The
England Party
for the matches against Brazil and the
Continental Tour
May
1956 |
Player |
Birthdate |
Age |
Pos |
Club |
starts |
subs |
App |
G |
Capt |
Astall, Gordon |
22 September 1927 |
28 |
OR |
Birmingham City FC |
0
|
0 |
0
|
0
|
0 |
Atyeo, P. John W. |
7 February 1932
|
24 |
IR
|
Bristol
City FC |
1 |
0 |
1
|
1
|
0 |
Berry, R. John |
1 June 1926 |
29 |
OL |
Manchester United FC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Bryne, Roger
W. |
8 September 1929 |
27 |
LB
|
Manchester United FC |
18 |
0 |
18
|
0
|
0 |
Clayton,
Ronald |
5 August 1934
|
21 |
RHB |
Blackburn Rovers FC |
2 |
0 |
2
|
0
|
0 |
Cummings, Thomas S. |
12 September 1928 |
27 |
CB |
Burnley FC |
0
|
0 |
0
|
0
|
0 |
Dickinson, James
W. |
24 April 1925 |
31 |
RHB |
Portsmouth FC |
45 |
0 |
45 |
0 |
0 |
Dickinson withdrew from the party on 7 May because of an ankle
injury. |
Edwards, Duncan |
1 October 1936
|
19 |
LHB |
Manchester United FC |
5 |
0 |
5
|
0 |
0 |
Grainger, Colin |
10 June 1933
|
22 |
OL |
Sheffield United FC |
0
|
0 |
0
|
0
|
0 |
Hall, Jeffrey
J. |
7 September 1929
|
26 |
RB |
Birmingham City FC |
5 |
0 |
5
|
0
|
0 |
Haynes, John
N. |
17 October 1934
|
21 |
IL |
Fulham FC |
4 |
0 |
4
|
2 |
0 |
Lofthouse, Nathaniel |
27 August 1925 |
30 |
CF |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
30 |
0 |
30 |
27 |
0 |
Matthews, Reginald D. |
20 December 1932
|
23 |
G |
Coventry City FC |
1 |
0 |
1
|
1ᵍᵃ |
0 |
Matthews,
Stanley |
1 February 1915 |
41 |
OR |
Blackpool
FC |
46 |
0 |
46
|
10
|
0 |
Matthews was chosen for the Brazil match only |
Taylor,
Thomas |
29 January 1932 |
24 |
CF |
Manchester United FC
|
6 |
0 |
6
|
2
|
0 |
Wheeler, John E. |
26 July 1928 |
27 |
RHB |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Wheeler replaced Dickinson in the party on 7 May after his
withdrawal. |
Wilshaw, Dennis J. |
11 March 1926 |
30 |
IL |
Burnley FC |
9 |
0 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
Wood, Raymond E. |
11 June 1931 |
24 |
GK |
Manchester United FC |
2 |
0 |
2 |
2ᵍᵃ |
0 |
Wright, William A. |
6 February 1924 |
32 |
CHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
73 |
0 |
73
|
3
|
58 |
All information is complete to and including
England's last match, the fifth of the 1955-56 season, against
Scotland on 14 April 1956.
Diary
Tuesday, 21 February 1956 -
The FA Council have stated that the
additional international match against Brazil on 9 May is not to be
considered as a precedent for future matches. For the next few years,
in order to clear up outstanding return matches owing to Continental
associations, an additional match should be arranged each year early
in May until the games have been completed.
Friday, 27 April 1956
- The England team that will play Brazil
for the first time has been announced, and Stan Matthews has finally
earned a deserved recall from the selectors. It comes because Tom
Finney is unavailable, Vic Groves is injured, Harry Hooper only has
experience as a reserve and Peter Harris was a flop for the Football
League match against the Irish counterparts. Matthews was due to fly
to Kenya has part of a coaching mission on 9 May. There is a further
surprise in the dropping of Bill Perry, replaced with Colin Grainger.
