The England Summer Party-Pre United States  May 1959
Player	Birthdate	Age	Pos	Club	starts	subs	App		Capt
Armfield, James	21 September 1935	23	RB	Blackpool FC	3	0	3	0	0
Baynham, Ronald L.	10 June 1929	29	GK	Luton Town FC	3	0	3	2ᵍᵃ	0
Bradley, Warren	20 June 1933	25	OR	Manchester United FC	1	1	2	1	0
Broadbent, Peter F.	15 May 1933	26	IR	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	6	0	6	2	0
Charlton, Robert	11 October 1937	21	CF	Manchester United FC	11	0	11	8	0
Clayton, Ronald	5 August 1934	24	RHB	Blackburn Rovers FC	29	0	29	0	0
Deeley, Norman V.	30 November 1933	25	OR	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	2	0	2	0	0
Flowers, Ronald	28 July 1934	24	LHB	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	6	1	7	0	0
Greaves, James P.	20 February 1940	19	IR	Chelsea FC	2	0	2	1	0
Gratrix, Roy	9 February 1932	27	CHB	Blackpool FC	0	0	0	0	0
Haynes, John N.	17 October 1934	24	IL	Fulham FC	31	0	31	12	0
Holden, A. Douglas	28 September 1930	28	OL	Bolton Wanderers FC	5	0	5	0	0
Hopkinson, Edward	29 October 1935	23	GK	Bolton Wanderers FC	11	0	11	19ᵍᵃ	0
Howe, Donald	12 October 1935	23	FB	West Bromwich Albion FC	19	0	19	0	0
Kevan, Derek T.	6 March 1935	24	CF	West Bromwich Albion FC	12	0	12	7	0
McGuinness, Wilfred	25 October 1937	21	LHB	Manchester United FC	2	0	2	0	0
Shaw, Graham L.	9 July 1934	24	LB	Sheffield United FC	4	0	4	0	0
Wright, William A.	6 February 1924	35	CHB	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	104	0	104	3	89

All information is complete to and including England's last match, the eighth of the 1958-59 season, against Mexico on 24 May 1959.

Diary

 

South American Tour — the Facts

THIS year's tour of Brazil, Peru, Mexico and the United States provoked possibly more comment and criticism than any other. This was doubtless because of the results, which were plainly disappointing, but so much of the criticism was based on superficial thinking that it may be profitable to take a closer look at the problems of foreign tours in general and this one in particular.    The match in Brazil was clearly the key to the entire tour, As long ago as 1950, during the World Championship in Brazil, England had been invited to play there. It was then felt it would be better to wait a few years before returning. When the Football Association made its first tour to South America in 1953, with matches in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and, on the way home, the United States, Brazilian officials met the party at Rio airport en route for Buenos Aires and pressed them to play a match there and then. At the same time the Peruvian authorities pressed even harder that England should inaugurate the new national stadium in Lima and offered attractive terms if this could be done. But such was the schedule of that tour that additional matches were quite impossible.    Nevertheless it was settled in principle that Brazil should play in London in 1956, and that England should play in Rio in 1957. But the new system of World Cup qualifying matches when England had to meet the Irish Republic and Denmark - instead of using the British Championship - meant that additional fixtures could not be undertaken that year. The 1958 World Championship kept everyone fully occupied and 1959 was the earliest year in which England could play a return match in Brazil. This was confirmed, as were the the matches with Peru and Mexico, late in 1957 and again during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. It will thus be seen that even arranging dates and terms involves complex discussion and correspondence over a long period.

The Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, page 15

Monday, 20 April 1959 - The England selectors showed their satisfaction with the team that beat Scotland at Wembley by making just one enforced changed because of the injury to Bryan Douglas, for the games against Under-23 team on 1 May at Highbury, and against Italy at Wembley five days later. The vacancy on the right wing has gone to Manchester United's Warren Bradley, who already has twelve appearances for the England Amateur team. The eleven, along with an additional seven players, will also make the trip to South America. However, there is still no recognised centre-forward, with Bobby Charlton expected to fill the role again. Jimmy Greaves and Jimmy Armfield will go to Milan to play for the under-23's against Italy on 7 May, returning to join the tour party who leave on 8 May.

