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2.0 Woman's Hour  3.0 The Freddie Phillips Quintet
3.20
Football—England v. Wales
4.15 Mrs Dale's Diary 4.30 Music of the Masters—BBC Scottish Orch.
Wednesday, 10 November 1948
Home International Championship 1948-49 (54th) Match


England
 1 Wales 0
[1-0]
 
Villa Park, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire
Kick-off (GMT): 2.30pm.
Attendance: "68,700"; Receipts: "£18,377".
unknown kicked-off
Laurie Scott injured - England ten men 25
[0-0] Stan Mortensen goal disallowed:
offside
[1-0] Tom Finney 39

 a left-footed shot from Jackie Milburn who passed on a Matthews free-kick.
 
   
second half live on the Radio Light Programme - Commentator: Kenneth Wolstenholme
"This is the first international I ever commentated on and although my memory is faded, what a forward line: Matthews, Mortensen, Milburn, Shackleton and Finney!" - Kenneth Wolstenholme.
 
"10-MEN ENGLAND GET LONE GOAL WIN" Daily Mirror
Officials

England

UK ruling on substitutes Wales
Referee
John A. Mowat
Rutherglen
 
 red flag            Linesmen          blue flag
Reginald Leslie Aldridge
Birmingham
R.E. Jones
Welshpool
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours The 1946 home uniform - White collared jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white tops.
P 17th of eighteen, W 13 - D 3 - L 1 - F 60 - A 14.

Captain
Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 35 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
2nd of ninety, W 2 - D 0 - L 0 - F 7 - A 2. P 17th of 139, W 13 - D 3 - L 1 - F 60 - A 14.
Team chosen by Selection Committee headed by Arthur Drewry, on Wednesday, 27 October, following the FA XI vs. RAF XI trial match at Highbury.
England Lineup
  three changes to the previous match (Aston, Ward & Shackleton>Howe, Cockburn & Pearson) league position (27 October)  
  Swift, Frank V. 34
320 days
26 December 1913 G Manchester City FC (FL 9th) 17 14ᵍᵃ
2 Scott, Lawrence, injured off 25th min. 31
201 days
23 April 1917 RB Arsenal FC (FL 4th) 17 0
final app 1946-48
3 Aston, John 27
68 days
3 September 1921 LB Manchester United FC (FL 12th) 2 0
4 Ward, V. Timothy 31
55 days
16 September 1917 RHB
/RB
Derby County FC (FL 2nd) 2 0
final app 1948
5 Franklin, Cornelius 26
291 days
24 January 1922 CHB Stoke City FC (FL 8th) 17 0
6 Wright, William A. 24
278 days
6 February 1924 LHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 13th) 17 0
7 Matthews, Stanley 33
283 days
1 February 1915 OR Blackpool FC (FL 10th) 28 9
8 Mortensen, Stanley H. 27
168 days
26 May 1921 IR/
RHB
Blackpool FC (FL 10th) 9 14
9
Milburn, John E.T. 24
183 days
11 May 1924 CF Newcastle United FC (FL 3rd) 2 1
10 Shackleton, Leonard F. 26
191 days
3 May 1922 IL Sunderland AFC (FL 6th) 2 0
11
Finney, Thomas 26
219 days
5 April 1922 OL Preston North End FC (FL 18th) 14 12
reserve: Leon Leuty (Derby County FC (FL 2nd))
team notes: "Scott...was not England's only casualty. Swift was barged into and thereafter limped, Mortensen was bruised but played a wholehearted game as inside right-cum-right half, Milburn and Shackleton each took hard knocks which left them shaky." - Thursday, 11 November 1948, Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer
records: This is the first time that England have kept four clean sheets in one calendar year.
This victory extends the post-war unbeaten record. England have gone ten games without loss, beating the previous record of six set between 1946-47.
The England team were based in Droitwich and trained on Worcester City FC's ground.
 
2-3-5 Swift -
Scott (Ward), Aston -
Ward (Mortensen), Franklin, Wright -
Matthews, Mortensen, Milburn, Shackleton, Finney.
notes: Ward went to right-back when Scott left the field, Mortensen then also dropped back
Averages: Age 28 years 240 days Appearances/Goals 11.5 3.1
 
Wales Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 16th
Colours Made by Umbro - Red jerseys with white collars, white shorts, red socks with white tops.
Captain Wally Barnes Selection Selection Committee
on Monday, 1 November 1948.
led by the secretary, Herbert Powell
Wales Lineup
  Hughes, William Arthur 29
282 days
2 February 1919 G Blackburn Rovers FC, England 1 1ᵍᵃ
2 Barnes, Wallace 28
299 days
16 January 1920 RB Arsenal FC, England 5 0
3 Sherwood, Alfred T. 24
363 days
13 November 1923 LB Cardiff City FC 6 0
4 Paul, Roy 28
206 days
18 April 1920 RHB Swansea Town FC 2 0
5 Jones, Thomas G. 31
29 days
12 October 1917 CHB Everton FC, England 10 0
6 Burgess, W.A. Ronald 31
215 days
9 April 1917 LHB Tottenham Hotspur FC, England 7 0
7 Jones, W. Ernest A. 27
364 days
12 November 1920 OR Tottenham Hotspur FC, England 4 0
final app 1946-48
8 Powell, Aubrey 30
205 days
19 April 1918 IR Everton FC, England 6 0
9 Ford, Trevor 25
40 days
1 October 1923 CF Aston Villa FC, England 6 3
10 Morris, William 30
103 days
30 July 1918 IL Burnley FC, England 2 0
11 Clarke, Royston J. 23
162 days
1 June 1925 OL Manchester City FC, England 1 0
reserve: Ivor Powell (Queen's Park Rangers FC).
team changes: Original named inside-left Billy Rees (Cardiff City FC) was replaced by Morris on Saturday, 6 November 1948, because of injury.
The Welsh team were based in Leamington Spa and trained on the Lockheed Sports Ground.
 
