Fifty-five thousand angry, fist-waving Bulgars packing the National Stadium, went whistling made 15 minutes from the end of a stormy match when Sunderland's Stan Anderson, right-half in the England Under-23 [ed: B] team, was sent off the field after a bad foul against the Bulgarian outside-left, Doicho Batchev.
England were going all out for the equaliser when slim, dark-haired Anderson, running over to take a throw-in a few yards from the Bulgarian goal-line, appeared to kick Batchev from behind, above the ankle. The left-winger collapsed in agony and the concrete bowl stadium seemed to erupt in protest. Immediately referee Stefan Jolt, of Budapest, who was only a few yards from the incident, waved Anderson off the field..
   SKIPPER TREVOR SMITH RACED UP TO PROTEST AND BECKONED ANDERSON TO STAY ON.
The whistling, jeers and boos was deafening. Play was held up for several minutes while Batchev received treatment and 200 white-coated Army cadets were signaled on to control around the pitch. Smith, getting no change from the adamant referee, called on England trainer-coach Billy Nicholson but their joint pleadings were in vain. Watching this unhappy scene from the stand were the Bulgarian President and a trade union delegation from Moscow.
  It was a thousand pities that this Iron Curtain tour should get off to such an unhappy start. But let there be no mistake, it was the only possible decision.
Referee Jolt told me afterwards: "Your Number Four—I do not know his name—kicked the Bulgarian from behind when the ball was out of play. I am awfully sorry, but it was a bad foul."
   GRIM-FACED FRANK ADAMS, CHAIRMAN OF ENGLAND INTERMEDIATE SELECTORS, SAID: "IT WAS A VERY BAD FOUL. THERE WAS NO POINT IN IT. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE DECISION.
   "Anderson says he was rushing to get the ball for the throw-in when this fellow came across him. He says he did not kick him. It was only his second foul of the game."
Only the pathetic shooting plus some world-class saves from Eddie Hopkinson saved our lads from a four or five goals drumming. Star of the scrappy game was Bulgaria's Stanley Matthews, Alex Kostov. He gave unhappy Graham Shaw a terrible shaking, and laid on both goals with brilliant trickery. The first came after 28 minutes, Kostov and his right-wing partner, Abadjiev, sliced up England's defective left flank and Kostov's final pass served up a couldn't miss chance for centre-forward Diev.
Within 30 seconds it was 1-1. Shaw swung out a long pass to Alan A'Court. The Liverpool left-winger charged up to the line before crossing a centre which Brian Clough headed home. The winning goal came in the 12th minute of the second half. Kostov fouled by Dick Neal lobbed the free-kick and Vladimirov scored.
  

ENGLAND'S Soccer prestige took a severe knock when 55,000 Bulgarians booed and jeered as Sunderland's Stan Anderson walked dejectedly back to the dressing-room after being ordered off by Hungarian referee Stephen Jolt at the National Stadium.
There were just 15 minutes left of a quiet, unexciting game when Anderson was involved in an incident with Bulgaria's outside-left Badjiev's. Anderson himself had been previously kicked.
Before this England's understrength team were heading for defeat against a superior side. The Matthews-like dribbles and wizardry of outside-right Kostov bewildered the English defence, and unlike so many Continental sides the young Bulgarians had enough finishing power to twice beat the brilliant Eddie Hopkinson, in goal. His display yesterday, following his great performance against Old England at Highnury, has marked him as a serious challenger to Alan Hodgkinson in the full English side.
For the rest, only Blackburn's tricky little winger Bryan Douglas looked fit to play alongside Johnny Haynes, Duncan Edwards and Ron Clayton in Bucharest when they arrive from Dublin.
Centre-forward Diev chipped the ball over Hopkinson in 27 minutes, England equalised within 30 seconds when Brian Clough headed past Serventski from Alan A'Court's centre. Bulgaria's winner came 30 minutes half-time when inside-left Vladimirov nodded in Badjiev's pass.
  

England's Under-23 [ed: B] team began its en-of-season tour to the Balkans by playing Young Bulgaria at Sofia before 55,000. The game was rather tame and unexciting until the last quarter of an hour, but on the whole Bulgaria deserved her win. Their centre-forward scored a clever goal in the twenty-seventh minute, but Clough immediately equalised when he headed in a fine centre from A'Court. Thirty minutes after the interval, Bulgaria's inside-left headed the winning goal, England's best players were Hopkinson, who gave a great display in goal, and Douglas, a tricky winger.