The England
Party for the end-of-season South American Tour
May 1953 |
Player |
Birthdate |
Age |
Pos |
Club |
starts |
subs |
App |
G |
Capt |
Barlow, Raymond J. |
17 August 1926 |
26 |
LHB |
West Bromwich Albion FC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Barrass, Malcolm W. |
13 December 1924 |
28 |
CHB |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Bentley, T.F. Roy |
17 May 1924 |
28 |
I/CF |
Chelsea FC |
8 |
0 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
Berry, R. John |
1 June 1926 |
26 |
OF |
Manchester United FC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Broadis, Ivan A. |
18 December 1922 |
30 |
IR |
Manchester City FC |
4 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
Dickinson, James W. |
24 April 1925 |
28 |
LHB |
Portsmouth FC |
24 |
0 |
24 |
0 |
0 |
Ditchburn, Edward G. |
24 October 1921 |
31 |
G |
Tottenham Hotspur FC |
2 |
0 |
2 |
3ᵍᵃ |
0 |
Eckersley, William |
16 July 1925 |
27 |
LB |
Blackburn Rovers FC |
9 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
Eckersley was called into the party on 4 May as a replacement for
Smith |
Finney,
Thomas |
5 April 1922 |
31 |
OR |
Preston
North End FC |
43 |
0 |
43 |
21 |
0 |
Froggatt, Jack |
17 November 1922 |
30 |
CHB/ OL |
Portsmouth FC |
12 |
0 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
Froggatt, Redfern |
23 August 1924 |
28 |
IL |
Sheffield Wednesday FC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
Garrett, Thomas H. |
28 February 1926 |
27 |
LB |
Blackpool FC |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Johnston, Harry |
26 September 1919 |
33 |
CHB |
Blackpool FC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Lofthouse, Nathaniel |
27 August 1925 |
27 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
12 |
0 |
12 |
14 |
0 |
Merrick, Gilbert H. |
26 January 1922 |
31 |
G |
Birmingham City FC |
10 |
0 |
10 |
12ᵍᵃ |
0 |
Ramsey, Alfred E. |
22 January 1920 |
33 |
RB |
Tottenham Hotspur FC |
26 |
0 |
26 |
1 |
3 |
Smith, Lionel |
23 August 1920 |
32 |
LB |
Arsenal FC |
6 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
Smith withdrew from the party on 4 May because of sciatica |
Taylor, Thomas |
29 January 1932 |
21 |
IL |
Manchester United FC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Wright, William A. |
6 February 1924 |
29 |
RHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
47 |
0 |
47 |
3 |
32 |
All information is complete to and including England's
last match, the fourth of the 1952-53 season, against Scotland on 18
April 1953.
Diary
Monday, 13 April 1953 - The
Football Association announce a
party of eighteen players that will represent England on their tour
of South America next month. Charlton Athletic's Jimmy Trotter has
again been chosen as the party's trainer. In three weeks five
matches will be played under strange conditions and it is reasonable
that such a large party be selected.
Tuesday, 21 April 1953 -
Yorkshire referee Arthur Ellis has been invited to accompany the FA
team to tour South America. Argentina and Chile have already agreed
that he shall control their matches against England.
Sunday, 3 May 1953 - Stanley Matthews,
hero of Blackpool's Cup Final triumph, has been invited to join the
England team which leaves for South America on Thursday. He will
make his decision after medical advice, as he has had thigh muscle
trouble for some weeks. Matthews, now 38, was dropped by
England selector's two years ago.
Monday, 4 May 1953 -
Stanley Matthews has declined the invitation to join the tour. "I am
very sorry to have to turn down the invitation, for I would have
loved to have gone. But I don't feel my thigh will be quite right
for about a fortnight yet, and it is no use going on such a trip
without feeling completely fit." Outside-right Tom Finney also
looks uncertain to go, because of a groin injury, he twice saw a
specialist last week. Another weekend problem for Walter
Winterbottom and the selectors came from the withdrawal of Lionel
Smith, the Arsenal left-back, who is suffering from sciatica and a
recurrence of an old ankle injury. His place will be taken by
Blackburn Rovers' Bill Eckersley. He will be, together with three
others of the touring party, flying with Winterbottom tomorrow to
Copenhagen, where he will play for the Football League XI against
the Danish side.