2-3-5 Hughes -
Barnes, Sherwood -
Paul,
T.Jones, Burgess -
E.Jones, Powell, Ford, Morris, Clarke.
Averages: Age 28 years 142 days Appearances/Goals 4.5 0.2
 
                News

"The international match between England and Wales will be played at Villa Park on 10 November. Giving this news at the annual general meeting of Aston Villa F.C. in Birmingham last night, Mr. F. H. Normansell, chairman of the club, said: 'The F.A. gave us a semi-final last season, and we consider it a great compliment to the club for these important matches to be played at Villa Park.'" - Birmingham Gazette, Saturday, 3 July 1948.
 

                Match Report by Mike Payne

In a disappointing match at Villa Park, neither side reached a particularly high standard of play. True, England were disorganised when they were reduced to ten men after 25 minutes when Laurie Scott suffered a ligament injury in his right knee, but they never really got into their usual rhythm.

After the injury, Stan Mortensen went back to right-half and Tim Ward replaced Scott at full-back. It seemed a wrong decision by England as they badly missed Mortensen's qualities up front. Wales, meanwhile, never really impressed. They showed plenty of typical Welsh fervour but their limitations were there for all to see. The fact that England won with ten men says it all.

The vital goal came after 39 minutes. Jackie Milburn, lively throughout, made a strong run down the middle and, as he was desperately challenged by the Welsh defenders, the ball ran loose to Tom Finney and the winger did the rest, giving Hughes no chance. Before the goal, Ford missed two excellent chances for Wales; had he taken one of them, it might have been a different story.

In the second half, Wales' attacks usually petered out on the edge of the England penalty area, although they had a good deal of the game. England were relying on Milburn, Matthews and Finney to breakaway and relieve the pressure. Billy Wright and Neil Franklin had storming games in the heart of the England defence and comfortably held a poor Welsh attack.

Near the end, England fans had their hearts in their mouths as Frank Swift missed two crosses in quick succession but the luck went the way of England and they held on to their lead.

 

                Match Report by Norman Giller

A crowd of 68,750 gathered at Villa Park for this mid-week Home International match. Laurie Scott limped off with a damaged knee ligament in the twenty-fifth minute and the ten men of England became disorganised as Tim Ward switched to right-back and Stan Mortensen to right-half. Tom Finney scored the only goal of a drab game on the hour after a typical sprint-speed run from Jackie Milburn had ripped open the Welsh defence. BBC television cameras were at the match and a commentator called Kenneth Wolstenholme made his debut at the microphone. Some people thought it was all beginning. It was now!
 

                Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1949-50, pages 23 & 24

The match against Wales took place at Villa Park on November 10th. Although England were disorganised by an injury to Scott after 25 minutes play, and had to make do with ten men for the rest of the match, they won by the narrow margin of 1-0, in the circumstances a creditable achievement. There were three changes in the team from the one which beat Ireland, Aston returning as left-back, Ward (Derby County) taking Cockburn's place and Shackleton returning to the forward line.
At the start, Wales took the offensive, but missed two fine chances of scoring within the first quarter of an hour. Then, in the 39th minute, came England's turn, and the deciding goal of the match. A free-kick by Matthews on the right went to Milburn and then to Finney who slammed it into the net.
At the beginning of the second half the fast pace was maintained. Milburn was slightly hurt in the face and for five minutes England held Wales in check with only nine men. Towards the end of the match England went increasingly over to the defensive ad Swift had some anxious moments in goal, but there was no further score.

  

                News

"One of the keenest football enthusiasts in the Midlands, Coun. W. O. J. Urry, of Worcester, collapsed and died while watching yesterday's international match between England and Wales at Villa Park, Birmingham. Aged 64, he was a director of Heenan and Froude, Shrub Hill, Worcestershire, and four subsidiary companies." - Birmingham Gazette, Thursday, 11 November 1948.

"Most of the 10,000 men who did not turn up for work at Birmingham factories yesterday are believed to have watched the England v. Wales international match at Villa Park. At one of the city's largest factories, it is understood, dismissal notices are under consideration in the case of several workers who absented themselves to go to the match." - Birmingham Gazette, Thursday, 11 November 1948.
 

ENGLISH-WELSH STARS UNFIT AFTER INJURIES AT VILLA PARK
"At least four players—possibly more—who took part in the England-Wales international match at Villa Park on Wednesday have been declared unfit for tomorrow's League games.
They are Scott (Arsenal), Shackleton (Sunderland), Ford (Aston Villa) and Swift (Manchester City).
Scott will be out for some time with a knee injury, the full extent of which is still not known. Shackleton has a burst tow and both Ford and Swift are suffering from pulled muscles.
Mortensen had treatment after being struck on the head by a ball which Ward (Derby County) intended for a shot at goal and was later bowled over heavily in a tackle by Paul (Swansea Town), the Welsh right-half.
Finney went into tackle gingerly and appeared to be not quite confident about his knee injury, which has kept him out of many of Preston's game this season.
Milburn's throat was swollen from a blow soon after the start of the international match and he was treated by the trainer during the game." - Clifford Webb, The Daily Herald, Friday, 12 November 1948.

  

              In Other News....
It was on 9 November 1948 that Luiz Felipe Scolari was born in Brazil. In 2002, he led Brazil to their fifth World Cup win in Japan, and then left to coach Portugal for five years, during which they twice knocked England out of major tournaments on penalties.
  
                Source Notes
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Wales' Complete Who's Who since 1946
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record

Norman Giller, Football Author
British Pathé
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