The
England
Summer Party-Pre United
States
May
1959 |
Player |
Birthdate |
Age |
Pos |
Club |
starts |
subs |
App |
|
Capt |
Armfield, James |
21 September 1935 |
23 |
RB |
Blackpool FC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Baynham, Ronald L. |
10 June 1929 |
29 |
GK |
Luton Town FC |
3 |
0 |
3 |
2ᵍᵃ |
0 |
Bradley, Warren |
20 June 1933 |
25 |
OR |
Manchester United FC |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Broadbent, Peter F. |
15 May 1933 |
26 |
IR |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
6 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
Charlton, Robert |
11 October 1937 |
21 |
CF |
Manchester United FC |
11 |
0 |
11 |
8 |
0 |
Clayton,
Ronald |
5 August 1934
|
24 |
RHB |
Blackburn Rovers FC |
29 |
0 |
29 |
0 |
0 |
Deeley, Norman V. |
30 November
1933 |
25 |
OR |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Flowers, Ronald |
28 July 1934 |
24 |
LHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
6 |
1 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
Greaves, James P. |
20 February 1940 |
19 |
IR |
Chelsea FC |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Gratrix, Roy |
9 February 1932 |
27 |
CHB |
Blackpool FC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Haynes, John
N. |
17 October 1934
|
24 |
IL |
Fulham FC |
31 |
0 |
31 |
12 |
0 |
Holden, A. Douglas |
28 September 1930 |
28 |
OL |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
Hopkinson, Edward |
29 October 1935 |
23 |
GK |
Bolton Wanderers FC |
11 |
0 |
11 |
19ᵍᵃ |
0 |
Howe, Donald |
12 October 1935 |
23 |
FB |
West Bromwich Albion FC |
19 |
0 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
Kevan, Derek T. |
6 March 1935 |
24 |
CF |
West Bromwich Albion FC |
12 |
0 |
12 |
7 |
0 |
McGuinness, Wilfred |
25 October 1937 |
21 |
LHB |
Manchester United FC |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Shaw, Graham L. |
9 July 1934 |
24 |
LB |
Sheffield United FC |
4 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
Wright, William A. |
6 February 1924 |
35 |
CHB |
Wolverhampton
Wanderers FC |
104 |
0 |
104 |
3 |
89 |
All information is complete to and including England's last match,
the eighth of the 1958-59 season, against Mexico on 24 May 1959.
Diary
South American Tour — the Facts |
THIS year's tour of Brazil, Peru, Mexico and the United
States provoked possibly more comment and criticism than
any other. This was doubtless because of the results,
which were plainly disappointing, but so much of the
criticism was based on superficial thinking that it may be
profitable to take a closer look at the problems of
foreign tours in general and this one in particular.
The match in Brazil was clearly the key to the entire
tour, As long ago as 1950, during the World Championship
in Brazil, England had been invited to play there. It was
then felt it would be better to wait a few years before
returning. When the Football Association made its first
tour to South America in 1953, with matches in Argentina,
Chile, Uruguay and, on the way home, the United States,
Brazilian officials met the party at Rio airport en
route for Buenos Aires and pressed them to play a
match there and then. At the same time the Peruvian
authorities pressed even harder that England should
inaugurate the new national stadium in Lima and offered
attractive terms if this could be done. But such was the
schedule of that tour that additional matches were quite
impossible. Nevertheless it was settled in
principle that Brazil should play in London in 1956, and
that England should play in Rio in 1957. But the new
system of World Cup qualifying matches when England had to
meet the Irish Republic and Denmark - instead of using the
British Championship - meant that additional fixtures
could not be undertaken that year. The 1958 World
Championship kept everyone fully occupied and 1959 was the
earliest year in which England could play a return match
in Brazil. This was confirmed, as were the the matches
with Peru and Mexico, late in 1957 and again during the
1958 World Cup in Sweden. It will thus be seen that even
arranging dates and terms involves complex discussion and
correspondence over a long period. |
The
Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, page 15 |
Monday, 20 April 1959 - The England selectors showed their satisfaction with the team that
beat Scotland at Wembley by making just one enforced changed
because of the injury to Bryan Douglas, for the games against
Under-23 team on 1 May at Highbury, and against Italy at Wembley
five days later. The vacancy on the right wing has gone to
Manchester United's Warren Bradley, who already has twelve
appearances for the England Amateur team.
