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246 vs. Sweden
previous match (7 days)
303 vs. Brazil
304
next match (4 days)
305 vs. Finland
306 vs. West Germany
336 vs. Sweden
6.45 The Archers 7.0 News and Newsreel 7.25 Sport 7.30 Starstruck 8.0 Paul Temple and the Lawrence Affair.
8.30 Sweden v. England
9.15 Call Boy 10.0 Time. News.
Wednesday, 16 May 1956
End of Season Tour of Scandinavia Match


Sweden 0 England 0
[0-0]
  
 
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna kommun, Stockholms län
Kick-off (CEST & BST): 7.30pm

Attendance: 36,500.
Players lost since last match
Bobby McNeal (15 May 1956) 65
Julle Gustavsson won the toss England kicked-off
[0-0] Jan Ekström's shot hit the post  
   
second-half live on the Radio Light Programme - Commentator: tbc
     
This week's Music Charts
     
     
     
"WHAT A START! SWEDES HOLD ENGLAND" Daily Mirror
Officials Sweden FIFA ruling on substitutes England Party
Referee
Leopold Sylvain Horn
39 (29 August 1916), Sittard, Netherlands
 
Linesmen
 from Sweden
Sten Ahlner
40 (7 December 1915), Stockholm
Hugo Bergström
   
Sweden Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 18th to 17th
Colours Yellow jerseys, blue shorts, yellow socks.
Captain Julle Gustavsson Selection Selection committee, headed by J. Rudolf E. Kock, 54 (29 June 1901). Team announced on Monday, 7 May 1956.
Sweden Lineup
  Svensson, Karl-Oskar 30
187 days
11 November 1925 G Helsingborgs IF 57 105ᵍᵃ
2 Johansson, Åke 28
58 days
19 March 1928 RB IFK Norrköping 4 0
3 Axbom, Sven E.E. 29
214 days
15 October 1926 LB IFK Norrköping 5 0
4 Svensson, Sven-Ove 33
342 days
9 June 1922 RHB Helsingborgs IF 28 8
5 Gustavsson, Bengt O.E. 28
124 days
13 January 1928 CHB IFK Norrköping 39 0
6 Parling, Sigvard 26
51 days
26 March 1930 LHB Djurgårdens IF 11 0
7 Berndtsson, Bengt 23
111 days
26 January 1933 OR IFK Göteborg 1 0
8 Löfgren, K. Gösta H. 32
261 days
29 August 1923 IR Motala AIF 29 9
9 Ekström, Jan 18
210 days
11 October 1937 CF Malmö FF 1 0
10 Lindskog, Bengt 23
81 days
25 February 1933 IL Malmö FF 6 1
11 Sandberg, Gösta 23
284 days
6 August 1932 OL Djurgårdens IF 30 7
unused substitutes: 12-Åke Jönsson, 13-Charles Gustavsson, 14-Nils Håkansson, 15-Henry Thillberg.
team notes: On the day before the match, Berndtson replaced original outside-right Henrik Kellgren and Centre-forward Ekström had replaced Nils Åke Sandell.
 
2-3-5 Svensson -
Johansson, Axbom -
Svensson, Gustafsson, Parling -
Berndsston, Löfgren, Ekström, Lindskog, Sanberg
Averages: Age 27 years 44 days Appearances/Goals 19.2 1.3
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 6th to 7th
Colours The 1954 Umbro home uniform - White v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, blue shorts, black socks with white tops.
P 12th of 43, W 6 - D 3 - L 3 - F 30 - A 16.
Captain Billy Wright Manager Walter Winterbottom, 43 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946;
record 60th of 90, W 34 - D 12 - L 14 - F 148 - A 91. Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) P 78th of 139, W 47 - D 16 - L 15 - F 222 - A 112, one abandoned.
  ³   Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Joe Mears, on Tuesday, 15 May.
England Lineup
  three changes to the previous match (Williams, Matthews & Wilshaw>Baynham, Milburn & Bradford) FINAL league positions (all May - FL 2nd, FL2 3rd, FL3S 4th)
  Matthews, Reginald D. 23
148 days
20 December 1932 G Coventry City FC (FL3S 8th) 3 3ᵍᵃ
2 Hall, Jeffrey J. 26
252 days
7 September 1929 RB Birmingham City FC (FL 6th) 7 0
3 Byrne, Roger W. 26
251 days
8 September 1929 LB Manchester United FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 20 0
the 29th player to reach the 20-app milestone
4 Clayton, Ronald 21
285 days
5 August 1934 RHB Blackburn Rovers FC (FL2 4th) 4 0
5 Wright, William A. 32
100 days
6 February 1924 CHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 3rd) 75 3
most apps 1952-56
6 Edwards, Duncan 19
228 days
1 October 1936 LHB Manchester United FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 7 0
7 Berry, R. John 29
350 days
1 June 1926 OR Manchester United FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 4 0
final app 1953-56
8 Atyeo, P. John W. 24
99 days
7 February 1932 IR Bristol City FC (FL2 6th) 3 1
9 Taylor, Thomas 24
108 days
29 January 1932 CF Manchester United FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 8 4
10 Haynes, John N. 21
212 days
17 October 1934 IL Fulham FC (FL2 9th) 6 2
11 Grainger, Colin 22
341 days
10 June 1933 OL Sheffield United FC (FL 22nd rel.) 2 2
unused substitutes: not named, but the assumption is that the rest of the party made up the bench of unused substitutes:- Ray Wood (Manchester United FC (FL CHAMPIONS)), Gordon Astall (Birmingham City FC (FL 6th)), Tommy Cummings (Burnley FC (FL 7th)), Nat Lofthouse & Johnny Wheeler (Bolton Wanderers FC (FL 8th)) and Dennis Wilshaw (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 3rd)).
team notes: Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally, in his record fortieth consecutive match.
The first scoreless draw since 1948.
 