Friday, 1 May 1959 - England 3 Young England 3:- "This match at Highbury should have been a showpiece. It was a flop—despite the score. Most of the players didn't put much effort into their game and many of the 34,212 fans, who were charged top prices, left half an hour after the game started. Ron Flowers put England ahead in fifteen minutes. In the 29th minute, Bobby Charlton made it 20. Two minutes later Charlton hammered home a drive. But Ray Parry clipped the lead. In the fifty-seventh minute Ray Pointer scored for Young England. Then Jimmy Greaves grabbed the equaliser." - Bill Holden, Daily Mirror
Roy Gratrix is the reserve for England against the Young England.

Wednesday, 6 May 1959 - England 2 Italy 2 - "NOW England knows the worst, and the selectors have seven days in which to find a new attack capable of denting Brazil's defence in Rio next Wednesday. Thank goodness that in this drawn international at Wembley we discovered the limitations of this present England team BEFORE it set off for a 20,000-mile tour of The Americas tomorrow. There were no other consolations. Even a brilliant goal from Bobby Charlton that shot England into the lead in the 26th minute could not inspire an attack of struggling individuals. True, Warren Bradley snatched a second goal in the 40th minute to set up a 2—0 advantage, but it was lost. The Italians scored twice in the 13 minutes of the second half when England were without left-half Ron Flowers, who left the field with a suspected broken nose after a clash with centre-forward Sergio Brighenti. Flowers came back to play as well as ever, and excuses do not obscure the fact that this match must mark the end of an experiment." - John Camkin, News Chronicle
"Someone blundered at Wembley. And afterwards there were protests in the Italian Chamber of Deputies—and red faces among the members of the massed band of the Green Jacket Brigade. The England-Italy football match was about to start. The players lined up, and the crowd of 90,000 stood as the band prepared to play the national anthems of the two countries. But as the first notes of the Italian anthem rang out Italians gasped. The band was playing the wrong tune. Instead of Italy's present anthem, 'Inno di Mameli,' the band struck up the old 'Royal March'—used under the Mussolini regime and dropped when Italy became a Republic. In the Chamber of Deputies two left-wing members leapt up to urge the government to protest to Britain against the playing of the 'Fascist Royal March.' It was, they said, 'an insult to the Italian Republic.' The choice of music is usually the responsibility of the bandmasters. Bandmaster E. W. Jeanes, of the Second Green jackets, said: 'The anthem came from a War Office publication, 'National Anthems of the Nations,' issued n 1910, although revisions are made from time to time.' At the after-match banquet, Mr. Joe Mears, chairman of the England selectors, said: 'I apologise most humbly to our Italian friends. The repercussions from Italy have been serious. The Green Jackets will receive a rocket.'" - News Chronicle
Walter Winterbottom immediately flies off to Milan to watch the Young England side take on the Young Italian side.

Thursday, 7 May 1959 - Ron Flowers broke his nose yesterday as confirmed by an ex-ray at Wembley hospital. 'The break is at the bridge of the nose and it should not interfere with his forthcoming tour of the Americas.'

England against The Press

A summer tour of South America had been both a football and PR disaster. Before it even began England had surrended a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 with Italy at Wembley and then things had gone from bad to worse. Matters weren't helped when a hitherto benevolent press turned on the players. Leading the charge was the Daily Herald's new reporter, Sam Leitch. In many ways, he could be seen as changing the entire complexion of tabloid football reporting with his forthright attacks at what he perceived to be the root of England's problems. His career began with a report on England's 2-2 draw with Italy: 'Just forty-eight hours before they fly off on their 20,000-mile tour of the Americas, England plunged into pathetic depths of tame surrender . . . the full list of England flops was headed by skipper Billy Wright whose 101st cap was his worst.' Things deteriorated from there on and Leitch was joined by others at last ready to chastise the national team. Suddenly gone, it seemed, were the days when the worst a player could get was a gentle joshing from a journalist's pen. Now newspapers were increasingly filled with the kind of invective one would formerly expect from only the most rabid fan. Expectation had not just moved up a notch, it was suddenly screaming from the back pages, particularly when it had not been lived up to.