The eleven, along with an additional seven players, will
also make the trip to South America. However, there is still no
recognised centre-forward, with Bobby Charlton expected to fill
the role again. Jimmy Greaves and Jimmy Armfield will go to Milan
to play for the under-23's against Italy on 7 May, returning to
join the tour party who leave on 8 May.
Friday, 1 May 1959 -
England 3
Young England 3:- "This match at Highbury should have been a
showpiece. It was a flop—despite the score. Most of the
players didn't put much effort into their game and many of the
34,212 fans, who were charged top prices, left half an hour after
the game started. Ron Flowers put England ahead in fifteen
minutes. In the 29th minute, Bobby Charlton made it 20. Two
minutes later Charlton hammered home a drive. But Ray Parry
clipped the lead. In the fifty-seventh minute Ray Pointer scored
for Young England. Then Jimmy Greaves grabbed the equaliser."
- Bill Holden, Daily Mirror Roy Gratrix is the
reserve for England against the Young England.
Wednesday, 6 May
1959 - England 2 Italy 2 -
"NOW England knows the worst, and the selectors have seven days in
which to find a new attack capable of denting Brazil's defence in
Rio next Wednesday. Thank goodness that in this drawn
international at Wembley we discovered the limitations of this
present England team BEFORE it set off for a 20,000-mile tour of
The Americas tomorrow. There were no other consolations. Even a
brilliant goal from Bobby Charlton that shot England into the lead
in the 26th minute could not inspire an attack of struggling
individuals. True, Warren Bradley snatched a second goal in the
40th minute to set up a 2—0 advantage, but it was lost. The
Italians scored twice in the 13 minutes of the second half when
England were without left-half Ron Flowers, who left the field
with a suspected broken nose after a clash with centre-forward
Sergio Brighenti. Flowers came back to play as well as ever, and
excuses do not obscure the fact that this match must mark the end
of an experiment." - John
Camkin, News Chronicle "Someone blundered at
Wembley. And afterwards there were protests in the Italian Chamber
of Deputies—and red faces among the members of the massed band of
the Green Jacket Brigade. The England-Italy football match was
about to start. The players lined up,
and the crowd of 90,000 stood as the band prepared to play the
national anthems of the two countries. But as the first notes of
the Italian anthem rang out Italians gasped. The band was playing
the wrong tune. Instead of Italy's present anthem, 'Inno di Mameli,'
the band struck up the old 'Royal March'—used under the Mussolini
regime and dropped when Italy became a Republic. In the Chamber of
Deputies two left-wing members leapt up to urge the government to
protest to Britain against the playing of the 'Fascist Royal
March.' It was, they said, 'an insult to the Italian Republic.'
The choice of music is usually the responsibility of the
bandmasters. Bandmaster E. W. Jeanes, of the Second Green jackets,
said: 'The anthem came from a War Office publication, 'National
Anthems of the Nations,' issued n 1910, although revisions are
made from time to time.' At the after-match banquet, Mr. Joe
Mears, chairman of the England selectors, said: 'I apologise most
humbly to our Italian friends. The repercussions from Italy have
been serious. The Green Jackets will receive a rocket.'"
- News Chronicle
Walter
Winterbottom immediately flies off to Milan to watch the Young
England side take on the Young Italian side.
Thursday, 7 May 1959 - Ron Flowers broke
his nose yesterday as confirmed by an ex-ray at Wembley hospital.
'The break is at the bridge of the nose and it should not
interfere with his forthcoming tour of the Americas.'
England against
The Press |
A summer tour of South America had been both a football
and PR disaster. Before it even began England had
surrended a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 with Italy at
Wembley and then things had gone from bad to worse.
Matters weren't helped when a hitherto benevolent press
turned on the players. Leading the charge was the
Daily Herald's new reporter, Sam Leitch. In many
ways, he could be seen as changing the entire complexion
of tabloid football reporting with his forthright attacks
at what he perceived to be the root of England's problems.
