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Results 1950-1955                        Page Last Updated 30 January 2024 België/Belgique/Belgien
 
275 vs. Belgium
 
286 vs. Yugoslavia
'B' 15 vs. Yugoslavia

'B' 16 vs. Switzerland

previous match (25 days)
287 vs. Hungary
288
next match (3 days)
289 vs. Switzerland
290 vs. Uruguay
 
384 vs. Belgium
Thursday, 17 June 1954
The Championnat du Monde de Football Finals First Phase Pool D match two


Belgium 4 England 4 [1-2]ᴭᵀ
3-3 after ninety minutes

 



Players lost since last match
Jimmy Settle (1 June 1954) 78
George Brann (14 June) 89
Sankt Jakob Stadium, Sankt Jakob, Basel, Switzerland
Kick-off (CEST & BST): 6.10pm
Attendance: 14,000.
Jef Mermans won the toss England kicked-off
[1-0] Léopold Anoul 5
 6-yard drive after picking up a Coppens loose ball, in off the bar
DID IT CROSS THE LINE?
footage appears to show the ball hitting the square bar and bouncing down onto the goalline





[1-1] Ivor Broadis
25
slips past three defenders then a 7-yard tap in from a Tommy Taylor through-pass
[1-2] Nat Lofthouse header 36
6-yard diving header from a Tom Finney cross
5.0 Children's Television
6.05
England v. Belgium
7.55
Newsreel, weather 8.15 Sportsview 8.45 Down You Go!
notes: overran to approx. 8:30pm


[2-3] Léopold Anoul 72

 12-yard shot on the run
[3-3] Henri Coppens 77

 12-yard left-footed shot that went in off the post despite Merrick's efforts
[1-3] Ivor Broadis 63
right-footed shot that went in off Dries from Stan Matthews cross

ᴭᵀ
  
 

[4-4] Jimmy Dickinson own goal 94
 
headed into his own goal after Dries' free-kick was going wide
[3-4] Nat Lofthouse volley 91
10-yard volley from a perfect Ivor Broadis through-pass
This week's Music Charts

   
Commentator: Kenneth Wolstenholme
 
"WEARY ENGLAND LOSE CONTROL" Daily News
Officials

Belgium Party

FIFA ruling on substitutes England Party
Referee (black blazer)
Emil Schmetzer
45 (19 June 1908), Mannheim, West Germany.
Linesmen
 from Switzerland
Friedrich Buchmöller Wilhelm Rufli
42 (1 December 1911), Bremgarten
  
Belgium Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 15th
Colours Red laced-up jerseys with yellow/black collars/cuffs, black shorts, black socks with red and yellow hoop.
Captain Jef Mermans Manager Dugald Livingstone, 56 (25 February 1898 in Alexandria, Scotland), appointed 10 July 1953.
ninth match, W 3 - D 5 - L 1 F 19 - A 12
oldest opposing WCF captain so far oldest opposing WCF manager so far
Belgium Lineup
  Gernaey, Léopold A. 27
112 days
25 February 1927 G ASv Oostende KM 8 10ᵍᵃ
2 Dries, Marcel H. 24
271 days
19 September 1929 RB Royal Berchem Sport 8 0
3 Van Brandt, Alfons 26
358 days
24 June 1927 LB Koninklijke Lierse Sk 20 0
4 Huysmans, Constantinus C. 25
249 days
11 October 1928 RHB Royale Bierschot AC 6 0
5 Carré, Louis A. 29
161 days
7 January 1925 CHB RFC Liégeois 42 0
6 Mees, Victor E.L. 27
142 days
26 January 1927 LHB Royal Antwerp FC 35 1
16 Van den Bosch, Pieter R. 26
229 days
31 October 1927 OR RSC Anderlecht 1 0
8 Houf, Denis M. 22
121 days
16 February 1932 IR RSC Liégeois 1 0
9
Coppens, Henri F.L. 24
49 days
29 April 1930 CF Royale Bierschot AC 27 12
10
Anoul, Léopold R.J.V. 31
302 days
19 August 1922 IL Royal FC Liégeois 46 18
oldest opposing WCF scorer so far
11 Mermans, Joseph 32
121 days
16 February 1922 OL RSC Anderlecht 36 26
oldest opposing WCF player so far
reserves: not permitted
team notes: Marcel Dries' father, Léopold, also played for Belgium against England in 1924.
Pieter Van den Bosch's brother was also in the Belgium party, Hippolyte.
 