England Expects, James Corbett, page 154

South American Tour — the Facts

The party which made the 1959 tour, including players, officials, Press and TV representatives, numbered no less than 39. Moving such a group over more than 20,000 miles, two continents and through four great cities requires the planning and detail of a minor military operation. Transportation alone demands a careful study of schedules so that the players will be given the maximum time possible in which to relax after each match and also to readjust to the different conditions of a new country, and to train and prepare for the next match. Each country has its own immigration requirements, so that visas, inoculations, vaccinations, photographs and travel reservations demand a tremendous amount of staff-work. Baggage in itself is a considerable problem.    Such is the amount of hospitality offered by the host associations, the various embassies, English colonies and private individuals that a careful balance must be struck between the requirements of discipline and serious training in the team and the common politeness one always wants to show to one's hosts. Hotels must be reserved and checked so that the team and party is neither isolated beyond contact with the people and the way of life of the country visited—for this can give a valuable insight into the opponents' approach to the game - or over-exposed to the noises and stresses of a great capital city on the eve of the match.

The Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, pages 15 & 16

Friday, 8 May 1959 - Eighteen players and more England officials leave London Airport today at 1.30pm, on Flight SR460 bound for Recife via Lisbon. Then after a connecting flight to Rio, they will arrive after a 26-hour flight tomorrow afternoon. They will be staying in the plush Hotel Gloria, overlooking the Copacabana beach.
The Selectors are lead by Chelsea FC's Joe Mears, along with Chesterfield FC's Harold Shentall, and Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Mitchell, of the Army FA. The FA secretary, Sir Stanley Rous also accompanies them. Winterbottom and Harold Shepherdson, trainer, make up the group of six officials.

Sunday, 10 May 1959 - "BILLY WRIGHT, England's hero of 101 internationals, told me here today that he will decide whether to retire or not when the England party return to London at the end of the month." - John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle
The England party are training at the local cricket ground in Copacabana, as they are not allowed to train at the Maracana Stadium, with its lush green pitch. Three years ago, the Football Association refused Brazil permission to train at Wembley. The Brazilian Federation are repaying the favour.
Evening - "Four selectors and team manager Walter Winterbottom sipped cool drinks on the balcony of their hotel overlooking the Copacabana beach as they picked the 11 men who will face the might of Brazil in the torrid heat of the vast Maracana Stadium."

Monday, 11 May 1959 - The eighteen players alongside Walter Winterbottom and his coaching staff are at the Fluminese Stadium, training in the mid-afternoon sunshine. A blatant tactic from Winterbottom to get his team acclimatised to the Rio summer heat.

Tuesday, 12 May 1959 - The Brazilian Federation have finally relaxed their rule of allowing the English players to train on the pitch at the Maracana. Rather than a beating sun, it has been raining all day in Rio, with the temperature plummeting in to the low sixties.

Wednesday, 13 May 1959 - Brazil 2 England 0 - "BILLY WRIGHT and his England team-mates found themselves right out of the luck in the vast Maracana Stadium here this afternoon. The dusky Brazilians, fading champions of world football, celebrated their first victory over the old masters only by the skin of their gleaming white teeth. They can thank a third-minute goal, which virtually decided this prestige-laden match. That goal brought a barrage of firecrackers from 151 excited fans. But it was a present from the white-shirted Englishmen, whose nerves were obviously jangling. Ten minutes later—when England had settled down—the move would have been stopped every time by either Wright or Jim Armfield. Only 25 minutes afterwards, came another goal . . . ANOTHER PRESENT. This time from referee Brozzi, of Argentina. Like the England men, who protested so fervently, I thought centre-forward Henrique was two yards offside when Julinho sent him clear. Not for one moment do I suggest England should have beaten a Brazilian team only a pale shadow of the one I saw thrash Sweden in the World Cup Final in June. But England, still ticking on only two forward cylinders, weren't the weaker side, by any means, in a disappointing match. The huge crowd sat strangely silent as the white-shirted forwards dominated the second half." - John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle

