinović and Kristić were absolutely outstanding.

As for England, Hopkinson had a miserable afternoon and although he made some fine saves he had to be faulted for the crucial first goal. Up front England put in only two goal attempts in the whole 90 minutes, one from Ron Clayton and a typical Bobby Charlton effort. Bryan Douglas and Derek Kevan never threatened and Tom Finney was totally stifled by the cynical tackling of the Yugoslav defenders. Countless free-kicks were given after tackles on Finney but England could create nothing from those kicks.

After this display, thoughts of England winning the World Cup seemed a million miles away.

  

                Match Report by Norman Giller

All the confidence and cohesion built up in the England team pre-Munich had disappeared, and they found this World Cup warm-up match in Belgrade too hot to handle in more ways than one. The game was played in a heat wave with temperatures in the high nineties, and three of the Yugoslav goals came in the last ten minutes with several of the England players close to exhaustion. The match was a personal nightmare for Jim Langley, who was run ragged by three-goal right winger Petacavić. It was a particularly testing trip for Bobby Charlton. He was back in Belgrade where the Busby Babes had played their final match. The last leg of the flight had meant landing at and taking off from Munich. It was a defeat that underlined just how much England had gone back since the Munich air crash. They were disjointed and totally lacking any sort of team pattern. If anything, the final scoreline flattered England and it did severe damage to their confidence with the World Cup finals so close.
   

                Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1958-59 pages 32-33

Worst fears were unfortunately confirmed at Belgrade, when even the high score by no means flattered tie victors. England's display was one of the poorest for many years, even taking into account the terrific heat in which the match was played. Yugoslavia took the lead after twenty-two minutes, when Milutinović's shot was misjudged by Hopkinson and entered the net. The goalkeeper, however, played well and it was only his performance, plus some help from the woodwork, which kept the score down. The second goal came after ten minutes of the second half, scored by Petaković. This winger scored tice more during a spate of goals in the closing minutes, during which Veselinović added a fifth. Only Wright and Slater of the England side came out with any credit.
  

        In Other News....
It was on 12 May 1958 that the trial of 31-year-old Scottish serial killer, Peter Manuel began in Glasgow. Charged with eight murders over a two-year period, he conducted his own defence and audaciously accused the husband, father and brother-in-law of three of his victims of being the perpetrator, even cross-examining him in court, but the jury saw through his charade and he was found guilty of seven of the murders after a 14-day trial. One case was dropped due to lack of evidence, though he had previously confessed the crime to police. It was suspected that he had committed more murders and escaped arrest due to selecting his victims randomly, killing them in different ways and always appearing intelligent and confident when questioned. Manuel was hanged, just over six weeks later. Poland and the Republic of Ireland drew 2-2 in Chorzów, Curtis and Cummins scoring for Ireland, whilst Blackpool beat a New South Wales XI at Wollongong, 7-2. Scorers were Hagan (3), Charnley (2), Hauser and Perry. 24 hours earlier, they had beaten the Australian national team, 8-2 in Sydney.
              Source Notes
TheFA.com
Reprezentacija.rs
Original newspaper reports
The Complete Book of the British Charts
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record

Norman Giller, Football Author
British Pathé
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