2-3-5 Gernaey -
Dries, Van Brandt -
Huysmans, Carré, Mees -
Van den Bosch, Houf, Coppens, Anoul, Mermans
Averages: Age 27 years 61 days Appearances/Goals 20.9 4.9
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 4th
Colours The 1949 home uniform - White collared short-sleeved jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white tops.
P fortieth of 43, W 21 - D 10 - L 9 - F 106 - A 70.
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 41 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
record 44th of 90, W 25 - D 9 - L 10 - F 109 - A 70. Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) P 62nd of 139, W 38 - D 13 - L 11 - F 183 - A 91, one abandoned.
  ³ Team chosen by the Selection Committee headed by Harold Shentall on Friday, 11 June.
England Lineup
  three changes to the previous match (Matthews, Broadis & Lofthouse>Harris, Sewell & Jezzard) FINAL league positions (FL1 26 April, FL2 29 April)
1 Merrick, Gilbert H. 32
142 days
26 January 1922 G Birmingham City FC (FL2 7th) 21 41ᵍᵃ
oldest WCF goalkeeper so far first to 41ᵍᵃ
2 Staniforth, Ronald 30
65 days
13 April 1924 RB Huddersfield Town AFC (FL 3rd) 4 0
3 Byrne, Roger W. 24
282 days
8 September 1929 LB Manchester United FC (FL 4th) 4 0
4 Wright, William A. 30
131 days
6 February 1924 RHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 59 3
most apps 1952-54
5 Owen, Sydney W. 31
261 days
29 September 1922 CHB Luton Town FC (FL2 6th) 3 0
final app 1954
6 Dickinson, James W. 29
54  days
24 April 1925 LHB Portsmouth FC (FL 14th) 36 ¹
eleventh own goal conceded by England
     
7
Matthews, Stanley 39
136 days
1 February 1915 OR Blackpool FC (FL 6th) 37 9
oldest outfield player & WCF & WCF assist
8
Broadis, Ivan A. 31
181 days
18 December 1922 IR Newcastle United FC (FL 15th) 12 8
the 171st (38th post-war) brace scored
9
Lofthouse, Nathaniel 28
294 days
27 August 1925 CF Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 5th) 20 22
the 172nd (39th post-war) brace scored youngest WCF goalscorer so far the 27th player to reach the 20-app milestone
10
Taylor, Thomas 22
138 days
29 January 1932 IL Manchester United FC (FL 4th) 4 2
youngest WCF player & assist so far
11
Finney, Thomas 32
73 days
5 April 1922 OL Preston North End FC (FL 11th) 52 23
reserves: not permitted
team notes: During extra time 'Owen went off for a spell with a leg injury and resumed at outside-left with Wright at centre-half, but this was too late in the proceedings to be used as an excuse.'
records: For the first time, England have conceded 26 goals in a single season.
Nat Lofthouse is the first England player to score nine braces.
World Cup Finals records: For the first time in major tournament finals, England play for two hours, as well as score four goals in a match, and three goals in ninety minutes.
Nat Lofthouse becomes the first player to score for England in 'extra-time play'.
 
2-3-5 Merrick -
Staniforth, Byrne -
Wright, Owen, Dickinson -
Matthews, Broadis, Lofthouse, Taylor, Finney.
notes: Owen went off injured towards the end of extra-time, he returned to outside-left with Wright going into centre.
Averages: Age 30 years 96 days Appearances/Goals 22.9 5.7
oldest post war & WCF team so far
 
              Match Report by Mike Payne

So, at last, The 1954 World Cup Finals are under way for England, and surely this match will rank as one of the most eventful of the whole tournament, no matter whatever else happens. For an hour England were magnificent.