England against The Press    Criticism tended to focus on Wright or Haynes and the latter, now the chips were down, was increasingly seen as a moody, petulant individual. An intolerant glare or even a volley of abuse would be directed the way of any mere mortal who received one of his searching passes and had the temerity to fluff the subsequent opportunity. 'It was myself I was getting the hump with for not getting the pass quite right,' he explained years later in retirement. 'I was a bit of a perfectionist; it was me cursing myself rather than my mate.'    On 13 May 1959, in front of an estimated crowd of 160,000 in the Maracana, England fell to a 0-2 defeat to Brazil. If no disgrace come from that, plenty was to follow. England Expects, James Corbett, pages 154 & 155

Friday, 15 May 1959 - After the team to face Peru is announced, Jimmy Greaves replaces Peter Broadbent in the only change, the England party fly 2,500 miles to Lima through the Andes. The party arrive late evening.

Saturday, 16 May 1959 - The team start training early in the morning at Lima cricket and football club ground. In the evening, the party trained under the floodlights of the National Stadium, where they are due to play tomorrow night.

Sunday, 17 May 1959 - Peru 4 England 1 - "ENGLAND, badly in need of a centre-forward, shed Soccer prestige on the shores of the Pacific here today. Urged on by 50,000 deliriously happy folk, Peru, one of the world's tiniest football nations, whipped the Old Masters 4—1. In the elegant, gracious national stadium, built on ground given to Peru by Britain in 1921 to mark their 400th birthday, the terraces echoed to the constant chant of praise at the unexpected victory. The crowd even laughed at the puny English efforts to salvage some honour from this serious blow to our standing in South America. Once again, our lop-sided attack never appeared likely to pull back two early goals conceded by defensive mistakes. Twice in the first half, Juan Seminario, the local Stan Matthews, was presented with goals by silly errors. To my mind this beating in a match we confidently expected to win is England's worst setback since the Hungarians thrashed us. Don Howe, usually so good, had his worst international, and Ron Clayton, Jim Armfield and Bobby Charlton disappointed, while wingers Norman Deeley and Doug Holden were plainly struggling. Only Greaves showed the flair for the big match and earned any laurels—and even he was not brilliant." - John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle
England team manager Walter Winterbottom said he plans 'widespread changes' against Mexico. He added: 'Considering the number of changes we are making, I have decided not to announce the side until Thursday."

England against The Press    Four days later Peru beat England 4-1 in Lima and Leitch was apoplectic: 'Struggling, pathetic shame oozed out of every England football boot here at the foot of the Andes mountains tonight as a lightweight, slap-happy side from the ten first division teams of Peru thrashed us in a game which could have easily ended 8-1. Beside me as I type, people jab at me through the twelve-foot high fence which protects us from the crowd. They beam and ask: is this really the first national side from England? Here tonight, as Belo Horizonte nine years ago when America beat us 1-0, a great name of English football was reduced to futile palaver . . . to a pathetic indifference . . . to sheer out of date fumbling.' England Expects, James Corbett, page 155

Monday, 18 May 1959 - The England team are having a rest day and are using the day to go shopping in Lima.

Tuesday, 19 May 1959 - The players return to training at Lima Cricket & Football ground for more practice sessions. Going back on Walter Winterbottom's statement on Sunday, the chairman of selectors, Joe Mears said: "There will be no experimenting. We are going hard for a win and cannot afford to take any chances." Late in the evening, the England party fly 2,600 miles overnight to Mexico. There will be five days of acclimatisation at an altitude of 8,000 feet.
The match against Mexico on Sunday is under threat by employees at the City's University Stadium. A strike is planned for Sunday morning, because it is alleged that members of the employees' union were not given the job of selling tickets. Mexican Football Officials, who consider their attitude as 'ridiculous,' are confident that the local authorities will take care of the situation. The demand for tickets is high and the match looks like being a sell-out.

