"The second half followed a similar pattern as the
first, with the Austrians first of all trying to dazzle us
with science—and then when that failed attempting to knock us
off balance with tactics which would have been better suited
to the rugby field...None of our lads shirked a tackle. But
when it came to ankle-tapping, shirt pulling, and other
Continental 'tricks of the trade', we were quite content to
leave that to our Austrian opponents."
- Billy Wright |
|
|
"ENGLAND
BLAZE WAY TO HEROIC VICTORY"
News Chronicle |
Officials
from Italy |
Austria |
FIFA ruling on substitutes |
England Party |
Referee (black
blazer)
Guiseppe Carpani
45 (24 February 1907), Milano |
The FIFA ruling of allowing a substitute to replace an injured player prior to the 44th minute, and a goalkeeper at any time, is in place.
The teams were presented to the Guest of Honour, Dr.
Schärf, the Austrian Vice-Chancellor. This match followed directly
on from a Bundesländer Cup match between Steiermark and Wien.
Austria won 8 corners to England's 0, England
committed 25 fouls to Austria's 19 |
Linesmen |
Gemini |
Ermanno
Silvano |
|
|
Austria
Team |
|
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 9th to 11th |
Colours |
White lace-up collared jerseys, black shorts, black socks
with red/white/red hoop. |
Captain |
Ernst Ocwirk |
Manager |
Walter Nausch, 45 (5 February 1907).
Team chosen on Monday, 19 May 1952 |
Trainer: Eduard Fruehwirt |
Austria
Lineup |
1 |
Musil, Joséf |
31 292 days |
7 August 1920 |
G |
SK
Rapid Wien |
5 |
10ᵍᵃ |
final app
1947-52 |
2 |
Röckl, Rudolf |
25 134 days |
12 January 1927 |
RB |
First Vienna FC |
14 |
0 |
3 |
Happel, Ernst F.H. |
26 178 days |
29 November 1925 |
LB |
SK Rapid Wien |
24 |
3 |
4 |
Schleger, Dr.
Walter |
22
249 days |
19 September 1929
in Praha, Czechoslovakia |
RHB |
FK Austria Wien |
4 |
0 |
5 |
Ocwirk, Ernst |
26
79 days |
7 March 1926 |
CHB/IR |
FK Austria Wien |
34 |
2 |
6 |
Brinek, Theodor |
31
16 days |
9 May 1921 |
LHB |
SC
Wacker Wien |
11 |
2 |
7 |
Melchior, Ernst |
31
334 days |
26 June 1920 |
OR |
FK Austria Wien |
33 |
16 |
8 |
Hanappi, Gerhard |
23 99 days |
16 February 1929 |
IR/CHB |
SK
Rapid Wien |
31 |
0 |
9
|
Dienst, Robert |
24
85 days |
1 March 1928 |
CF |
SK Rapid Wien |
6 |
5 |
10 |
Huber, Adolf |
29
81 days |
5 March 1923 |
IL |
FK Austria Wien |
9 |
10 |
|
11th
penalty against scored
(21st overall) |
|
|
|
11 |
Haummer, Walter |
23 185 days |
22 November 1928 |
OL |
SC Wacker Wien |
2 |
1 |
unused substitutes: |
Franz
Pelikan (SC Wacker), Karl Stotz (FK Austria), Karl Koller (SK Rapid),
Karl Decker
(SK Rapid). |
Selector and trainer, Walter Nausch, played for Austria against
England on three occasions, in 1930, 1932 and 1936. He was also the
captain in their 1936 victory. |
"When the Austrian Football Association's president, Dr. Josef
Geroe, knew the result he fainted, had to be helped to his car and
taken home. He did not recover in time to attend a banquet later for
both teams." - Daily Herald, Monday, 26 May 1952 |
|
2-3-5 |
Musil - Röckl, Happel - Schleger, Ocwirk, Brinek - Melchior, Hanappi,
Dienst, Huber, Haummer. notes:
Ocwirk and Hanappi swapped places during the second half in an effort
to break down the stubborn English defence. |
Averages: |
Age |
26 years 325
days |
Appearances/Goals |
15.7 |
3.4 |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 4th to 3rd |
Colours |
The 1952 away
uniform -
Red collared jerseys, white shorts, red socks.