At the same time, the party to tour the continent was also chosen. It
excludes Stan Matthews, but does include the the uncapped Tommy
Cummings and Gordon Astall. Johnny Berry has been recalled after three
years away from the international scene. At the same time in
Lausanne, England and Republic of Ireland were drawn together in Group
One of the European Zone of the 1958 World Cup, alongside Denmark.
Monday, 30 April 1956 -
Following the news of Grainger's inclusion
in the party, Bill Perry was told he will be taking Grainger's place
in the FA Tour of South Africa. Fulham's Bobby Robson takes the place
of Leyton Orient's Ron Heckman, who drops out because of a fractured
jaw.
Thursday, 3 May 1956 -
The invited party reported in London today for a practise session at
the Bank of England ground in Roehampton. In half an hour's warming up
before the practise match, Stan Matthews and Nat Lofthouse, two of the
oldest players on view, ran a mile round the ground. Unfortunately, as
the team were doing laps, Jimmy Dickinson felt a twinge in his left
ankle. He missed out on the practise match, as did Jeff Hall, who will
be playing for Birmingham City at the FA Cup Final on Saturday, and
was with his club in Twyford, so his place at right-back went to Tommy
Cummings. The opposition was drawn from other members of
the Continental party and South African tour plus some London club
players (Reynolds; Charlton, Evans; Greenwood, Owen, Marchi; Hurst,
Ayre, Lofthouse, Bloomfield and Tucker).
Monday, 7 May 1956 - The FA have stated today that
Portsmouth's wing-half, Jimmy Dickinson, has withdrawn from the
England party because of his ankle injury. His place in the team to
face Brazil has gone to Ronnie Clayton. However, the
selectors have called up Bolton Wanderers' Johnny Wheeler to replace
Dickinson for the Continental tour. Wheeler last played for England in
October 1954. After lunch at Roehampton,
the party played a fast 20 minute each-way game against a side
composed of the best of the England tour men plus some London club
players. The result was a draw, Tottenham's Duquemin scored for
the Rest and Taylor brilliantly headed in the equaliser. Despite the
heat, Stanley Matthews showed great speed off the mark. FA Cup
runner-up Jeff Hall was on hand to help his England teammates.
Wednesday, 9 May 1956
- The morning newspapers are
convinced that this will be Stan Matthews last ever appearance in an
England shirt.
"Stanley Matthews will pull the white shirt of England
over his slender shoulders for the last time today. The cap he wins
against Brazil at Wembley will be his last."
- Frank
McGhee, Daily Mirror.
"This afternoon Stan makes what I feel will be his last appearance in
an England shirt, and he is the one person the Brazilians fear."
-
Alan Williams, Birmingham Gazette
England
Form: last six
games |
L W
L W W
D
f 15:a 8
success: 58%
|
297 |
22 May 1955 -
Portugal
3 England 1
[1-1]
Estádio do FC Porto, Oporto
(55,000) |
Águas (2), Matateu
Bentley |
Fr |
AL |
298 |
2 October 1955 -
Denmark
1 England
5 [0-3]
Idrætsparken, København
(>50,000) |
Lundberg
Revie
(2 (1 pen)), Lofthouse (2), Bradford |
AW |
299 |
22 October 1955 -
Wales
2
England
1 [2-0]
Ninian Park, Cardiff
(60,000) |
Tapscott, Jones
J.Charles OG |
BC |
AL |
300 |
2 November 1955 -
England 3
Northern
Ireland 0
[0-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(58,000) |
Wilshaw (2),
Finney |
HW |
301 |
30 November 1955 -
England 4
Spain
1 [2-0]
Empire Stadium,
Wembley
(95,550) |
Atyeo, Perry (2),
Finney
Arieta |
Fr |
HW |
302 |
14 April 1956 -
Scotland 1 England
1
[0-0]
Hampden
Park, Glasgow
(132,817) |
Leggat
Haynes |
BC |
AD |
|