"ENGLAND
SLAM 'EM"
Sunday Mirror |
|
|
West
Germany
Team |
|
Current World Champions |
Colours |
White jerseys with black rounded collar/cuffs,
black shorts, black socks with white band. |
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 5th to 7th |
Captain |
Friedrich Walter |
Manager |
Joséf Herberger, 59 (28 March 1897), appointed in 1950.
Team chosen on Thursday, 24 May 1956. |
West
Germany
Lineup |
|
Herkenrath, Friedrich |
27 260 days |
9 September 1928 |
G |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
10 |
20ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Retter, Erich |
31 99 days |
17 February 1925 |
RB |
VfB
Stuttgart 1893 |
14 |
0 |
final app
1952-56 |
3 |
Juskowiak, Erich |
29 262 days |
7 September 1926 |
LB |
Düsseldorfer TSv Fortuna 1895 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
Schlienz, Robert |
32 113 days |
3 February 1924 |
RHB |
VfB
Stuttgart 1893 |
3 |
0 |
final app
1955-56 |
5 |
Wewers, Heinz |
28 304 days |
27 July 1927 |
CHB |
Rot-Weiss Essen |
2 |
0 |
6 |
Mai, Karl |
27 304 days |
27 July 1928 |
LHB |
Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth |
14 |
1 |
7 |
Waldner, Erwin |
23 123 days |
24 January 1933 |
OR |
VfB
Stuttgart 1893 |
7 |
1 |
8 |
Morlock, Maximilian, injured off 40th min. |
31 15 days |
11 May 1925 |
IR |
1.FC Nürnberg VfL |
18 |
14 |
9 |
Walter, Ottmar |
32 81 days |
6 March 1924 |
CF |
1.FC Kaiserslautern |
16 |
6 |
10
|
Walter, Friedrich |
35 208 days |
31 October 1920 |
IL/IR |
1.FC Kaiserslautern |
46 |
30 |
11
|
Schäfer, Hans |
28 220 days |
19 October 1927 |
OL/IL |
1.FC Köln 01/07 |
18 |
10 |
West
Germany Substitute |
scoreline:
West Germany 0 England 1 |
8 |
Pfaff, Alfred, on 40th min. for Morlock |
29 315 days |
16 July 1926 |
OL |
Eintracht Frankfurt |
4 |
2 |
result:
West Germany 1 England 3 |
unused
substitutes: |
Heinz
Kubsch (FK Pirmasens), Karl Schmidt (FC Köln), Herbert Erhardt (Spvgg Greuther Fürth),
Helmut Rahn (Rot-Weiss Essen), Werner Liebrich (FC Kaiserslautern)
and Willi
Schröder (SV Werder Bremen) |
team changes: |
Alfred
Pfaff was the original named outside-left, his place going to
Schäfer at the last moment. |
team notes: |
The Walters are brothers in the oldest
team to play England
since
Italy in 1952. Morlock twisted his ankle in the 30th minute,
and struggled until he was replaced ten minutes later. |
World Cup Champions notes: |
West Germany beat Hungary in Bern on 4 July 1954 to become the reigning
World Champions, there are five surviving members of that team in this
fixture, Mai, Morlock, Schäfer, Fritz Walter and Ottmar Walter. |
|
2-3-5 |
Herkenrath - Retter, Juskowiak - Schlienz, Wewers, Mai -
Waldner, Morlock, O.Walter, F.Walter,
Schäfer for the second half -
the forward line was Waldner, F.Walter, O.Walter,
Schäfer, Pfaff |
Averages:
(start) (finish) |
Age |
29 years
316
days
29 years
276
days |
Appearances/Goals |
14.1 |
5.7 |
oldest opposing post-war team
so far |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank |
No official ranking system established; ELO rating 6th to 4th |
Colours |
The 1954 Umbro
away uniform -
Red v-necked short-sleeved continental jerseys, white shorts, red
socks with white tops.