Wednesday, 20 May 1959 - The players are ordered to bed after arriving at their ranch-style hotel, which they are sharing with the Mexican team. Their is a ninety-minute work-out in the evening.

Thursday, 21 May 1959 - The whole England party have unanimously voted to move out of the cramped, uncomfortable hotel accommodation. The players complain of sharing a room with three others, no privacy, poor room service and a stream of autograph hunters. They have decided to switch to the same hotel as that occupied by the Press. Meaning that the FA's policy of keeping Press and players apart has had to be overlooked.
The players till managed to train non-stop under the blazing midday sun. The team will not be announced until tomorrow, to give Walter Winterbottom more time to look for signs of fatigue.
The England team played a trial match against a side composed of local Mexican players and other members of the party. Derek Kevan led the attack with Bobby Charlton to his left and Doug Holden switching from left to right. Only Haynes and Greaves retained their initial placements in the forward-line. 

South American Tour — the Facts

Food, climate, humidity, altitude or any peculiar local conditions, the form of the opposition - all these must be anticipated/ For example, a major problem on this tour was the altitude of Mexico City, some 7,5000 feet above sea-level. No England International team had played at such an altitude before and the F.A. had no experience of it. Professor Hemingway, Leeds University physiologist, was consulted and gave valuable advice, as did Dr Pugh of the Everest expedition. Dr Pugh had found no true records of high-altitude work and training, and had conducted his own experiments and built up useful experience. The general opinion was that we should have six days acclimatisation in Mexico before playing the match, and the original schedule allowed for this. Not until Lima was reached was it discovered that new airline schedules permitted only five days in Mexico City.    Given the choice of two hotels, one secluded and suburban and the other in the city, the officials decided on the first, but the accommodation and meal-times were found to be unsuitable and so a move was made into the second. Further, the Mexican F.A. pressed us to play at noon, though the England team would have preferred to play in the cooler evening. They were assured that it always rained in the evening, a fact which was confirmed, and that the attendance would have been affected accordingly.

The Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, page 16

Friday, 22 May 1959 - The England selectors have made two changes to the team that faced Peru on Sunday. Two Wolves players, Ron Flowers and Norman Deeley have been dropped in favour of Wilf McGuinness and Derek Kevan. Doug Holden does indeed switch flanks, with Bobby Charlton moving inside.
Kick-off has been moved from Sunday afternoon to Saturday evening. The workers at the stadium wanted £900 compensation for not being given the ticket sales concession. The Federation would not pay, so the stadium has gone on strike. Mexican law says they cannot bring the strike forward, so the Federation moved the match forward instead.

Saturday, 23 May 1959 - The dispute between the Mexican FF and stadium workers has been resolved and the kick-off returns to its original Sunday noon kick off. English officials had said they had not been consulted about the change had still held out hope for the match to take place tonight, but they finally agreed to Sunday's schedule.

Sunday, 24 May 1959 - Mexico 2 England 1 - "A NERVE-TINGLING earthquake shook the 83,000 fans packed into the fabulous, sun-soaked University Stadium . . . but it was nothing to the shock which rocked and shocked England. Once more the white shirts crashed—and on Empire Day of all days! Beaten in Brazil . . . pulverised in Peru and now mauled by Mexico to make it three defeats on the trot in this jittery tour of the Americas. I pinpoint those alarming nerve-racking seconds when the floor rolled gently and typewriters slithered on the benches because team manager Walter Winterbottom said that the rumblings were not felt on the field. The Mexicans were far from a good side either. So this international which kicked off at high noon and in 83 degrees turned out to be a weary, dreary bore." - John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle

Notes: An earthquake of 6.6 magnitude was reported in San Pedro Coxcaltepec Cántaros, 189 miles SE - at 19:17.41 UTC. (13:17 in Mexico City)

England against The Press The following week, the players exhausted and burnt out with altitude sickness, England were beaten 1-2 by Mexico and the response to the latest defeat took a familiar tone: 'Beaten by Brazil, pulverised in Peru and now mauled in Mexico.' England Expects, James Corbett, page 155

Monday, 25 May 1959 - USA Officials, fifteen of them who attended the match yesterday, are concerned that having England playing in the United States will have a negative effect on attendances. They need to attract at least 17,000 spectators to Wrigley Field to just cover the expenses. So far, they are struggling to cover a tenth of that figure. "American fans just ain't interested in failures."
Some of the England team attend the Plaza de Toros in the City to watch a bullfight.