His career began with a report on England's 2-2 draw with
Italy: 'Just forty-eight hours before they fly off on
their 20,000-mile tour of the Americas, England plunged
into pathetic depths of tame surrender . . . the full list
of England flops was headed by skipper Billy Wright whose
101st cap was his worst.' Things deteriorated from there
on and Leitch was joined by others at last ready to
chastise the national team. Suddenly gone, it seemed, were
the days when the worst a player could get was a gentle
joshing from a journalist's pen. Now newspapers were
increasingly filled with the kind of invective one would
formerly expect from only the most rabid fan. Expectation
had not just moved up a notch, it was suddenly screaming
from the back pages, particularly when it had not been
lived up to. |
England
Expects, James Corbett, page 154 |
South American Tour — the Facts |
The party
which made the 1959 tour, including players, officials,
Press and TV representatives, numbered no less than 39.
Moving such a group over more than 20,000 miles, two
continents and through four great cities requires the
planning and detail of a minor military operation.
Transportation alone demands a careful study of schedules
so that the players will be given the maximum time
possible in which to relax after each match and also to
readjust to the different conditions of a new country, and
to train and prepare for the next match. Each country has
its own immigration requirements, so that visas,
inoculations, vaccinations, photographs and travel
reservations demand a tremendous amount of staff-work.
Baggage in itself is a considerable problem. Such is
the amount of hospitality offered by the host
associations, the various embassies, English colonies and
private individuals that a careful balance must be struck
between the requirements of discipline and serious
training in the team and the common politeness one always
wants to show to one's hosts. Hotels must be reserved and
checked so that the team and party is neither isolated
beyond contact with the people and the way of life of the
country visited—for this can give a valuable insight
into the opponents' approach to the game - or over-exposed
to the noises and stresses of a great capital city on the
eve of the match. |
The
Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, pages 15 & 16 |
Friday, 8 May 1959 - Eighteen
players and more England officials leave London Airport today at
1.30pm, on Flight SR460 bound for Recife via Lisbon. Then after a
connecting flight to Rio, they will arrive after a 26-hour flight
tomorrow afternoon. They will be staying in the plush Hotel Gloria, overlooking the
Copacabana beach. The Selectors are lead by Chelsea FC's Joe
Mears, along with Chesterfield FC's Harold Shentall, and
Lieutenant Colonel
Gerry Mitchell, of the Army FA. The FA secretary, Sir Stanley Rous
also accompanies them. Winterbottom and Harold Shepherdson,
trainer, make up the group of six officials.
Sunday, 10 May 1959
-
"BILLY WRIGHT, England's hero of 101 internationals, told me here
today that he will decide whether to retire or not when the
England party return to London at the end of the month." -
John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle
The England party are
training at the local cricket ground in Copacabana, as they are
not allowed to train at the Maracana Stadium, with its lush green
pitch. Three years ago, the Football Association refused Brazil
permission to train at Wembley. The Brazilian Federation are
repaying the favour.
Evening
-
"Four selectors and team manager Walter Winterbottom sipped cool
drinks on the balcony of their hotel overlooking the Copacabana
beach as they picked the 11 men who will face the might of Brazil
in the torrid heat of the vast Maracana Stadium."
Monday, 11 May 1959 - The eighteen
players alongside Walter Winterbottom and his coaching staff are
at the Fluminese Stadium, training in the mid-afternoon sunshine.
A blatant tactic from Winterbottom to get his team acclimatised to
the Rio summer heat.
Tuesday, 12 May 1959 -
The Brazilian Federation have finally relaxed their rule of
allowing the English players to train on the pitch at the Maracana.
Rather than a beating sun, it has been raining all day in Rio,
with the temperature plummeting in to the low sixties.
Wednesday, 13 May
1959 - Brazil 2 England 0
- "BILLY WRIGHT and his England team-mates found themselves right
out of the luck in the vast Maracana Stadium here this afternoon.
The dusky Brazilians, fading champions of world football,
celebrated their first victory over the old masters only by the
skin of their gleaming white teeth. They can thank a third-minute
goal, which virtually decided this prestige-laden match. That goal
brought a barrage of firecrackers from 151 excited fans. But it
was a present from the white-shirted Englishmen, whose nerves were
obviously jangling. Ten minutes later—when England had settled
down—the move would have been stopped every time by either Wright
or Jim Armfield. Only 25 minutes afterwards, came another goal . .
. ANOTHER PRESENT. This time from referee Brozzi, of Argentina.
