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'B' 13 vs. Scotland
Wednesday, 11 March 1953
International 'B' Friendly Match


Scotland 2 England 2
[0-1]
 
The England B team were originally due to meet their French counterparts.
Easter Road Stadium, Albion Place, Leith, Edinburgh, Midlothian
Kick-off (GMT): 3.00pm.

Attendance: '16,875.'
kick-off unknown
[0-0] Jackie Henderson freekick strike hits the bar

[0-0] Doug Lishman lob hits the bar 17
[0-1] Bill Holden header 17
headed in the rebound after Lishman's shot hit the crossbar
[1-1] Ian McMillan 53
 hit the ball on the turn from a Jackie  Henderson pass


[2-2] Angus Morrison header 57
 headed in Jackie Henderson's corner


[1-2] Jack Grainger 55
turned in a Don Roper cross

[2-2] Doug Lishman 12 yd shot hits the bar 76
There is no Television or Radio coverage
 
"A LONG WAIT FOR THAT 'EXPLOSION'" Daily Mirror
Officials from Ireland Scotland UK ruling on substitutes England
Referee
Thomas James Mitchell
41 (28 January 1912), Lurgan, Ulster
The draw for the Coronation Cup Tournament was made prior to this match.
11 May, Celtic FC vs. Arsenal FC at Hampden Park &
Scottish League Champions vs. Tottenham Hotspur FC at Ibrox
13 May, Rangers FC vs. Manchester United FC at Hampden Park &
Scottish Cup winners vs. Newcastle United FC at Ibrox.
(should Celtic of Rangers win the League or Cup, then the runner-sup will fill the vacancy)
Linesmen
tbc tbc
 
Scotland B Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours Dark blue jerseys with white collars, white shorts, blue socks with white/blue tops.
Captain Tommy Docherty Selection Scottish 2nd XI FA Selection Committee
team chosen on Wednesday, 4 March 1953.
Scotland Lineup
  Simpson, Ronald C. 22
151 days
11 October 1930 G Newcastle United FC, England 1 2ᵍᵃ
only B app 1953
2 Aird, John R. 26
83 days
18 December 1926 RB Burnley FC, England 1 0
only B app 1953
3 Hewie, John D. 25
88 days
13 December 1927
in Pretoria, South Africa
LB Charlton Athletic FC, England 1 0
4 Docherty, Thomas H. 24
321 days
24 April 1928 RHB Preston North End FC, England 2 0
final B app 1953
5 Cowie, Douglas 26
314 days
1 May 1926 CHB Dundee FC 1 0
only B app 1953
6 Kelly, Hugh T. 29
231 days
23 July 1923 LHB Blackpool FC, England 2 0
final B app 1953
7
Henderson, John G. 21
53 days
17 January 1932 OR/CF Portsmouth FC, England 1 0
8 Moir, William 30
326 days
19 April 1922 IR Bolton Wanderers FC, England 2 0
final B app 1953
9 Bonthrone, James 23
268 days
16 June 1929 CF/OR East Fife FC 1 0
only B app 1953
10
McMillan, John L. 21
358 days
18 March 1931 IL Airdrieonians FC 1 1
only B app 1953
11
Morrison, Angus C. 28
319 days
26 April 1924 OL Preston North End FC, England 1 1
only B app 1953
reserve: Tommy Gallacher (Dundee FC)
team changes: Kelly replaced Partick Thistle FC's Jimmy Davidson, after he was injured in his club's match against East Fife FC the previous Saturday. Cowie was originally named as left-half until he replaced Davidson in the centre, with Kelly filling the vacant left-half berth.
 
2-3-5 Simpson -
Aird, Hewie -
Docherty, Cowie, Kelly -
Henderson, Moir, Bonthrone, McMillan, Morrison
notes: in the 76th minute, Henderson and Bonthrone swapped positions, in an effort to find a winner
Averages: Age 25 years 230 days Appearances/Goals 1.3 0
youngest known opposing B team so far
 