|
P first of two, W 1 - D 0 - L
0 - F
3 - A 2. |
Captain |
Billy Wright
|
Manager |
Walter Winterbottom, 39 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946; |
record 27th of 90, W 17 - D 4 - L 6 - F 65 - A 34. |
Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) |
P 45th of 139, W 30 - D 8 - L 7 - F 134 - A 53. |
|
³ |
Team chosen by Selection Committee
headed by Arthur Oakley, on Wednesday, 21 May, in Siena. |
England
Lineup |
|
three
changes
to the previous match
(Eckersley, Sewell & Baily>Garrett, Broadis & Pearson) |
FINAL league positions
(3 May) |
|
|
Merrick, Gilbert H. |
30 120 days |
26 January 1922 |
G |
Birmingham City FC
(FL2 3rd) |
5 |
6ᵍᵃ |
|
3rd keeper to face two penalty kicks |
|
|
|
2 |
Ramsey, Alfred E. |
32 124 days |
22 January 1920 |
RB |
Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL RU) |
21 |
1 |
3 |
Eckersley, William |
26 314 days |
16 July 1925 |
LB |
Blackburn Rovers FC
(FL2 14th) |
7 |
0 |
4 |
Wright, William A. |
28 109 days |
6 February 1924 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC (FL 16th) |
42 |
3 |
most apps 1952 |
5 |
Froggatt, Jack |
29 190 days |
17 November 1922 |
CHB |
Portsmouth FC (FL
4th) |
7 |
1 |
6 |
Dickinson, James
W. |
27 31 days |
24 April 1925 |
LHB |
Portsmouth
FC (FL 4th) |
19 |
0 |
7 |
Finney,
Thomas |
30 50 days |
5 April 1922 |
OR |
Preston
North End FC (FL
7th) |
38 |
20 |
8
|
Sewell, John |
25 122 days |
24 January 1927 |
IR |
Sheffield Wednesday FC
(FL2 Winners) |
2 |
1 |
9
|
Lofthouse, Nathaniel |
26 265 days |
27 August 1925 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC
(FL 5th) |
7 |
7 |
the
159th (26th post-war) brace scored |
10 |
Baily, Edward F. |
26 293 days |
6 August 1925 |
IL |
Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL RU) |
7 |
5 |
11 |
Elliott, William H. |
27
66 days |
20 March 1925 |
OL |
Burnley FC (FL 14th) |
2 |
0 |
unused substitutes: |
Ronnie Allen (West Bromwich Albion FC
(FL 13th)),
Ivor Broadis (Manchester City FC (FL
15th)),
Tom Garrett (Blackpool FC (FL 9th)),
Bill Nicholson (Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL RU)),
Stan Pearson (Manchester United FC
(FL CHAMPIONS)) and
Bert Williams (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
(FL 16th)). |
team notes: |
For the first time in thirteen matches
(USA, July
1950), England have not started with a debutant. |
|
2-3-5 |
Merrick
- Ramsey, Eckersley - Wright, Froggatt, Dickinson - Finney,
Sewell, Lofthouse, Baily, Elliott. |
Averages: |
Age |
28 years
89 days |
Appearances/Goals |
14.3 |
3.2 |
|
|
Match Report by
Mike Payne |
This match against probably
the best of the current European sides, gave England a famous victory. The
game was a personal triumph for their centre-forward Nat Lofthouse. He was
outstanding and his performance earned him the nickname 'The Lion of
Vienna'.
A crowd of over 65,000, considerably boosted
by the presence of many British soldiers stationed in Austria, saw a
thrilling match that often became very rough, especially in the latter
stages.
England decided on a tactical plan that allowed
the Austrians to attack them continually. They defended in numbers and
relied on a positive breakaway or two. From the first such breakaway
England scored a fine goal. In a flowing move the ball sped from Eddie
Baily to Billy Elliott, on to Jackie Sewell whose centre was met by Nat
Lofthouse who thumped it past Musil.
England's joy lasted barely a
minute as Austria were then awarded a rather fortunate penalty after Jack
Froggatt's shoulder charge on Dienst was seen as a foul by the referee.
Huber made no mistake with the spot-kick. This sent the crowd wild with
delight and the home attacks grew even more fierce.
But the England
players held their nerve and on 31 minutes another excellent break gave
them a second goal. This time it was Froggatt who set the move going,
slipping the ball to Billy Wright. Wright moved forward and released a
fine pass through to Sewell who sold a marvellous dummy to the whole
Austrian defence before cracking in a fine right-foot shot which left
Musil helpless.
Austria were stunned but came back strongly and
with only three minutes of the first-half left they scored a superb
equaliser. It came from Dienst and was the result of a glorious run and
shot giving Gil Merrick no chance.