Like the England men, who protested so fervently, I thought
centre-forward Henrique was two yards offside when Julinho sent
him clear. Not for one moment do I suggest England should have
beaten a Brazilian team only a pale shadow of the one I saw thrash
Sweden in the World Cup Final in June. But England, still ticking
on only two forward cylinders, weren't the weaker side, by any
means, in a disappointing match. The huge crowd sat strangely
silent as the white-shirted forwards dominated the second half." -
John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle
England against
The Press |
Criticism tended to focus on Wright or Haynes and the
latter, now the chips were down, was increasingly seen as
a moody, petulant individual. An intolerant glare or even
a volley of abuse would be directed the way of any mere
mortal who received one of his searching passes and had
the temerity to fluff the subsequent opportunity. 'It was
myself I was getting the hump with for not getting the
pass quite right,' he explained years later in retirement.
'I was a bit of a perfectionist; it was me cursing myself
rather than my mate.' On 13 May 1959, in
front of an estimated crowd of 160,000 in the Maracana,
England fell to a 0-2 defeat to Brazil. If no disgrace
come from that, plenty was to follow. |
England
Expects, James Corbett, pages 154 & 155 |
|
Friday, 15 May 1959 -
After the team to face Peru is announced, Jimmy Greaves replaces
Peter Broadbent in the only change, the England party fly 2,500
miles to Lima through the Andes. The party arrive late evening.
Saturday, 16 May 1959 -
The team start training early in the morning at Lima cricket and
football club ground.
In the evening,
the party trained under the floodlights of the National Stadium,
where they are due to play tomorrow night.
Sunday, 17 May
1959 - Peru 4 England 1
- "ENGLAND, badly in need of a centre-forward, shed Soccer
prestige on the shores of the Pacific here today. Urged on by
50,000 deliriously happy folk, Peru, one of the world's tiniest
football nations, whipped the Old Masters 4—1. In the
elegant, gracious national stadium, built on ground given to Peru
by Britain in 1921 to mark their 400th birthday, the terraces
echoed to the constant chant of praise at the unexpected victory.
The crowd even laughed at the puny English efforts to salvage some
honour from this serious blow to our standing in South America.
Once again, our lop-sided attack never appeared likely to pull
back two early goals conceded by defensive mistakes. Twice in the
first half, Juan Seminario, the local Stan Matthews, was presented
with goals by silly errors. To my mind this beating in a match we
confidently expected to win is England's worst setback since the
Hungarians thrashed us. Don Howe, usually so good, had his worst
international, and Ron Clayton, Jim Armfield and Bobby Charlton
disappointed, while wingers Norman Deeley and Doug Holden were
plainly struggling. Only Greaves showed the flair for the big
match and earned any laurels—and even he was not brilliant." -
John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle
England team manager Walter
Winterbottom said he plans 'widespread changes' against Mexico. He
added: 'Considering the number of changes we are making, I have
decided not to announce the side until Thursday."
England against
The Press |
Four days later Peru beat England 4-1 in Lima and Leitch
was apoplectic:
'Struggling, pathetic shame oozed out of every
England football boot here at the foot of the
Andes mountains tonight as a lightweight,
slap-happy side from the ten first division teams
of Peru thrashed us in a game which could have
easily ended 8-1. Beside me as I type, people jab
at me through the twelve-foot high fence which
protects us from the crowd. They beam and ask: is
this really the first national side from England?
Here tonight, as Belo Horizonte nine years ago
when America beat us 1-0, a great name of English
football was reduced to futile palaver . . . to a
pathetic indifference . . . to sheer out of date
fumbling.' |
|
England
Expects, James Corbett, page 155 |
|
Monday, 18 May 1959 -
The England team are having a rest day
and are using the day to go shopping in Lima.
Tuesday, 19 May 1959 -
The players return to training at Lima Cricket & Football ground
for more practice sessions. Going back on Walter Winterbottom's
statement on Sunday, the chairman of selectors, Joe Mears said:
"There will be no experimenting. We are going hard for a win and
cannot afford to take any chances." Late in the evening, the
England party fly 2,600 miles overnight to Mexico.
There will be five days of acclimatisation at an altitude of 8,000
feet. The match against Mexico on Sunday is under threat by
employees at the City's University Stadium. A strike is planned
for Sunday morning, because it is alleged that members of the
employees' union were not given the job of selling tickets.
Mexican Football Officials, who consider their attitude as
'ridiculous,' are confident that the local authorities will take
care of the situation. The demand for tickets is high and the
match looks like being a sell-out.
