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'U23' 01 vs. Italy
 
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next senior match (73 days)
294 vs. Scotland
Wednesday, 19 January 1955
International Friendly Intermediate Match


England 5 Italy 1
[1-0]
 
 
Stamford Bridge Football Ground, Fulham Road, Fulham, London
Kick-off (GMT): 2.15pm

Attendance: '33,559'.
Johnny Haynes kicked off Giussepe Corradi won the toss
[0-0] Haynes headed Flowers freekick disallowed:foul
[0-0] Corradi handled in area no penalty awarded

[1-0] Bobby Ayre 34
 took a pass from John Atyeo on the edge of the area, turned and volleyed left-footed into the goal from 16yds

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[2-1] John Atyeo header 48
 
headed in from 6yd line a Johnny Haynes left-sided cross
[3-1] Frank Blunstone 58
 pushed in from a Harry Hooper right-sided cross

[4-1] Harry Hooper 82
 walked-in from 2-yards from a Johnny Haynes pass
[5-1] Harry Hooper 85
 side-right-footed into an empty net after the keeper let Frank Blunstone's cross slip underneath him
[1-1] Marco Savioni header 47
headed in from 6yds a long Giuseppe Corradi throw-in from the right  into the penalty area



[3-1] Olivieri headed goal
disallowed infringement

highlights only - commentator: Kenneth Wolstenholme
"Young Italy are soundly thrashed" Daily Mirror
Officials England FIFA ruling on substitutes Italy
Referee (black)
Louis Fauquembergue
France.
Teams were presented to the Guest of Honour is HRH The Duke of Gloucester, KG.
red flag                 Linesmen           yellow flag
A.W. Smith
Hampshire
Norman Onley-Wilde
38 (31 March 1916), Greenwich
  
England Intermediate Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours The 1954 Umbro home uniform - White v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, blue shorts, red socks

Captain
 
Peter Sillett Manager Walter Winterbottom, 41 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
first of 3, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 5 - A 1. Trainer: Bill Nicholson (Tottenham Hotspur) second of sixteen intermediate matches, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 5 - A 4.
  Team chosen by Intermediate Selection Committee, headed by Joe Richards, on Sunday, 16 January.
England Lineup
  nine changes to the previous U23 match (Edwards & Blunstone remain) league position (16 January)  
2   Matthews, Reginald D. 22
30 days
20 December 1932 G Coventry City FC (FL3S 7th) 1 1ᵍᵃ
12
13 2 Foulkes, William A. 23
14 days
5 January 1932 RB Manchester United FC (FL 5th) 1 0
oldest u23 player so far
14 3 Sillett, R. Peter T. 21
352 days
1 February 1933 LB Chelsea FC (FL 4th) 1 0
15 4 Flowers, Ronald 20
175 days
28 July 1934 RHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 2nd) 1 0
16 5 Smith, Trevor 18
281 days
13 April 1936 CHB Birmingham City FC (FL2 8th) 1 0
6 Edwards, Duncan 18
110 days
1 October 1936 LHB Manchester United FC (FL 5th) 2 0
most U23 apps 54-55
17 7
Hooper, Harry 21
219 days
14 June 1933 OR West Ham United FC (FL2 9th) 1   2  
most U23 gls 54-55
18 8
Atyeo, P. John W. 22
345 days
7 February 1932 OL Bristol City FC (FL3S 2nd) 1 1
oldest u23 scorer so far
19 9
Ayre, Robert William 22
299 days
26 March 1932 CF Charlton Athletic FC (FL 3rd) 1 1
20 10
Haynes, John N. 20
94 days
17 October 1934 IL Fulham FC (FL2 7th) 1 0
11
Blunstone, Frank 20
94 days
17 October 1934 OL Chelsea FC (FL 4th) 2 1
youngest u23 scorer so far most U23 apps 54-55
                 
unused substitutes: Dave Meeson (Reading FC (FL3S 20th)), Stan Anderson (Sunderland AFC (FL TOP)), Vic Groves (Leyton Orient FC (FL3S TOP))
team notes: The team was chosen the weekend following a trial match, losing 3-0 to Arsenal on Wednesday, 12 January 1955.
The team then trained at Fulham's Craven Cottage prior to the match, beating the Fulham side 1-0.
 
