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.

Thursday, 14 May 1953 - The English FA's team's 3-1 defeat by a selected Buenos Aires side came as a shock to many Argentine fans. The whole of the city was jubilant over their team's success against the Maestros, though many were saying that England's play was too bad to be believed. Jack Froggatt and John Berry were both injured during the match. Froggatt suffered particularly bad with his knee.
Arthur Ellis, the Halifax Association referee, has had his leave from business extended to enable him to remain in South America. He should have returned home on 26 May to resume his duties as a representative for Messrs. T. Ramsden and Son, Ltd, the Halifax brewers. To referee three international matches in which his own national team is playing is a signal honour and the fact that Argentina, Chile and Uruguay have made special requests for Ellis' services is a remarkable tribute to him.

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