Wednesday, 20 May 1959 -
The players are ordered to bed after arriving at their ranch-style
hotel, which they are sharing with the Mexican team. Their is a
ninety-minute work-out in the evening.
Thursday, 21
May 1959 - The whole England party have
unanimously voted to move out of the cramped, uncomfortable hotel
accommodation. The players complain of sharing a room with three
others, no privacy, poor room service and a stream of autograph
hunters. They have decided to switch to the same hotel as that
occupied by the Press. Meaning that the FA's policy of keeping
Press and players apart has had to be overlooked. The players
till managed to train non-stop under the blazing midday sun. The
team will not be announced until tomorrow, to give Walter
Winterbottom more time to look for signs of fatigue. The
England team played a trial match against a side composed of local
Mexican players and other members of the party. Derek Kevan led
the attack with Bobby Charlton to his left and Doug Holden
switching from left to right. Only Haynes and Greaves retained
their initial placements in the forward-line.
South American Tour — the Facts |
Food, climate, humidity, altitude or any peculiar local
conditions, the form of the opposition - all these must be
anticipated/ For example, a major problem on this tour was
the altitude of Mexico City, some 7,5000 feet above
sea-level. No England International team had played at
such an altitude before and the F.A. had no experience of
it. Professor Hemingway, Leeds University physiologist,
was consulted and gave valuable advice, as did Dr Pugh of
the Everest expedition. Dr Pugh had found no true records
of high-altitude work and training, and had conducted his
own experiments and built up useful experience. The
general opinion was that we should have six days
acclimatisation in Mexico before playing the match, and
the original schedule allowed for this. Not until Lima was
reached was it discovered that new airline schedules
permitted only five days in Mexico City.
Given the choice of two hotels, one secluded and suburban
and the other in the city, the officials decided on the
first, but the accommodation and meal-times were found to
be unsuitable and so a move was made into the second.
Further, the Mexican F.A. pressed us to play at noon,
though the England team would have preferred to play in
the cooler evening. They were assured that it always
rained in the evening, a fact which was confirmed, and
that the attendance would have been affected accordingly. |
The
Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, page 16 |
Friday, 22 May 1959 - The
England selectors have made two changes to the team that faced
Peru on Sunday. Two Wolves players, Ron Flowers and Norman Deeley
have been dropped in favour of Wilf McGuinness and Derek Kevan.
Doug Holden does indeed switch flanks, with Bobby Charlton moving
inside. Kick-off has been moved from Sunday afternoon to
Saturday evening. The workers at the stadium wanted £900
compensation for not being given the ticket sales concession. The
Federation would not pay, so the stadium has gone on strike.
Mexican law says they cannot bring the strike forward, so the
Federation moved the match forward instead.
Saturday, 23 May 1959 - The dispute
between the Mexican FF and stadium workers has been resolved and
the kick-off returns to its original Sunday noon kick off.
English officials had said they had not been consulted about the
change had still held out hope for the match to take place
tonight, but they finally agreed to Sunday's schedule.
Sunday, 24 May
1959 - Mexico 2 England 1
- "A NERVE-TINGLING earthquake shook the 83,000 fans packed into
the fabulous, sun-soaked University Stadium . . . but it was
nothing to the shock which rocked and shocked England. Once more
the white shirts crashed—and on Empire Day of all days!
Beaten in Brazil . . . pulverised in Peru and now mauled by Mexico
to make it three defeats on the trot in this jittery tour of the
Americas. I pinpoint those alarming nerve-racking seconds when the
floor rolled gently and typewriters slithered on the benches
because team manager Walter Winterbottom said that the rumblings
were not felt on the field. The Mexicans were far from a good side
either. So this international which kicked off at high noon and in
83 degrees turned out to be a weary, dreary bore." -
John Camkin, Rio, News Chronicle
Notes: An earthquake of
6.6 magnitude was reported in San Pedro Coxcaltepec Cántaros,
189 miles SE - at 19:17.41 UTC. (13:17 in Mexico City)
England against
The Press |
The
following week, the players exhausted and burnt out with
altitude sickness, England were beaten 1-2 by Mexico and
the response to the latest defeat took a familiar tone:
'Beaten by Brazil, pulverised in Peru and now mauled in
Mexico.' |
England
Expects, James Corbett, page 155 |
|
Monday, 25 May 1959 - USA Officials,
fifteen of them who attended the match yesterday, are concerned
that having England playing in the United States will have a
negative effect on attendances. They need to attract at least
17,000 spectators to Wrigley Field to just cover the expenses. So
far, they are struggling to cover a tenth of that figure.