2-3-5 Matthews -
Foulkes, Sillett -
Flowers, Smith, Edwards -
Hooper, Atyeo, Ayre, Haynes, Blunstone.
Averages: Age 21 years 50 days Appearances/Goals 1.2 0.0
oldest intermediate team so far
 
Italy Intermediate Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established; Colours "By completely outplaying the olive-shirted bambinos of Italy."
...black shorts, black socks
with green tops
Captain Giussepe Corradi Manager Angelo Schiavo, 49 (15 October 1905)
Team chosen on Wednesday, 12 January 1955
Italy Lineup
1 Stefani, Ideo 22
305 days
20 March 1932 G Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio    
2 Rota, Battista 22
185 days
18 July 1932 RB Bologna FC 1909    
3 Zagatti, Francesco 22
276 days
18 April 1932 LB AC Milan    
4
Corradi, Giussepe 22
196 days
7 July 1932 RHB Juventus FC    
5 Bernasconi, Gaudenzio 22
164 days
8 August 1932 CHB UC Sampdoria    
6 Delfino, Luciano, injured off 42nd min 22
163 days
9 August 1932 LHB Genoa CFC    
7 Olivieri, Rinaldo 20
18 days
1 January 1935  OR Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor    
8 Pivatelli, Gina 21
298 days
27 March 1933 IR Bologna FC 1909    
9 Virgili, Guiseppi 19
179 days
24 July 1935 CF AC Fiorentina    
10 Posio, Celso 23
268 days
26 April 1931 IL/
LHB
SSC Napoli    
11
Savioni, Marco 23
330 days
23 February 1931 OL Novara Calcio    
Italy Substitute
scoreline: England 1 Italy 0
16 Bacci, Giancarlo, on 42nd min. for Delfino 23
216 days
17 June 1931 IL AC Torino    
result: England 5 Italy 1
unused substitutes: Gianni Remani (Udinese), Luigi Zannieer (Atalanta), Antonio Mentice (Juventus).
team notes: This team was chosen after they drew 1-1 with the senior Italian side in Bologna.
Head of selection committee, Angelo Schiavo played for the Italian senior side against England in 1933.
The team trained at Arsenal Stadium prior to the match.
 
2-3-5 Stefani -
Rota, Zagatti -
Corradi, Bernasconi, Delfino
(Posio) -
Olivieri, Pivatelli, Virgili, Posio
(Bacci), Savioni.
Averages: (start)
(finish)
Age 22 years 84 days
22 years 122 days
oldest opposing intermediate team so far

  

              Match Report by Bob Ferrier, Daily Mirror, 20 January 1955

Two golden goals in the last ten minutes scored by that whispering winger Harry Hooper, completely demoralised and shattered a staunch Italian defence at Stamford Bridge. And gave young England sweet revenge indeed for last year's defeat at Bologna. It finished 5—1 for England, and that result didn't flatter them in the slightest.
    It was a great fighting win for the England boys and one not at all accomplished by brawn and muscle.
After a nervous, gingerly first half played on a treacherous, flint hard surface, these Young England lads swept into a long, rangy, accurate wing game. In this the speed and increasing confidence of Hooper and Blunstone paid surpassing dividends. And the 33,000 who turned up in the winter sunshine relished every one of those goals that went whipping in. And England have discovered an immense half back line in Flowers, Smith and Edwards, one to rival Willingham, Cullis and Mercer.
The game got off to a really sensational start when England scored a delightful goal in just four minutes. Flowers lobbed up a thirty yard free-kick, Atyeo let it go, and Haynes headed a brilliant goal into the far high corner. But Monsieur Fauquemberge from France saw an obstruction which nobody else saw, and ruled no goal.
   And with twenty minutes gone, when Carradi handled a Blunstone cross inside the penalty area, the referee failed to see again. Maybe he suffered from snow blindness.
The ground was bone hard and even standing up was an adventure. So there was little sustained play, and neither attack could literally find enough balance to get in a reasonable shot. The Italian boys looked better knit than our lads, and Virgili twice snapped into neat passes to clip balls close past the post. Bobby Ayre put England in front after thirty-two minutes. Atyeo feinted to pass to the wing, suddenly whipped one through the middle. Ayre, despite challenges from three defenders, and the rushing goalkeeper, ran doggedly on to rocket the ball high into the net. Then with three minutes left to play we had the old substitute gag pulled again.
   With the play thirty yards away Delfino decided he was injured and lay down. On came Bacci, powerful inside-left.
Delfino limped off, Bacci played inside left and Posio went left half.
The second half had an equally sensational start, the Italians equalising with an astonishing goal in two minutes. Right half Corradi sent in a fat monster of a throw in. It bounced clear across the penalty area to outside left Olivieri, who had a clear target for his header. But Young England were undaunted. They outclassed this with a great goal within a minute, when Haynes had his cross headed through in brilliant fashion by John Atyeo. With an hour gone England went further ahead when Blunstone volleyed in a low, fast Hooper cross for an exhilarating goal. The Italians put in a stiff attack and Matthews saved brilliantly.
   Outside right Olivieri actually headed a goal which referee Fauquemberge ruled out for an earlier—again invisible—infringement, and so wiped his slate clean.
The Italians disliked this furiously.

  

              Source Notes
Original newspaper reports   Rothman's Yearbooks
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