Tuesday, 26 May 1959 - The England party today spend five hours flying to Los Angeles. After checking-in at The Ambassador Hotel, they spend the rest of the day taking in the sights of Hollywood and attended a reception in the evening, hosted by British expats. It was attended by a number of Hollywood actors, including David Niven and Pat Cutts.

England against The Press    By the time England reached Los Angeles, to face the United States it was openly suggested that the FA withdraw from the match lest there be a repeat of the 1950 fiasco. Journalists exercised their ire but, in particular, Leitch's typewrite keys must have taken a real battering: 'On this eighteenth day of the most disastrous soccer tour ever undertaken by an England team I AM SICK TO DEATH.' of using the words 'pitiful . . . pathetic . . . dismal . . . outclassed . . . outmanoeuvred . . . outfought.' I AM SICK of edgy England players saying to me: 'What are you worried about? You love to write this knocking stuff anyway.' This tour lies expressed for what it is—FIFTH RATE AND UNVARYING IN IT'S MEDIOCRITY.' England Expects, James Corbett, page 155

Wednesday, 27 May 1959 - The England team is announced at breakfast... the team that ended the match against Match is the team that starts against United States. It does mean that three of the eighteen players, Ron Baynham, Roy Gratrix and Graham Shaw, have sat on the touchline in every match. The team are back to to training at the Hollywood High School playing fields, before going on to Hollywood Park races.
In the evening, the team were treated to a performance at the Palladium, headlined by Sammy Davis Junior, accompanied by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. At one point, Davis Junior turned to the England party and said: "The England soccer team are here tonight. They're on tour and have lost in Brazil. They lost in Peru. They even lost in Mexico. If you guys think you will have some explaining to do when you get back home, spare a thought for him. I am a one-eyed Jew who also happens to be black."
According to one newspaper reporter, Billy Wright's England career should have ended at the University Stadium, but the US officials have demanded his appearance in Los Angeles, as he is the one star player who can attract the crowds.

Thursday, 28 May 1959 - Another day of training for the England team before going to the Walt Disneyland and then the local baseball match between the Los Angeles Dodgers.

South American Tour — the Facts

The pity was that the results were not better. As we have seen, the tour was planned and confirmed at a time when England had a first-class team, one which might have very well won the 1958 World Championship and could have done immeasurably better on this tour. Apart from losing the core of the team in the Munich disaster, circumstances compelled England to make the tour without Finney and Douglas in the wing positions and McDonald in goal. Of the 18 players, Howe, Clayton, Wright, and Haynes were the only ones with reasonable International experience.    In these matches our inexperienced players were at times overwhelmed, not so much by atmosphere as by the obstruction and interference and elbowing which is such a feature of Latin American football. By custom and habit, indeed, referees in these countries seem to have come to consider all this to be normal and permit far more of it than is allowed in the home countries. In general, defensive mistakes cost England goals which should have been prevented, and when the forwards did achieve good combined attacks, they failed to press them home.    One clear lesson for the future is that our young players of promise must continually be exposed to these foreign styles of play at all levels of the game. No purpose is served by complaining about refereeing decisions or obstruction, or bad luck or temperature and humidity. England players must learn to rise above these things, to force themselves into the game, to force the issue in their favour, if they are to reach first-class International standards and compete at the highest level of world competition.    Yet this can be said. On this tour the players trained harder and more conscientiously than ever before. They were well-disciplined, happy, and met every demand that was made of them. They scarcely merited some of the criticisms volleyed at their heads, for as someone said of the tour: the only place England lost prestige was - in England.

The Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, pages 16 & 17

Saturday, 30 May 1959 - The England party left Los Angeles for New York on board a Boeing 707 jet liner. Eventually arriving back at London Airport.

