"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 |
|
cg |