"American fans just ain't interested in failures." Some of the
England team attend the Plaza de Toros in the City to watch a
bullfight.
Tuesday, 26 May 1959 -
The England party today spend five
hours flying to Los Angeles. After checking-in at The Ambassador
Hotel, they spend the rest of the day taking in the sights of
Hollywood and attended a reception in the evening, hosted by
British expats. It was attended by a number of Hollywood actors,
including David Niven and Pat Cutts.
England against
The Press |
By the time England reached Los Angeles, to face the
United States it was openly suggested that the FA withdraw
from the match lest there be a repeat of the 1950 fiasco.
Journalists exercised their ire but, in particular,
Leitch's typewrite keys must have taken a real battering:
'On
this eighteenth day of the most disastrous soccer
tour ever undertaken by an England team I AM SICK
TO DEATH.' of using the words 'pitiful . . .
pathetic . . . dismal . . . outclassed . . .
outmanoeuvred . . . outfought.' I AM SICK of edgy
England players saying to me: 'What are you
worried about? You love to write this knocking
stuff anyway.' This tour lies expressed for what
it is—FIFTH RATE AND UNVARYING IN IT'S
MEDIOCRITY.' |
|
England
Expects, James Corbett, page 155 |
|
Wednesday, 27 May 1959 -
The England team is announced at
breakfast... the team that ended the match against Match is the
team that starts against United States. It does mean that three of
the eighteen players, Ron Baynham, Roy Gratrix and Graham Shaw,
have sat on the touchline in every match. The team are back to to
training at the Hollywood High School playing fields, before going
on to Hollywood Park races. In the evening, the team were
treated to a performance at the Palladium, headlined by Sammy
Davis Junior, accompanied by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. At one
point, Davis Junior turned to the England party and said: "The
England soccer team are here tonight. They're on tour and have
lost in Brazil. They lost in Peru. They even lost in Mexico. If
you guys think you will have some explaining to do when you get
back home, spare a thought for him. I am a one-eyed Jew who also
happens to be black." According to one newspaper reporter,
Billy Wright's England career should have ended at the University
Stadium, but the US officials have demanded his appearance in Los
Angeles, as he is the one star player who can attract the crowds.
Thursday, 28 May 1959 -
Another
day of training for the England team before going to the Walt
Disneyland and then the local baseball match between the Los
Angeles Dodgers.
South American Tour — the Facts |
The pity was that the results were not better. As we have
seen, the tour was planned and confirmed at a time when
England had a first-class team, one which might have very
well won the 1958 World Championship and could have done
immeasurably better on this tour. Apart from losing the
core of the team in the Munich disaster, circumstances
compelled England to make the tour without Finney and
Douglas in the wing positions and McDonald in goal. Of the
18 players, Howe, Clayton, Wright, and Haynes were the
only ones with reasonable International experience.
In these matches our inexperienced players were at times
overwhelmed, not so much by atmosphere as by the
obstruction and interference and elbowing which is such a
feature of Latin American football. By custom and habit,
indeed, referees in these countries seem to have come to
consider all this to be normal and permit far more of it
than is allowed in the home countries. In general,
defensive mistakes cost England goals which should have
been prevented, and when the forwards did achieve good
combined attacks, they failed to press them home.
One clear lesson for the future is that our young players
of promise must continually be exposed to these foreign
styles of play at all levels of the game. No purpose is
served by complaining about refereeing decisions or
obstruction, or bad luck or temperature and humidity.
England players must learn to rise above these things, to
force themselves into the game, to force the issue in
their favour, if they are to reach first-class
International standards and compete at the highest level
of world competition. Yet this can be
said. On this tour the players trained harder and more
conscientiously than ever before. They were
well-disciplined, happy, and met every demand that was
made of them. They scarcely merited some of the criticisms
volleyed at their heads, for as someone said of the tour:
the only place England lost prestige was - in England. |
The
Official F.A. Yearbook, 1959-60, pages 16 & 17 |
Saturday, 30 May 1959 -
The England party left Los Angeles
for New York on board a Boeing 707 jet liner.
Eventually arriving back at London Airport.