Playing fast, purposeful football they stretched Belgium to the limit and only a tremendous display by Gernaey in goal saved them from an embarrassing defeat. Learning a good deal from their Hungarian experience, England employed much of the style of the magnificent Magyars. They overcame a shock early goal by Anoul for Belgium to quickly equalise when Ivor Broadis scored after good work by Billy Wright and Tommy Taylor had created the opening.

That goal came in the 25th minute and seven minutes later a Taylor through-pass sent Tom Finney away. The Preston winger sent over a lovely centre and Nat Lofthouse roared in to dive horizontally to head a magnificent goal.

When Broadis added a third goal shortly after half-time following a piece of typical Stanley Matthews magic it seemed all over bar the shouting. But instead of pressing home their advantage England tended to over-elaborate their passing movements and in the last 15 minutes they were made to pay for this approach. In a sudden five minute burst from Belgium the scores, remarkably, were level. First Houf and then Coppens pounced on loose defensive work to give Belgium a reward they barely deserved, extra-time.

This, too, was full of drama. Lofthouse restored the England lead when fine work by Broadis and Taylor set up the chance. However their joy was short-lived as two minutes later a tragic own-goal ended the scoring. A long hopeful cross by Dries was met by Jimmy Dickinson's head and the ball flew past Gil Merrick to the dismay of all English fans present.

This was a very frustrating result for England and particularly annoying because they should have won the match convincingly.
  

              Match Report by Norman Giller

A Jimmy Dickinson own goal during extra-time gave Belgium a draw in a helter-skelter match full of defensive blunders as England made an eventful start to their challenge for the World Cup. A goal down in five minutes, England produced some enterprising and energetic football and deserved their 2-1 half-time lead from goals by Ivor Broadis and Nat Lofthouse. The Lofthouse goal was a cracker, a spectacular diving header to send a Tom Finney cross powering into the net. When Broadis added a third goal early in the second half it looked odds on an England victory. Then defensive lapses let the Belgians in for two soft goals that took the game into extra-time. Nat Lofthouse made it 4-3 in the opening moments of extra-time, and England seemed destined for full points when Jimmy Dickinson turned an intended headed clearance into his own net. Billy Wright took over at centre-half in the closing stages as Syd Owen limped to a passenger's role on the wing. It was to prove the most significant positional switch of Billy's career.
    

Other World Cup Results
Pool 2:
 
Hungary 9 Korea Republic 0
   Hardturm, Zürich
(13,000)
Puskás 12, 89, Lantos 18, Kocsis 24, 36, 50, Czibor 59, Palotás 75, 83
 
Turkey 1 West Germany 4
   Wankdorf Stadion, Bern
(28,000)
Mamat 2 ~
Schäfer
14, Klodt 52, O.Walter 60, Morlock 84

 Pool 4:
 
Italy 1 Switzerland 2
   Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne
(40,749)
Boniperti
44 ~ Ballaman 18, Hügi 78
 
Olympic champions, Hungary, and West Germany gave notice that they would be contenders for the title by showing their firepower in their opening games, whilst the hosts, kicking off twenty minutes before England's game, claimed top spot in Pool 4.
       In Other News....
It was on 17 June 1954 that 18-year-old Lester Piggott, who had become the youngest twentieth-century jockey to win the Epsom Derby, two weeks earlier, was suspended for the rest of the Royal Ascot meeting for his part in a coming together of three horses in the televised King Edward VII Stakes. He was riding his Derby winner, Never Say Die, but the race was won by Sir Gordon Richards on Rashleigh, who was also involved in the buffeting of the horses, but escaped censure. Following seven previous suspensions in the past four years, Piggott had his licence revoked on the following day by the Jockey Club and was even instructed to live away from his father's racing stables. He returned, three months later, and resumed an extremely succesful career, winning his last race 41 years later.
              Source Notes
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
FIFA match report
Belgiumfootball.be
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record

Norman Giller, Football Author
The Complete Book of the British Charts
British Pathé
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