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"FIVE-GOAL
ENGLAND LET THE BELGIANS OFF WITH 'CAUTION'"
Daily Mirror |
Officials
from Netherlands |
England |
FIFA ruling on substitutes |
Belgium |
Referee (black)
Leopold
Sylvain Horn 36 (29
August 1916), Sittard |
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.
Teams presented to the Guest of Honour,
The Duke of Gloucester. |
flame flag
Linesmen
orange flag |
Johann Bronkhurst
38 (3 March 1914), Velp |
Klaas Schipper 41 (2
December 1910), Groningen |
|
|
|
England
Team |
|
|
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 4th |
Colours |
The 1949 home
uniform -
White collared jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white
tops. |
P 28th of 43, W 17 - D 6 - L 5 - F
78 - A 39. |
Captain |
Billy Wright |
Manager |
Walter Winterbottom, 39 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946; |
record 31st of 90, W 20 - D 5 - L 6 - F 80 - A 38. |
Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) |
P 49th of 139, W 33 - D 9 - L 7 - F 149 - A 57. |
|
³ |
Team chosen by Selection Committee headed by Harold Shentall, on Tuesday, 18
November, in Sheffield. |
England
Lineup |
|
unchanged
from the previous match |
league positions
(18 November) |
|
|
Merrick, Gilbert H. |
30 305 days |
26 January 1922 |
G |
Birmingham City FC
(FL2 8th) |
9 |
10ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Ramsey, Alfred E. |
32 309 days |
22 January 1920 |
RB |
Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL 18th) |
25 |
1 |
3 |
Smith, Lionel |
32 95 days |
23 August 1920 |
LB |
Arsenal FC
(FL 4th) |
5 |
0 |
4 |
Wright, William A. |
28
294 days |
6 February 1924 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC (FL TOP) |
46 |
3 |
most apps 1952 |
5 |
Froggatt, Jack |
30 39 days |
17 November 1922 |
CHB |
Portsmouth FC (FL
8th) |
11 |
2 |
6 |
Dickinson, James
W. |
27 216 days |
24 April 1925 |
LHB |
Portsmouth
FC (FL 8th) |
23 |
0 |
7
|
Finney,
Thomas |
30 235 days |
5 April 1922 |
OR |
Preston
North End FC (FL 12th) |
42 |
21 |
8
|
Bentley,
T.F. Roy |
28 195 days |
17 May 1924 |
IR |
Chelsea
FC (FL 17th) |
8 |
3 |
9
|
Lofthouse, Nathaniel |
27 90 days |
27 August 1925 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC
(FL 16th) |
11 |
14 |
the
163rd (30th post-war) brace scored |
oldest youngest player
so far |
10
|
Froggatt, Redfern |
28 95 days |
23 August 1924 |
IL |
Sheffield Wednesday FC (FL 11th) |
2 |
1 |
11
|
Elliott, William H. |
27 251 days |
20 March 1925 |
OL |
Burnley FC (FL 2nd) |
5 |
3 |
the
162nd (29th post-war) brace scored |
final app 1952 |
unused
substitutes: |
Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham Hotspur FC
(FL 18th)),
Joe Kennedy (West Bromwich
Albion FC (FL 6th)) and
Dennis Wilshaw (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
(FL TOP)). Wilshaw damaged his
ankle in his club's league match the previous Saturday, his place
going to
Ronnie Allen (West Bromwich Albion FC
(FL 6th)) on 24 November. |
team notes: |
Not since their second
WCF match in 1950 against United States have England fielded an unchanged
side. |
appearance notes: |
Nat Lofthouse is again the youngest player of
the eleven starting the match, thus breaking a record he set in the
previous match, by fourteen
days. Lofthouse will be the oldest youngest player until he breaks his
record again in the next match. |
records: |
This is the fourth match unbeaten at Wembley by England, equaling a
pre-war record. This victory extends
the post-war unbeaten record to thirteen games without loss. |
goalscoring
records: |
Nat Lofthouse ends the year as top goalscorer for the second
successive year. His nine goals coming across seven matches. |
Players once again trained on the ground of Chelsea FC, Stamford
Bridge. |
It was after this match, at a banquet at a Park Lane Hotel in London, that
Billy Wright received an award, an illuminated address, for becoming
England's player with the most appearances. |
|
2-3-5 |
Merrick - Ramsey, Smith - Wright, J.Froggatt,
Dickinson - Finney, Bentley, Lofthouse, R.Froggatt,