|
P second of four, W 2 - D 0 - L 0 - F 6- A 2. |
"I saw 11 Englishmen—playing in the strange, almost symbolic, Hungarian-like
shirts of red with gold numbers." Maurice Smith, The People |
Captain |
Billy Wright |
Manager |
Walter Winterbottom, 43 (31 March 1913), appointed as FA national director of coaching/team manager on 8 July 1946; |
62nd W 36 - D 12 - L 14 - F 156 - A 93. |
Trainer: Jimmy Trotter (Charlton Athletic FC) |
P eightieth of 139, W 49 - D 16 - L 15 - F 230 - A 114,
one abandoned.¹³⁹ |
|
³ |
|
Team chosen by Selection Committee, headed by Joe Mears, on Friday, 25 May. |
England
Lineup |
|
one change
to the previous match
(Matthews>Wood) |
FINAL league positions
(all May - FL 2nd, FL2 3rd, FL3S 4th) |
|
Matthews, Reginald D. |
23 158 days |
20 December 1932 |
G |
Coventry City FC
(FL3S 8th) |
4 |
4ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Hall, Jeffrey J. |
26 262 days |
7 September 1929 |
RB |
Birmingham
City FC (FL 6th) |
9 |
0 |
3 |
Byrne, Roger W. |
26 263 days |
8 September 1929 |
LB |
Manchester United FC
(FL CHAMPIONS) |
22 |
0 |
4 |
Clayton, Ronald |
21 295 days |
5 August 1934 |
RHB |
Blackburn Rovers FC
(FL2 4th) |
6 |
0 |
5 |
Wright, William A. |
32 110 days |
6 February 1924 |
CHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC (FL 3rd) |
77 |
3 |
most apps
1952-56 |
6
|
Edwards, Duncan |
19 238 days |
1 October 1936 |
LHB |
Manchester United FC
(FL CHAMPIONS) |
9 |
1 |
7 |
Astall, Gordon |
28 247 days |
22 September 1927 |
OR |
Birmingham
City FC
(FL 6th) |
2 |
1 |
8
|
Haynes, John N. |
21 222 days |
17 October 1934 |
IR |
Fulham FC
(FL2 9th) |
8 |
4 |
9 |
Taylor, Thomas |
24 118 days |
29 January 1932 |
CF |
Manchester United FC
(FL CHAMPIONS) |
10 |
4 |
10 |
Wilshaw, Dennis J. |
30 76 days |
11 March 1926 |
IL |
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
(FL 3rd) |
11 |
10 |
11
|
Grainger,
Colin |
22 351 days |
10 June 1933 |
OL |
Sheffield
United FC (FL 22nd rel.) |
4 |
3 |
unused
substitutes: |
Ray
Wood and
Johnny Berry
(both Manchester United FC
(FL CHAMPIONS)),
Tommy Cummings (Burnley FC
(FL 7th)),
John Atyeo (Bristol City
FC (FL2 6th)),
Johnny Wheeler and
Nat Lofthouse
(both
Bolton Wanderers FC (FL
8th)). |
team notes: |
Billy Wright extends his record appearance tally, in his record 42nd
consecutive match. |
uniform notes: |
England's record in a red jersey up until this
point was
2-1 victory over Argentina in 1951,
3-2 vs.
Austria in 1952,
6-3 vs.
United States in 1953 and then
3-1 vs.
West Germany in 1954. |
records: |
England's eighth fixture against the
World Cup Champions, W 5 - D 1 - L
2 - F 20 - A 12. |
goalscoring
records: |
Nat Lofthouse is England's top goalscorer for a post-war record fourth
time. Scoring four goals in four matches. |
|
2-3-5 |
Matthews - Hall, Byrne - Clayton, Wright, Edwards -
Astall, Haynes, Taylor, Wilshaw, Grainger. |
Averages: |
Age |
25 years 114
days |
Appearances/Goals |
14.7 |
2.1 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
After
two lacklustre displays England completed their summer tour with a
magnificent victory against the current World Champions West Germany in
Berlin. The visitors produced a superb team performance, just when it
mattered and now they can start to look forward to the 1958 World Cup with
some optimism.
As early as the first 20
seconds it became apparent that England could do well. At that moment
Dennis Wilshaw burst through on to a Johnny Haynes pass to shoot inches
wide. It was an early warning for the Germans and one that they did not
heed. Playing the ball around confidently, England swept forward in search
of goals. They won most of the tackles and supported each other superbly.
In the 25th minute the goal their
early play deserved duly arrived, and what a cracker it was! Colin
Grainger's corner was cleared to be met by Ron Clayton and Morlock
together. As the ball ran loose from their challenge Duncan Edwards
pounced, and with that characteristic power, he swept past three tackles
with consummate ease before crashing an unstoppable shot past Herkenrath's
right hand. The youngster, in that one moment, demonstrated to the world
what an awesome sight he is when he is full flight.
The England
half-backs dominated the German forwards and only a glancing header by
Ottmar Walter forced Reg Matthews into the action. The goalkeeper was more
than equal to the task, though, and produced a marvellous save to keep
England's lead intact.