What followed after the break
was probably one of the toughest halves England have ever faced. The
Austrians tried to power their way through and the visitors needed all
their experience to keep them out.
Then on 82 minutes came a
wonderful moment for the English fans present. Once again a swift break
paid off as Merrick's kick was flicked on by Tom Finney's head to send
Lofthouse scampering away from the half-way line. With the entire Austrian
defence bearing down on him from behind the Bolton star kept his nerved
and slipped the ball past Musil as the goalkeeper came out of his goal.
Lofthouse never saw the goal as the defenders had clattered into him
as he shot and he had to go off for treatment. But the great-hearted
player was soon back and in the last few seconds he came desperately close
to a hat-trick when another shot crashed against the bar.
The
British soldiers went beserk at the end of the match and chaired the
brilliant Lofthouse from the field in their delight. For Lofthouse it was
a game he will never forget.
|
Match Report by
Norman Giller |
The match that earned Nat Lofthouse the nickname 'The Lion of Vienna.'
Eight minutes from the end, with the game deadlocked at 2-2, Tom Finney
collected a long throw from Gil Merrick and released a pass that sent
Lofty clear just inside the Austrian half. He galloped forty-five yards
with a pack of defenders snapping at his heels, and collided with oncoming
goalkeeper Musil as he released a shot. He was flat out unconscious and
did not see the ball roll over the goal-line for the winning goal. The
Bolton hero was carried off on a stretcher, but, still dazed, returned for
the final five minutes. He struck a shot against a post in the closing
moments. England's counter-attacking tactics had worked to perfection.
They took the lead in the twenty-first minute after soaking up non-stop
pressure from the Austrians, who were rated the number one team in Europe.
A penetrating pass by Eddie Baily opened the heart of the Austrian defence
and Lofthouse finished off the move with a left-foot volley deep into the
net. The cheers of the Partys of British soldiers in the 65,500 crowd were
still filling the Prater Stadium when Jack Froggatt conceded a penalty
from which Huber side-footed an equaliser. The Portsmouth centre-half
quickly made amends with a pass that put Jackie Sewell through to score
after he had wrong-footed the Austrian defenders with two exaggerated
dummies. Austria pulled level again just before half-time through
centre-forward Diego, who shrugged off Billy Wright's challenge before
powering the ball past goalkeeper Gil Merrick. Then came the storybook
climax from Lofthouse. The triumphant England players were carried back to
their dressing-room on the shoulders of cheering Tommies, who had come
from their posts in Germany in their thousands.
|
Match Report
as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1952-53, pages 27-28 |
The decision to visit Siena before going to
Vienna for the return match against the Austrians on May 25th led to much
adverse criticism. But the detour afforded the team a rest in delightful
surroundings, and there were opportunities for some hard spells of
training, so that the team arrived at the Prater ground fit and confident.
Against a tough and perhaps the most scientific opposition in Europe,
England played a gallant match, and at the end gave a display of British
football at its best. The early stages produced little of notice, except
for some fine midfield play by the Austrians. Then in the 21st minute came
a snap goal by Lofthouse from a neat pass by Sewell. The next four minutes
produced a further two goals: first Huber scored for Austria from a
penalty; then came a brilliant solo effort by Sewell. Just before
half-time Dienst collected a rebound from Froggatt's tackle and scored a
clever equaliser. In the second half the game became very ragged and
rough, but England lasted the pace better than the Austrians. Then came
Lofthouse's magnificent run from the half-way line to make the score 3-2 —
the first occasion on which England has won in Austria for over 40 years.
International
Football Results
(25 May 1952) |
Denmark 1 Scotland 2
Københavns Idrætspark, Copenhagen
(39,000)
Rasmussen ~ Thornton, Reilly |
|
|
Scotland were pleased to end
their first of two games in Scandinavia (Sweden was to follow)
with a victory, but they were not too impressive against the
amateur Danes. |
|
|
|
In
Other News....
It was on 24 May 1952 that 19-year-old actress, Joan Collins
married a 32-year-old Irish actor, Maxwell Reed at Caxton
Hall in London. They were divorced, four years later, and
she married four more times, but she went on to have a
hugely successful career in film and television. The
American soap opera, Dynasty, brought her international fame
in the 1980s, and she became a Dame in 2015. |
|
Source Notes |
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports Official
Matchday Programme Drew Herbertson,
Scottish FA Historian |
|
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
Norman Giller, Football Author
British Pathé |
|
cg |