Thursday, 7 May 1953 -
The England team leave for South America, by air, BA353, via
Madrid, Dakar, Reciffe, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo, for their
longest-ever Football Association tour to date, landing at Ministro
Pistarini Airport, outside Buenos Aires. They are staying at
the Hindu Country Club, Don Torcuato, twenty miles out of Buenos Aires, where Tom
Finney is recovering after he caught a chill on the journey.
Sunday, 10 May 1953 -
The touring party watch an Argentine Second Division match.
Meanwhile, the AFA summoned 28 players to their Olympic Village to
prepare for the matches.
Monday, 11 May 1953 -
The England team train at the La Plata Stadium at Buenos Aires,
where they will meet a Buenos Aires XI on Thursday, and Argentina
next Sunday. Though dusty, the pitch at the majestic marble and
stone bowl is completely covered with grass. Rain is forecast. The
party rejected an invitation to visit the Isidro racecourse.
Tuesday, 12 May 1953 -
Sir Stanley Rous, the F.A. Secretary was marooned for three hours in
the Argentina FC offices because of a milling crowd outside wanting
tickets for the matches. Police reinforcements and firemen were
called to control the crowds. Rous eventually escaped with police
aid, which included the laying out with truncheons of two
particularly difficult men. The team to play Buenos Aires
tomorrow is chosen. It is clear that it has been decided to try to
give every member of the touring party a game. The seven omitted
players will probably play on Sunday against Argentina, or later in
the tour. Arthur Ellis will referee all four of the touring
party's matches in South America if he can get leave of absence from
his employers. Both Uruguay and Chile have agreed to Ellis handling
their matches, but he only has permission to be away for the two
Argentina matches.
Wednesday, 13 May 1953
- This morning the FA party laid wreaths on the civic altar of Eva
Perón and then were received in as a special audience by Juan Perón,
President of the Argentine Republic, at the famous Pink Palace of
Government House". Perón, wearing a dark blue morning suit, said,
through an interpreter - "I hope you win. My money is on England. I
shall be cheering for you. Our teams fight hard in the first half
and then fade away," he told the team laughingly. The President was
presented with a gold FA badge by Mr. Joseph Mears, the Chelsea
chairman and FA member. England's
match against Uruguay at the Centenario Stadium, Montevideo, will
definitely be played on Saturday, 30 May, unless weather conditions
cause a postponement. The match was originally scheduled for the
Sunday, but because of the feared possibility of bad weather the
Uruguayan officials requested the Saturday game so that there would
be a chance of playing it on the Sunday if it had to be postponed.
England
Form: last six
games |
W W D W
W D
f 20:a 8
success: 83% |
271 |
25 May 1952 -
Austria
2 England 3
[2-2]
Praterstadion, Wien
(65,500) |
Huber (pen), Dienst
Lofthouse (2), Sewell |
tour |
AW |
272 |
28 May 1952 -
Switzerland
0
England 3
[0-1]
Hardturm
Stadion, Zürich
(32,000) |
Sewell,
Lofthouse (2) |
AW |
273 |
4 October 1952 -
Ireland
2 England 2
[1-1]
Windsor Park, Belfast
(59,000) |
Tully (2)
Lofthouse, Elliott |
BC |
AD |
274 |
12 November 1952 -
England 5
Wales
2
[3-1]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(94,094) |
Finney, Lofthouse (2),
J.Froggatt, Bentley
Ford (2) |
HW |
275 |
26 November 1952 -
England 5
Belgium
0
[2-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(68,333) |
Elliott (2),
Lofthouse (2), R.Froggatt |
Fr |
HW |
276 |
18 April 1953 -
England 2
Scotland
2
[1-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(97,000) |
Broadis (2)
Reilly (2) |
BC |
HD |
|