The visitors could well have added to their
lead and some of their football was quite outstanding. Unfortunately they
could not finish off their fine approach play, although on the half-hour
they came very close. A brilliant six-man attack down the left finally
ended when Tommy Taylor's shot was superbly blocked by Herkenrath and
Grainger's follow up effort struck the 'keeper again with the England fans
already celebrating what they thought would be a certain goal.
But
the Germans held on and just before half-time Morlock stretched to send a
shot just over. In so doing the inside-right injured himself and had to
leave the field to be replaced by Pfaff.
At the half-time whistle,
the many British serviceman in the crowd cheered their team off. They knew
that if England continued to play as well, they would surely be
celebrating a famous victory.
Not unexpectedly West Germany came
hard at England after the restart but Billy Wright and his fellow
defenders were in immaculate form. Jeff Hall and Roger Byrne stifled the
danger from the wingers and when England countered they always looked
likely to score.
In
the 63rd and 69th minutes, England at last made the game safe with two
deadly strikes. Haynes, who started quietly but gradually took control of
the play, threaded a superb pass through for Gordon Astall to collect. The
winger slipped the ball inside to where Grainger showed pace and skill
before shooting home an excellent goal.
Six minutes later came goal
number-three. Taylor, who oozed class in all that he did, worked the ball
in from the right to find Wilshaw. The hard-working Wolves player glanced
it into space and Haynes latched on to it to coolly beat Herkenrath with a
well-placed shot. The England fans were delirious and they made their
presence felt with some tremendous and much appreciated support.
The West Germans, characteristically, never gave up and although three
goals down they pressed forward to put more pressure on England. Reg
Matthews made another fine stop to deny the dangerous Pfaff but was
powerless, five minutes from time, to prevent Friedrich Walter from finishing
off a delightful move featuring himself, Mai and Schaeffer. It was to be
the Germans' only consolation and at the final whistle there were jubilant
scenes amongst the visiting fans celebrating a memorable triumph.
|
Match Report
by Norman Giller |
This match is remembered as the finest ever
played on the international stage by Duncan Edwards, who was fresh from
helping Manchester United win the League championship. He strode the pitch
like a colossus, scoring a scorcher of a goal from twenty yards in the
twentieth minute and dominating the entire game both in defence and
midfield. Nearly half the 100,000 crowd in the stadium designed by Adolf
Hitler were soldiers from the British-occupied zone of Berlin. They staged
a delighted pitch invasion when second-half goals from Johnny Haynes and
Colin Grainger clinched victory. Friedrich Walter, the outstanding German
skipper, scored a fine individual goal for the team he had led to the
World Cup two years earlier. The name of Duncan Edwards was on the lips of
everybody who saw this match. He was phenomenal. There have been few
individual performances to match what he produced in Germany that day. He
tackled like a lion, attacked at every opportunity and topped it all off
with a cracker of a goal. He was still only twenty, and was already a
world-class player. Many of the thousands of British soldiers in the crowd
surrounded him at the final whistle and carried him off. England had
beaten the world champions in their own back yard.
|
Match Report
as appears in the F.A. Yearbook 1956-57 page 32 |
The last match of the tour was played in the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, on
May 26th before 100,000 spectators. From England's point of view it was a
fitting climax to a very good season. The holders of the World Cup were
well beaten. Our defence was in fine form, our halves were in charge in
mid-field, and our forwards, with Grainger outstanding, played with
determination and considerable skill. After Edwards had dribbled through
to score the first goal in the 25th minute, England always appeared the
likely winners: second half goals by Grainger and Haynes were fully
deserved. F. Walter scored a consolation goal for Germany four minutes
from time, but there was no doubt that England were the better team.
|
In
Other News....
It was on 26 May 1956 that Althea Gibson became the first
African American tennis player to win a major title when she
beat the defending champion, Britain's Angela Mortimer, 6-0,
12-10 in the final of the French Championship in Paris.
Gibson also won the doubles on the same day, with another
British player, Angela Buxton. Over the next two years, she
went on to win all four of the major championships before
turning professional, where racial prejudices continually
prevented her from financial success. |
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The Football Association's touring squad beat South Africa's
Eastern Province, 8-3 in Port Elizabeth, with Cardiff City's
Gerry Hitchens scoring five goals, all in the second half. |
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Source Notes |
TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
DFB.de
The Complete Book of the British Charts |
|
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record
Norman Giller, Football Author
British Pathé |
|
cg |