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next senior match (87 days)
253 vs. Scotland
Wednesday, 18 January 1950
International World Cup Trial Match

England 5 Switzerland 0 [2-0]
 
 
Hillsborough Football Ground, High Road, Owlerton, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Kick-off (GMT): 2.30pm.

Attendance: '43,053;'
Receipts: '£5,916.'
  Switzerland kicked off
[1-0] Billy Gray 28
 from the 6 yard line 'first-time shot from Jimmy Dickinson's cross field pass'
[2-0] Eddie Baily 33
 left-footed 'powerdrive' from 20yds following a Walter Rickett pass
 
[3-0] Walter Rickett header
 'headed in from an awkward angle' from Roy Bentley cross
[4-0] Tommy Briggs
 'turned in Roy Bentley's centre' into an empty net
[5-0] Redfern Froggatt 71
 'long-range shot''
 
no TV or Radio coverage
 
"MEDIOCRE SWISS OUTCLASSED" The Press & Journal
Officials England FIFA ruling on substitutes Switzerland
Referee
Reginald James Leafe
35 (15 December 1914),
Lambley, Nottingham
The Continental ruling of allowing a substitute to replace an injured player prior to the 44th minute, and a goalkeeper at any time, is in place (two for this match).

A plastic waterproof orange ball is used in the second half of this international.
    red flag          Linesmen             blue flag
Alfred Holland
Barnsley
L. Richardson
Doncaster
 
England B Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours The 1950 away uniform - Royal blue collared short-sleeved jerseys, white shorts, black socks with white tops.
"England looked strange when they took the field in blue shirts with red numbers."
Captain

Laurie Scott Manager Walter Winterbottom, 36 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
first of 4, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 5 - A 0. Trainer: Billy Knox (Sheffield Wednesday FC) fifth of fourteen B matches, W 4 - D 1 - L 0 - F 18 - A 1.
  Team chosen by the Intermediate Selection Committee, headed by Arthur Drewry, on Monday, 9 January.
England Lineup
  ten changes to the previous B match league position (9 January)  
  Ditchburn, Edwin G. 28
86 days
24 October 1921 G Tottenham Hotspur FC (FL2 TOP) 2 0ᵍᵃ
final B app 1949-50
2 Scott, Lawrence 32
270 days
23 April 1917 RB Arsenal FC (FL 8th) 2 0
32 3 Swift, Humphrey M. 28
361 days
22 January 1921 LB Sheffield Wednesday FC (FL2 2nd) 1 0
only B app 1950
4 Nicholson, William E. 30
357 days
26 January 1919 RHB Tottenham Hotspur FC (FL2 TOP) 2 0
33 5 Hughes, Lawrence 25
322 days

2 March 1924

CHB Liverpool FC (FL TOP) 1 0
only B app 1950
6
Dickinson, James W. 24
269 days
24 April 1925 LHB Portsmouth FC (FL 5th) 2 0
34 7
Gray, William P., injured off 44th min. 22
239 days
24 May 1927 OR Chelsea FC (FL 10th) 1 1
only B app 1950
35 8
Froggatt, Redfern 25
148 days
23 August 1924 IR Sheffield Wednesday FC (FL2 2nd) 1 1
only B app 1950
36 9
Briggs, Thomas H. 26
52 days
27 November 1923 CF Grimsby Town FC (FL2 10th) 1 1
only B app 1950
37 10
Baily, Edward F. 24
165 days
6 August 1925 IL Tottenham Hotspur FC (FL2 TOP) 1 1
38 11
Rickett, Walter 32
304 days
20 March 1917 OL Sheffield Wednesday FC (FL2 2nd) 1 1
only B app 1950
                   
England Substitute
scoreline: England 2 Switzerland 0
Bentley, T.F. Roy, on 44th min. for Gray 25
246 days
17 May 1924 CF Chelsea FC (FL 10th) 2 1 0
1
final B app 1949-50
result: England 5 Switzerland 0
unused substitutes: Ray Middleton (Chesterfield FC (FL2 11th)), Walter Rickett, who was replaced with Joe Shaw (Sheffield United FC (FL2 6th))
substitute notes: Roy Bentley becomes the first England substitute in a major representative match. Gray suffered a displaced cartilage.
team changes: Jimmy Mullen (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 4th)) was the original named outside-left, his place going to original reserve, Rickett, on Saturday, 14 January 1950.
The team were set-up in Bakewell, Derbyshire, prior to this match, and trained on the ground of Chesterfield FC.
 
2-3-5 Ditchburn -
Scott, Swift -
Nicholson, Hughes, Dickinson -
Gray
(Bentley), Froggatt, Briggs, Baily, Rickett
Averages: Age 27 years 203 days Appearances/Goals 10.9 3.7
 
Switzerland B Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours White jerseys with lace-up collars, black shorts, black socks with red tops and two white hoops.
Captain   Manager Severin Minelli
Switzerland Lineup
  Müller, Walter       FC Basel    
2 Gyger, Rudolf       Cantonal-Neuchatel FC    
3 Steffen, Willy     CHB Cantonal-Neuchatel FC    
4 Hotz, Adelreich       FC Zürich    
5 Lusenti, Gerhard       AC Bellinzona    
6 Guerini, Hans       FC Zürich    
7 Scheiter, Walter       FC Zürich    
8 Hugi, Hans       FC Basel    
9 Bader, Rene     CM FC Basel    
10 Hugi, Joséf       FC Basel    
11 Bosshardt, Walter       FC Zürich    
unused substitutes: Pernumian (goalkeeper), Soldini (half), Ballaman and Stauble (forwards)
The Swiss team were staying at The Grand Hotel in Sheffield prior to this match.
 
2-3-5 Müller -
Gyger, Steften -
Hotz, Lusenti, Guerini -
Scheiter,
H.Huegi, Bader, J.Huegi, Bosshardt
Averages: Age - Appearances/Goals - -
"After the match the Football Association entertained the Swiss visitors and the teams and officials to dinner. The Swiss players were presented with pocket knives and the Swiss Federation presented the England players with porcelain bowls." - Nottingham Journal, Thursday, 19 January 1950
 
              Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1950-51, page 24

England's 'B' team proved far too strong for Switzerland's 'B' at Hillsborough, Sheffield, on January [18th], 1950, as the score of 5 goals to 0 indicates. Only for the last 15 minutes were England given any sort of fight. Though the match provided more players with experience of Continental methods, it gave little help to the selectors in their task of choosing players for the World Cup.
  

              Source Notes
Original newspaper reports   Rothman's Yearbooks
British Pathé
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