2-3-5 Matthews -
Hall, Byrne -
Dickinson, Wright, Edwards -
Berry, Atyeo, Taylor, Haynes, Grainger
Averages: Age 24 years 316 days Appearances/Goals 12.6 1.1
youngest post-war team so far
 
              Match Report by Mike Payne

It was a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's Show' as England travelled to Sweden for the first match of their summer tour fresh from the memory of that scintillating game against the Brazilians the previous week.

A strong, blustery wind was blowing around the stadium and Sweden kicked-off with the elements in their favour. Playing determined and uncompromising football, they soon had England pinned back in their own half. The visitors were virtually totally committed to defending as Sweden pressed forward.

Luckily for England, Sweden's finishing was very poor and they missed all their best chances. Lindskog and Sandberg both shot high and wide when well placed and Reg Matthews made super diving saves from both of those players as well as from another effort by S.Svensson.

Two other attempts could easily have opened the scoring. First Ekstrom hit a post and then Berndtsson lobbed over the bar from a great position. There was also a lucky let-off for England when Duncan Edwards clearly appeared to handle in the penalty area as Sweden exerted yet more pressure. The referee ignored the frantic appeals of the Swedes and waved play on.

England seldom threatened to score themselves and made only a few sorties upfield. Two powerhouse runs by Edwards promised much but then fizzled out, and England's best chances fell to John Atyeo, who twice wasted good opportunities.

After the change of ends, and with the wind now at their backs, it was England's turn to lay siege on the Swedish goal. They forced five corners in as many minutes early on but were frustrated by both Sweden's resolute defending and the unpredictable conditions. Time and again the ball ran out of control as they attacked and all too often the England players chased balls out of play. Edwards again made a strong burst and Taylor fired a good shot just over the angle of the post and crossbar from 20 yards.

Unfortunately, these moments grew rarer as the game went on and when the referee blew the final whistle it came as somewhat a relief to everyone. England had missed the other Matthews in this poor match but if he had had the same sort service that Johnny Berry had received, then even he would have found it difficult to inject the much-needed boost to England's play.

    

              Match Report by Norman Giller

England were lucky to escape with a draw in a match ruined by a near-gale force wind. Goalkeeper Reg Matthews made three stunning saves to stop the Swedes from getting the victory their superior approach play deserved. It was the first goalless draw in which England had been involved since the game in Denmark in 1948. In conditions that would have sent a yachtsman racing for the shelter of any port, Wright managed to stop England from sinking with a cultured performance in the middle of the defence. The wind was so strong that it was almost impossible to measure a pass. Players would push a pass upfield for the forwards and invariably it would get caught by the wind and be taken for a goal-kick. It was a frustrating and fruitless game for everybody.
  

              Match Report as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1956-57 page 31

The first match of the end-of-season tour was played at the Rasunda Stadium in Stockholm on May 16th and resulted in a goal-less draw. After their brilliant form against Brazil only a week previously the play of the England team was disappointing. A high wind and a bumpy pitch were contributing factors, but if it had not been for some spectacular goalkeeping by Matthews, it would have been a featureless game. Nevertheless, the 40,000 spectators were fully satisfied with the result.
  

        In Other News....
It was on 16 May 1956 that cricket spin-bowler, Jim Laker took all ten wickets for Surrey against the touring Australians at the Oval. This feat had not been achieved against the Australians for 78 years, but two months later, he became the first bowler to take all ten wickets in a Test Match innings, for England against Australia, at Old Trafford, Manchester. Having also taken nine wickets in the first innings, he became the only player ever to take 19 wickets in a first-class match, for the loss of only ninety runs, as England won the Ashes for the third series in succession. His 46 wickets for the series also remains an Ashes record. Laker ended 1956 as the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, the first cricketer to win the award. The Football Association's touring squad beat South Africa's Natal Province, 2-1 in Pietermaritzburg.
              Source Notes
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Svenskfotboll.se
The Complete Book of the British Charts
  Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
Norman Giller, Football Author
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