The England Party for the end-of-season European Tour  May 1952
Player	Birthdate	Age	Pos	Club	starts	subs	App	G	Capt
Allen, Ronald	15 January 1929	23	OR	West Bromwich Albion FC	0	0	0	0	0
Baily, Edward F.	6 August 1925	24	IL	Tottenham Hotspur FC	7	0	7	5	0
Broadis, Ivan A.	18 December 1922	28	IR	Manchester City FC	3	0	3	1	0
Dickinson, James W.	24 April 1925	27	LHB	Portsmouth FC	19	0	19	0	0
Eckersley, William	16 July 1925	26	LB	Blackburn Rovers FC	7	0	7	0	0
Elliott, William H.	20 March 1925	27	OL	Burnley FC	2	0	2	0	0
Finney, Thomas	5 April 1922	30	OR	Preston North End FC	38	0	38	20	0
Froggatt, Jack	17 November 1922	29	CHB	Portsmouth FC	7	0	7	1	0
Garrett, Thomas	28 February 1926	26	LB	Blackpool FC	2	0	2	0	0
Lofthouse, Nathaniel	27 August 1925	26	CF	Bolton Wanderers FC	7	0	7	7	0
Merrick, Gilbert H.	26 January 1922	30	G	Birmingham City FC	5	0	5	6ᵍᵃ	0
Nicholson, William E.	26 January 1919	33	RHB	Tottenham Hotspur FC	1	0	1	1	0
Pearson, Stanley C.	11 January 1919	33	IL	Manchester United FC	8	0	8	5	0
Ramsey, Alfred E.	22 January 1920	32	RB	Tottenham Hotspur FC	21	0	21	0	3
Sewell, John	24 January 1927	25	IR	Sheffield Wednesday FC	2	0	2	1	0
Williams, Bert F.	31 January 1920	31	G	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	18	0	18	24ᵍᵃ	0
Wright, William A.	6 February 1924	28	RHB	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	42	0	42	3	25

All information is complete to and including England's last match, the sixth of the 1951-52 season, against Italy on 18 May 1952.

Diary

Friday, 25 April 1952 - The Football Association Selection Committee chose their seventeen players to take in three matches on the Continental Tour. No players have been chosen from either of the FA Cup finalists, Arsenal FC and Newcastle United FC. This means that Jackie Milburn, the United centre-forward, who was a strong candidate for a place in the party, will be able to go to South Africa with the club.
At the same meeting, the B team to face France B on 22 May is also selected.

Monday, 12 May 1952 - The Party report to Eastbourne. As an experiment, suggested by the F.A. Technical Committee, all tuning-up for the Italy-England match is being carried out at the Sussex resort.

Tuesday, 13 May 1952 - Thirteen of the Party who arrived yesterday took part in light training on Larkin's Field. Finney, Dickinson and Froggatt also arrived to swell the party to sixteen. Only Jackie Sewell was missing, as he is already in Switzerland. Later in the day, the B Team also report to Eastbourne for light training, as part of the Technical Committee's experiment. There are two enforced changes to the B team, Preston's Derek Lewis and Cardiff's Charlie Rutter have been forced to withdraw, there places going to Foster and Gunter. There are now thirty players at training headquarters—a useful mixture of seasoned stars and promising youngsters—from whom teams for practise work-outs can be drawn. All are staying at The Albion Hotel in the town.

Wednesday, 14 May 1952 - Full-scale trials under the guidance of Walter Winterbottom on a schoolboys' pitch near their Eastbourne headquarters, under the presence of the selectors. The starting XI that will face the Italians is named, showing just one change from the team that defeated Scotland, Billy Elliott winning his first cap instead of Jack Rowley, who is not part of the touring Party. The two teams play against each other, with the senior side winning two-nil, Pearson and Nicholson scoring for the seniors, with both goals set up by Elliott.
In the afternoon, the players and officials called on the Mayor of Eastbourne, Alderman R.J.S. Croft, at the Town Hall and visit the summer show at the Winter Garden Pavilion.

Thursday, 16 May 1952 - The England team leave London Airport for Milan, before taking the train to Florence (right).

Saturday, 17 May 1952 - The England team are invited to watch a football match in Florence between local sides in medieval costumes in the public gardens. The costume game is a tradition dating to the early 16th century, when the early Florentines played a form of football.

Sunday, 18 May 1952 - England drew today in one of the poorest international matches for many years before a large crowd. The Italians were unlucky not to beat England for the first time and there are certain to be changes in the England team for their game against Austria next Sunday. Billy Wright ended the match with a damaged right knee, whereas Alf Ramsey had a sore shoulder. Billy Wright also equals the record appearance tally set by Bob Crompton. Trainer Jimmy Trotter works to treat Wright's injured knee.