England against
The Press |
In the event England prevailed as 8-1 winners in Wright's
105th and final match. On his return he launched into a
heartfelt defence of his manager. 'Walter has been
subjected to more criticism in the press and in q number
of well meant but misguided books than most people,' he
said. 'Walter is a warm-hearted person, a man of
principles. and I know that some of this criticism hurt
him deeply. Other stories have simply made him angry -
particularly stories involving other people as well, which
were not only unfair but untrue. It says much for his
strength of character that his attitude to the job and the
press has not been permanently scarred by this treatment.'
Maybe so, but with Winterbottom hamstrung by the whims of
the selectors, was Wright's defence really aimed in the
right direction? Leitch's reports
reflected a deeper cultural shift. Previously, England's
troughs had been dismissed by the press as flukes,
inevitable hiccups that would happen to any great side.
There was little real analysis, anger was suppressed or
occasionally heaped on the captain. Suddenly this changed.
If the tabloid press can be seen as a vehicle that
reflects its readers' wider anxieties and expectations,
now they seemed to be saying, quite unequivocally, 'enough
is enough'. Predictably, the FA didn't
like the new criticism. Joe Mears, Chairman of the
International Selection Committee, took the unprecedented
step of issuing a statement calling on the Press Council
to intervene:
'Accompanying the FA party were journalists who,
like some of the players, were experiencing their
first long tour. Almost without exception their
reports have been inaccurate, misleading,
mischievous, and have been a great disservice to
English football and footballers. It is our
intention to recommend that the Press Council be
asked to receive a deputation in order that a
repetition of such conduct on future visits abroad
my be avoided.' |
|
England
Expects, James Corbett, page 156 |
Saturday,
30 May 1959 - At the Football League's Annual
General Meeting, it has decided that international players are to
be insured for £25,000, instead of £15,000. It is also decided that England
players can keep their jerseys. It is revealed that the
Football Association also contacted the Football League with
regards to playing all home internationals midweek. Football
League chairman Tommy Trinder made his first speech. It was to
propose that clubs affected by the selection of two or more
players for a Saturday international match be given the option of
postponing their match. It was rejected.
Saturday, 13 June 1959 -
Heading the list of sports personalities honoured in the Queen's
Birthday Honours, published today, is Billy Wright, who becomes a
C.B.E.
Thursday, 6 August 1959 -
"WILLIAM AMBROSE WRIGHT, who will be
one of Soccer's great Immortals, is almost certain to play the
last act of his career in Wolves' practice match here at Molineux
on Saturday. Today he told me: "I shall make up my mind in a few
days; but it looks very much as though Saturday's game maybe my
last. I feel wonderfully well and fit, but I realise if I stay on,
I am holding up the progress of a lot of youngsters at Molineux. I
had hoped to play another season, but there's George Showell to
consider. After all, I've had a wonderful innings of 21 seasons
with a great club. Now I must begin to think of the others, and I
shall make a definite decision shortly.""
-
John Camkin, Wolverhampton, News Chronicle
Friday, 7 August 1959
-
"This is it. I want to finish while I am still on top."
Billy Wright retires from playing football.
England Form: last six
games |
D
W D
L L L f 11:a
10
success: 50% |
328 |
26 November 1958 -
England 2
Wales
2
[1-1]
Villa Park, Birmingham
(40,500) |
Broadbent (2)
Tapscott, Allchurch |
BC |
HD |
329 |
11 April
1959 -
England 1
Scotland
0
[0-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(98,329) |
Charlton |
HW |
330 |
6 May 1959 -
England 2 Italy
2
[2-0]
Empire Stadium, Wembley
(90,000-91,000) |
Charlton, Bradley
Brighenti, Mariani |
Fr |
HD |
331 |
13 May 1959 -
Brazil 2
England 0
[2-0]
Estádio Municipal, Rio de Janeiro (150,000-200,000) |
Julinho, Henrique |
tour |
AL |
332 |
17 May 1959 -
Peru
4 England 1
[2-0]
Estadio Nacional Coloso de José Díaz,
Lima
(50,306) |
Seminario (3), Joya
Greaves |
AL |
333 |
24 May 1959 -
Mexico 2
England 1
[1-1]
Estadio Olímpico Universitario, ciudad de México
(83,000) |
Cardenas, Reyes
Kevan |
AL |
|