Elliott. |
Averages: |
Age |
29 years 193
days |
Appearances/Goals |
17.0 |
3.9 |
most experienced post-war team
so far |
|
|
Belgium
Team |
|
|
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 27th to 28th |
Colours |
Red lace-up collared jerseys, black shorts, black socks with yellow
tops. |
Captain |
Jef Mermans |
Manager |
William Joseph Gormlie (b.mid-1911 in Toxteth Park,
England). Team chosen on Monday, 17 November 1952. |
Belgium
Lineup |
|
Boogaerts, Ferdinand P. |
31
275 days |
25 February 1921 |
G |
Royal Standard de Liége |
6 |
24ᵍᵃ |
final app
1951-52 |
2 |
Diricx, Henri |
25 142 days |
7 July 1927 |
RB |
Union St. Gilloise |
5 |
0 |
3 |
Van Brandt, Alfons |
25 155 days |
24 June 1927 |
LB |
Koninklijke Lierse Sk |
5 |
0 |
4 |
Mees, Victor |
25 305 days |
26 January 1927 |
RHB |
Royal Antwerp FC |
22 |
0 |
5 |
Carré, Louis |
27 324 days |
7 January 1925 |
CHB |
RFC Liégeois |
27 |
0 |
6 |
Maertens, Robert |
22 307 days |
24 January 1930 |
LHB |
Royale Antwerp FC |
6 |
0 |
7 |
Lemberechts, Victor |
28 197 days |
15 May 1924 |
OR |
KV Mechelen |
31 |
10 |
8 |
Van Der Auwera, Jan |
28 322 days |
9 January 1924 |
IR |
RC Mechelen |
19 |
0 |
10 |
Coppens, Henri F.L. |
22 211 days |
29 April 1930 |
CF |
Royale Bierschot AC |
12 |
3 |
9 |
Mermans, Joseph |
30
284 days |
16 February 1922 |
IL |
RSC Anderlecht |
36 |
23 |
11 |
Straetmans, Jean |
21
61 days |
26 September 1931 |
OL |
Royale White Star AC |
1 |
0 |
unused
substitutes: |
Armand Seghers, Willy Saeren, Pol Anoul, Michel Bensch. |
team notes: |
The Belgians made a forward switch, Mermans and Coppens swapping
positions. |
|
2-3-5 |
Boogaerts - Diricx, Van Brandt - Mees, Carré, Maertens -
Lemberechts, Van Der Auwera, Coppens, Mermans, Straetmans |
Averages: |
Age |
26 years 170 days |
Appearances/Goals |
15.5 |
3.3 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
On
a bitterly cold day and, with a pitch covered in icy patches, England
produced another fine performance to continue their good run. Belgium
became the latest victims of the unbeaten home record against continental
sides and they ended the match well beaten.
England's recent
good form has coincided with the excellent play of two players in
particular. Redfern Froggatt and Nat Lofthouse have been superb with
Lofthouse especially the outstanding star of the England side.
The Duke of Gloucester was the VIP
guest and he, and the rest of the disappointing crowd of 65,000, enjoyed
some sparkling football.
England took the lead early on, a
familiar pattern, when Tom Finney fed a lovely pass to Lofthouse. He
nodded it down to his right foot before crashing a drive against the
Belgium crossbar. When the rebound came out, Billy Elliott was on hand to
hit a firm shot wide of Boogaerts.
From that moment, England rarely
lost control. Playing neat and constructive football they continually
split the Belgium defence to set up many chances. Roy Bentley missed, so
did Finney but, shortly before half-time, the deserved second goal duly
arrived. It was a real beauty.
Redfern Froggatt made another good
break, this time down the left. When his centre came over, Finney and
Bentley combined well to set up Lofthouse. Again, he fired in a fierce
shot, which this time went in off the crossbar.
Six minutes into
the second half, England emphasised their dominance with a third goal.
This time Finney sent Bentley away down the left. He carefully measured a
lovely cross into the middle where Lofthouse's challenge forced Boogaerts
to fumble, allowing Elliott the chance to shoot home from close range as
the ball fell loose.
It was all England now and on the hour they
scored again. Redfern Froggatt, who had already missed several good
chances including a sitter just previously, this time made no mistake when
he headed home Finney's free-kick perfectly.
Apart from the
occasional break from the hard working Coppings and Mermans, Belgium had
little to offer although it must be said that England's defence held
together brilliantly to emphasise what a good team performance it had
been.