Tuesday, 20 May 1952 - The England team leave Florence for Siena, in northern Italy, a sixty mile road trip. They travelled in a luxury Pullman motor-coach equipped with a refrigerator for iced drinks as well as a radio. A halt was made at the town of Empoli, where the team visited one of the leading raincoat manufacturers and each player was presented with a raincoat. Wright and Ramsey both report themselves as fit to play, ahead of tomorrow's team selection.

Wednesday, 21 May 1952 - Following a two-hour meeting, the England team is selected, and as expected there are changes from the side that drew with Italy. Inside-forwards Broadis and Pearson are replaced by Sewell and Baily, and Eckersley takes over at left-back, from Garrett. Much of the meeting was dedicated to deciding whether they should move Billy Wright to the inside-forward position, but given the fact that this area is well-covered, it was considered to be unfair to fulfill the change of position for the England captain. The evening was spent at a local cinema, where the team watched a full-length film of their drawn match with Italy.

Thursday, 22 May 1952 - The English footballers had an hour's training at Siena. All seventeen members of the touring party took part in the work-out, which included a practise game with nine-a-side, Walter Winterbottom, played to make up a team. Billy Wright played with a bandage on his knee. He moved better than yesterday, but is still hoping to be fully fit. Several hundred spectators watched the training. The players then attended an basketball match between a Siena team and an Austrian side.

Friday, 23 May 1952 - The England party leave Siena for Rome, where the President of the Italian FA, Dr. Barassi, laid on a lunch at Hotel Quiranale. They then leave Rome airport for Vienna and the English players eventually arrive at Hotel Atsoria in Vienna this evening following a twelve-hour journey. Chattering crowds surrounded the hotel to which they were hurriedly shepherded after a delay of two hours in their flying time. Flags, favours and programmes, appeared in the streets. The miniature railway which runs through Prater, the famous Viennese pleasure gardens, did a roaring business with visitors wanting a pre-match trip past the stadium.

Saturday, 24 May 1952 - The morning was spent training whilst the afternoon was spent resting. In the evening the British Embassy in Vienna laid on a reception for the England travelling party.

Sunday, 25 May 1952 - Austria 2 England 3 - England revived their slumping fortunes by defeating Austria, considered to be the strongest of the continental sides. British troops mingling with the capacity crowd in the Prater Stadium, in the Soviet sector, greeted the victory by waving red, white and blue rattles. Two goals from Nat Lofthouse and a single Jackie Sewell goal scored for England in a match which was marked by much robust play, particularly late in the second half, when tempers became frayed. Billy Wright now becomes the most-capped England player.
The post-match meal was held at Internationalen Haus, Wien, at 8pm, with, of course, Viennese Soup as a starter.

Monday, 26 May 1952 - Jack Froggatt twisted his leg so badly yesterday in the match that he will not be able to play against the Swiss on Wednesday. Nat Lofthouse, who received a hacked shin as he scored the winner, is also considered doubtful. The three members who have yet to feature, Bill Nicholson, Bert Williams and Ronnie Allen, are expected to be included.

Tuesday, 28 May 1952 - The England team that will face Switzerland is chosen. The selectors have decided that Jack Froggatt and Nat Lofthouse are fit to play, although they did not train with the other members of the team this morning. Ronnie Allen comes in for his first cap, as outside-right. Finney replace Billy Elliott on the left. The Chairman of the Selection Committee, Arthur Drewry, said "The hole team is fit. We have no injured players."

England Form: last six games
D W W L D W  f 11:a 7  success: 67%
266	20 October 1951 - Wales 1 England 1 [1-1] Ninian Park, Cardiff (51,500)	Foulkes Bailey	BC	AD
267	14 November 1951 - England 2 Ireland 0 [1-0] Villa Park, Birmingham (57,889)	Lofthouse (2)		HW
268	28 November 1951 - England 2 Austria 2 [0-0] Empire Stadium, Wembley (100,000)	Ramsey (pen), Lofthouse Melchior, Stojaspal (pen)	Fr	HW
269	5 April 1952 - Scotland 1 England 2 [0-2] Hampden Park, Glasgow (133,991)	Reilly Pearson (2)	BC	HL
270	18 May 1952 - Italy 1 England 1 [0-1] Stadio Comunale di Firenze, Firenze (93,000)	Amadei Broadis	tour	AD
271	25 May 1952 - Austria 2 England 3 [2-2] Praterstadion, Wien (65,500)	Huber (pen), Dienst Lofthouse (2), Sewell		AW