England B Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours The 1949 home uniform - White collared jerseys, blue shorts, red socks with white tops.
Captain Tommy Cummings Manager Walter Winterbottom, 39 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
first of two. W 0 - D 1 - L 0 - F 2 - A 2. Trainer: Bert Johnson (Sunderland AFC) seventh of fourteen B matches, W 5 - D 2 - L 0 - F 21 - A 3.
  Team chosen by the Intermediate Selection Committee, headed by Joe Richards, on Monday, 23 February.
England Lineup
  ten changes to the previous B match (only Barlow remains) league positions (23 February)  
7   Nethercott, Kenneth W.S. 27
232 days
22 July 1925 G Norwich City FC (FL3S 5th) 1 2ᵍᵃ
74 only B app 1953
75 2 Staniforth, Ronald 28
332 days
13 April 1924 RB Huddersfield Town FC (FL 22nd bottom) 1 0
only B app 1953
76 3 Byrne, Roger W. 23
184 days
8 September 1929 LB Manchester United FC (FL TOP) 1 0
77 4 Adamson, James 23
341 days
4 April 1929 RHB Burnley FC (FL 10th) 1 0
only B app 1953
78 5 Cummings, Thomas S. 24
180 days
12 September 1928 CHB Burnley FC (FL 10th) 1 0
6 Barlow, Raymond J. 26
184 days
17 August 1926 LHB West Bromwich Albion FC (FL 17th) 2 1
final B app 1953
79 7
Grainger, John 28
342 days
3 April 1924 OR Rotherham United FC (FL2 8th) 1 1
only B app 1953
80 8 Quixall, Albert 19
192 days
9 August 1933 IR Sheffield Wednesday FC (FL2 2nd) 1 0
youngest B player so far
81 9
Holden, William 24
340 days
1 April 1928 CF Burnley FC (FL 10th) 1 1
only B app 1953
82 10 Lishman, Douglas J. 29
178 days
14 September 1923 IL Arsenal FC (FL 2nd) 1 0
only B app 1953
83 11
Roper, Donald G.B. 30
87 days
14 December 1922 OL Arsenal FC (FL 2nd) 1 0
only B app 1953
reserves: Syd Owen (Swindon Town FC (FL2 8th)), Jack Grainger was replaced by Harry Kirtley (Sunderland AFC (FL 15th)) on 9 March.
team changes: Staniforth replaced original-named right-back, Ken Green (Birmingham City FC (FL2 5th)) on 5 March, after Green was needed for his club's FA Cup sixth round second replay against Tottenham Hotspur FC. Original reserve Grainger replaced Arsenal FC's unfit Arthur Milton at outside-right on 9 March.
 
2-3-5 Nethercott -
Staniforth, Byrne -
Adamson, Cummings, Barlow -
Grainger, Quixall, Holden, Lishman, Roper
Averages: Age 26 years 76 days Appearances/Goals 1.1 0.1
 
              News

"The Scottish selectors were so pleased with their B team's display they allowed the players to keep their jerseys. The Englishmen had to hand back their white shirts but were given permission to keep the badges." - Thursday, 12 March 1953, The Dundee Courier
   

              Match Report by Alec Young, Daily Mirror, 12 March 1953

Finally it ended up all square at two goals each, the "B" international between Scotland and England at Edinburgh yesterday. It took all the first half for the game to break out of its cellophane wrapper, into a lusty, competitive match, and while few reputations were enhanced, few were lost.
For Scotland, I should say that Dundee's Douglas Cowie is in for Wembley but only Portsmouth's Henderson of the remainder, can make an immediate claim for honours. The English defence looked unsteady in early Scottish attacks, and a free-kick struck by Henderson struck both the crossbar and Nethercott before scrambled clear.
The Scots defenders covered well, and their forwards settled down more quickly than the English. But in seventeen minutes England took the lead. Their forwards had settled down now, and the defence had steadied. 
    As Simpson advanced towards him, Lishman lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper's head. The lob was too high and struck the crossbar, but Holden running in, had an easy task to catch the rebound and head into the net.
The Scots thundered their way into the picture after this, but nearly every attack broke against the strong defensive play of Cummings. Henderson was the best forward, but Billy Moir, who with Adamson was injured in a collision inside the England penalty box, was not at his best in laying on the service. It was unlucky for the players that the crowd, no more than 22,000, was to small to create the tense 'atmosphere' of an international to goad the team into a thrilling game.
There was an explosion of goals in the second half to shake the game into rip-roaring life. Jackie Henderson put the match to the fuse when he pushed the ball through for McMillan to equalise for Scotland. Two minutes later, England went back into the lead when Grainger screwed in a pass from Holden. Before this one was dry, Morrison got Scotland's second from a corner by Henderson.
    That was three goals in three minutes! This was football!

After this the sting remained in the play, but there was little to chose between the teams, whose chief claim to fame was enthusiasm rather than brilliance.

   

              Source Notes
Scottish Football Association   Original newspaper reports
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