England against The Press

In the event England prevailed as 8-1 winners in Wright's 105th and final match. On his return he launched into a heartfelt defence of his manager. 'Walter has been subjected to more criticism in the press and in q number of well meant but misguided books than most people,' he said. 'Walter is a warm-hearted person, a man of principles. and I know that some of this criticism hurt him deeply. Other stories have simply made him angry - particularly stories involving other people as well, which were not only unfair but untrue. It says much for his strength of character that his attitude to the job and the press has not been permanently scarred by this treatment.' Maybe so, but with Winterbottom hamstrung by the whims of the selectors, was Wright's defence really aimed in the right direction?    Leitch's reports reflected a deeper cultural shift. Previously, England's troughs had been dismissed by the press as flukes, inevitable hiccups that would happen to any great side. There was little real analysis, anger was suppressed or occasionally heaped on the captain. Suddenly this changed. If the tabloid press can be seen as a vehicle that reflects its readers' wider anxieties and expectations, now they seemed to be saying, quite unequivocally, 'enough is enough'.    Predictably, the FA didn't like the new criticism. Joe Mears, Chairman of the International Selection Committee, took the unprecedented step of issuing a statement calling on the Press Council to intervene: 'Accompanying the FA party were journalists who, like some of the players, were experiencing their first long tour. Almost without exception their reports have been inaccurate, misleading, mischievous, and have been a great disservice to English football and footballers. It is our intention to recommend that the Press Council be asked to receive a deputation in order that a repetition of such conduct on future visits abroad my be avoided.'

England Expects, James Corbett, page 156

Saturday, 30 May 1959 - At the Football League's Annual General Meeting, it has decided that international players are to be insured for £25,000, instead of £15,000. It is also decided that England players can keep their jerseys.
It is revealed that the Football Association also contacted the Football League with regards to playing all home internationals midweek. Football League chairman Tommy Trinder made his first speech. It was to propose that clubs affected by the selection of two or more players for a Saturday international match be given the option of postponing their match. It was rejected.

Saturday, 13 June 1959 - Heading the list of sports personalities honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours, published today, is Billy Wright, who becomes a C.B.E.

Thursday, 6 August 1959 - "WILLIAM AMBROSE WRIGHT, who will be one of Soccer's great Immortals, is almost certain to play the last act of his career in Wolves' practice match here at Molineux on Saturday. Today he told me: "I shall make up my mind in a few days; but it looks very much as though Saturday's game maybe my last. I feel wonderfully well and fit, but I realise if I stay on, I am holding up the progress of a lot of youngsters at Molineux. I had hoped to play another season, but there's George Showell to consider. After all, I've had a wonderful innings of 21 seasons with a great club. Now I must begin to think of the others, and I shall make a definite decision shortly."" - John Camkin, Wolverhampton, News Chronicle

Friday, 7 August 1959 - "This is it. I want to finish while I am still on top." Billy Wright retires from playing football.

England Form: last six games
D W D L L L  f 11:a 10  success: 50%
328	26 November 1958 - England 2 Wales 2 [1-1] Villa Park, Birmingham (40,500)	Broadbent (2) Tapscott, Allchurch	BC	HD
329	11 April 1959 - England 1 Scotland 0 [0-0] Empire Stadium, Wembley (98,329)	Charlton		HW
330	6 May 1959 - England 2 Italy 2 [2-0] Empire Stadium, Wembley (90,000-91,000)	Charlton, Bradley Brighenti, Mariani	Fr	HD
331	13 May 1959 - Brazil 2 England 0 [2-0] Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro  (150,000-200,000)	Julinho, Henrique	tour	AL
332	17 May 1959 - Peru 4 England 1 [2-0] Estadio Nacional Coloso de José Díaz, Lima (50,306)	Seminario (3), Joya Greaves		AL
333	24 May 1959 - Mexico 2 England 1 [1-1] Estadio Olímpico Universitario, ciudad de México (83,000)	Cardenas, Reyes Kevan		AL