With the second half being played in driving sleet, the
conditions were awful but nonetheless the football certainly warmed the
crowd. Belgium did make a spirited rally towards the end and at last gave
Gil Merrick something to warm him up. But the final word had to come from
the man Lofthouse.
He rose superbly to head in Bentley's precise
cross to round off a fine performance and another excellent result.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
Nat Lofthouse kept up his one-man
bombardment with a double strike that took his haul to nine goals in five
games. Redfern Froggatt scored his first goal for England, and Burnley
winger Billy Elliott netted twice against the outplayed Belgians. The game
was played in a driving sleet, and ice patches formed on the famous
Wembley turf, making it difficult for defenders to keep their feet.
England led 2-0 at the end of a first-half in which they might have had
half a dozen goals against a completely outplayed Belgian team.
|
Match Report
by Glen Isherwood |
Belgium had appeared at Wembley
twice before in unofficial internationals. England had never failed to
beat them at home but had lost 3-2 in Brussels in 1936. Belgium had not
competed in the 1950 World Cup. England took the lead in only the fourth
minute. Lofthouse hit a thunderous shot against the bar and Billy Elliott
scored from the rebound.
Just before the interval Finney
and Bentley neatly prised open the Belgian defence and Nat Lofthouse
unleashed another powerful shot which this time went in off the bar. Three
minutes after the break, from a Bentley cross, Lofthouse challenged
Boogaerts and Elliott slotted in his second. The fourth came after an hour
with Redfern Froggatt heading in a Finney free kick. Lofthouse scored the
fifth with a header from Bentley's cross.
|
Match Report
as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1953-54, page 21 |
A fortnight later England
appeared at Wembley again with an unchanged team, and its form confirmed
that what had been seen against Wales was no flash in the pan. Belgium
were not of the same mettle as Wales, but 10 goals at Wembley in a
fortnight speaks very much for itself. Belgium were outpaced and
outmanoeuvred on a frozen surface and in driving sleet.
They played neatly but too close; yet in the last quarter hour they
rallied sufficiently to give Merrick a warming. Finney was perhaps the
best of the forwards, but it was the culture of Froggatt (R.) at
inside-left and Lofthouse's leadership in the middle that made for the
smooth flow of England's attack, its penetration and finishing power.
England went ahead in the third minute when a shot from Lofthouse almost
splintered the Belgian cross-bar. The rebound came to Elliott and he shot
home. Then just before half-time another thunderbolt from Lofthouse went
in via the underside of the bar. Elliott scored England's third soon after
half-time, Froggatt (R.) headed home Finney's free-kick to make it four,
and Lofthouse, with all the time in the world, picked his spot to head in
a precise centre from Bentley to make it five.
Domestic
Football Results
(26 November 1952) |
FA
Cup First Round Replays:
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
2 Ipswich Town 2ᴭᵀ
Dean Court, Bournemouth
(7,294)
Rees
OG, Cross
~ Elsworthy, Garneys |
Gillingham 3 Wellington Town 0
Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham
(7,383)
Scarth, Forrester,
Long |
Reading 1 Crystal Palace 3
Elm Park, Reading
(8,167)
Brooks
~ Fell (2),
Rainford |
Wimbledon 0 Walthamstow Avenue
3
Plough Lane, Wimbledon
(2,500)
Lewis
(2),
Bailey |
|
|
Walthamstow expertly dispatched
fellow Isthmian League club, Wimbledon from the competition and
went on to become the first amateur club to reach the FA Cup
fourth round in 24 years. They had won the FA Amateur Cup at
Wembley, seven months earlier, and would go on to win the Isthmian
League Championship, but their greatest claim to fame came in
holding the reigning Football League Champions, Manchester United
to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the fourth round, before
succumbing to a 5-2 replay defeat at Highbury. |
|
|
””
In
Other News....
It was on 26
November 1952 that the final report into the Lynmouth
Flood Disaster of three months earlier, outlined the plans
by the Devon River Board for diverting the River Lyn around
the village. A violent storm had dropped nine inches of rain
onto Exmoor, sending a huge wave of water and debris through
the valley and into Lynmouth. 34 people died, and another
420 were left homeless. |
|
Source Notes |
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Belgianfootball.be Drew Herbertson, Scottish FA historian
The Complete Book of the British Charts |
|
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
Norman Giller, Football Author
Glen Isherwood's Wembley: The Complete Record
British Pathé |
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cg |