But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Although he failed to score in the Cup Winners Cup match there is no doubt that, with 13 goals, he was the star of the show. Having failed to find the net in his past two internationals, a run which had scuppered more than a few promising youngsters England careers, Boltons star was aware of a concerted campaign in the press to have him replaced by Newcastles brilliant Jackie Milburn. In April 1998, train operator Virgin CrossCountry named locomotive 47807 Lion of Vienna in Lofthouse's honour at Bolton station. In 4th position is Ian Rush on 233 goals, then David Herd on 223 goals. Additionally, the development of the Cold War affected the trip to Austria. Promised a new bike if he scored a hat-trick in the match he actually went four better, getting all the goals in a 7-1 win, establishing himself as one to watch. Nat Lofthouse was a 'Bevin Boy', one of thousands of young men conscripted to work in Britain's mines by Ernest Bevin, the coalition government's Minister of Labour and National Service during. ALTHOUGH he earned a great deal of his reputation, and indeed his nickname, for one performance, Nat Lofthouse, 'The Lion of Vienna' was a tremendous servant for his country for eight years, bagging 30 goals in just 33 games, and for his club for over 30 years. The only thing worse was when I said yes.' But the Wanderers policy was that if you played for them you couldnt run a pub. As far as Englands league goalscorers are concerned, Nat Lofthouse is 37th all-time. Dienst was tripped by Froggatt on the edge of the penalty area, and Huber equalized from the penalty spot. During the war, he was one of 48,000 men who were sent to work in the coal mines rather than the armed services with a . He was born with Bolton in his blood, and he played his football, lived his life in a way that reflected that. The Lion Of Vienna. The new forward scored twice but Lawton matched his feat and Chelsea scraped to a 4-3 win. In 1956, he finished as the First Divisions top scorer with 33 goals. Half a century after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), they were finally recognized as contributors to the war effort by Queen Elizabeth II. As much as he was a one-club man, Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club. Nat Lofthouse, the battering ram with a shrewd brain and heart of lion A one-club man to his boots, the Bolton and England striker dubbed the Tank by the Austrians, was a giant of the game. This win made for up defeat in the 1953 FA Cup Final, the same year he was selected as the Footballer of the Year by the FWA. With essentially all of the first-teamers away at the war, it was comparatively easy for Nat to work his way into a regular starting spot, and by the time the regular league resumed in 1946, that spot was effectively sealed for the next 14 years. Instead, Lofthouse would famously climb the walls at Burnden Park in order to get into the ground for free. My body became firmer and harder, I learned to take hard knocks without feeling them. Pushing the tubs made me fitter than I had ever been before. [13] He had suffered with dementia. Seven minutes before the end, the climax occurred. Two goals in a 5-1 win gave a taste of what was the come. Still more fans entered and the crush resulted in the death of 33 people. However, theres little doubt that financial pragmatism aside, his heart was always in Bolton and with Wanderers. When he was in the team, we played to him. goals in 33 games for the Three Lions including two in the 1952 match against Austria which earned him the nickname the Lion of Vienna. After gaining eight corners to Englands none, the Austrians dominated for most of the game. In the next two seasons he continued scoring regularly with the 1955-56 campaign particularly notable. As though fate declared it, Nat's debut for Bolton's first team also came against a Bury side, on March 22, 1941. He was declared English Footballer of the Year, an accolade he was given on the eve of the famed Stanley Matthews Final in the FA Cup. Telephone: 0161 605 8200. The award was given in recognition of his great skill with the ball at a time when English football was not known for its aesthetic beauty. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. England conceded 24 free kicks, while Austria conceded 19. The Bolton boys launched another attack, ending with a Ray Parry shot on goal. Like many aspiring youngsters one of Nats early jobs at the club was cleaning the boots of the senior pros and he always paid special attention to those of star forward Ray Westwood, one of the players he had cheered from the sideline when a star-struck spectator. The view was clearly shared by the selectors as it was back in reserve with Newcastles Jackie Milburn at the head of Englands attack. In spite of his prolific scoring, it took England selectors a few seasons to notice the boy from Bolton, Lofthouse's first England cap came in November of 1950 at the late age of 25. The OBE was awarded to him in 1994. Six of their colleagues had died in the crash, including United's only goal scorer from that final, Tommy Taylor. Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. In a football match bearing the weight of sport, politics, and differing ideologies, Lofthouse approached the pitch as though it were a battlefield, sacrificing his body (and probably a few brain cells) to win an important, poignant, and unexpected, victory for England. This time he only managed to score a brace, the fourth and fifth goals in a 5-1 victory at Burnden Park. Playing career [ edit] All Id ever wanted to do.. Despite the tense situation in Austria and Germany, British troops crossed into the Soviet sector for the match in May 1952, which took place in the Soviet sector of Vienna.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-3','ezslot_6',181,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-3-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-3','ezslot_7',181,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-3-0_1');.medrectangle-3-multi-181{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}, The historian Percy Young briefly described the situation regarding the two matches. He is still Bolton's top scorer of all time. For 47 years after the program wound up, Bevin Boys were not recognized as full contributors to the war effort (despite being conscripted). A one-club man with a passionate love for his hometown and his club, his decision to remain at Burnden Park for his entire career was never truly in his hands, with no freedom of contract meaning the club had absolute power over their player. In the 83rd minute, Tom Finney tapped the ball to Lofthouse on the halfway line. Read |Duncan Edwards: the original, greatest boy wonder. For the recognition of club and country, a statue stands outside Boltons stadium.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'historyofsoccer_info-box-3','ezslot_4',180,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-box-3-0'); England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. Before halftime, the English defense opened up, allowing Dienst to fire past Merrick and level the scores.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_13',167,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); As the game progressed, it became more fraught. The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. It didnt take long for Lofthouse to start getting attention from professional clubs and in 1939 at the age of just 14 he was persuaded by Bolton Wanderers manager Charles Foweraker to sign for his local club with a little help from another important man in the city. A vote of the Football Writers Association members, which functions like a jury, selected the professional player who best exemplified footballers precepts and examples as the player of the year. . There was then a Cup Winners Cup played between the winners of the North and South tournaments. He was forced to retire at the age of 35 because of his persistent injuries. Find him, you got a winner. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. After the game for Castle Hill, Nat asked the school side's manager for more games. An England international, Nat Lofthouse played his entire club career for his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, scoring 255 goals in 452 league appearances. Even earning the maximum wage, financial security for his family wasnt secured beyond his playing days, and he tried his hand at both working as a paint salesman and running a pub. That statue is a fitting tribute to a man who gave his all, for both club and country throughout his life. As the decade wore on, the clouds began to disperse. United played well in the first half, but their attacks were continually stopped by the Bolton defense "like waves breaking against a rock," as one commentator noted. Lofthouse had made his Wanderers debut back in 1941 aged 15, scoring. His goals-per-game ratio was among the highest among all England players between 1950 and 1958, during which he won 33 caps for England. Former Bolton Wanderers and England striker Nat Lofthouse, one of the greats of a golden post-war generation, died in his sleep at the age of 85, the club announced on Sunday. He grew up without much in the way of material comforts; his first sight of Bolton Wanderers came after shinning up a drain pipe at the clubs Burnden Park home rather than paying the threepence for schoolboy admission. By Henry Winter 16 January 2011 8:10pm As always, football matches were symbolic.. Nat Lofthouse, the former England forward who spent his whole playing career with Bolton Wanderers FC and was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna, has died in his sleep at the age of 85. Between 1950 and 1958, he played 33 times for the England national football team. Two goals on his England debut against Yugoslavia wasnt enough to convince the notoriously finicky and often mystifying FA selection committee, but when he was recalled a year later, he took an iron grip on Englands number 9 shirt, one he wouldnt fully relinquish for another five years. In a rare show of off-field bullishness, Lofthouse later remembered that he made it his sole purpose to make one particular writer eat his words even if he choked. Nat charged forward with the ball, in typical Lofthouse fashion receiving an elbow in the face and a tackle from behind. But work down the mine toughened him physically and the caustic humour of his fellow miners made sure he never became arrogant about his success on the field.". ALTHOUGH he earned a great deal of his reputation, and indeed his nickname, for one performance, Nat Lofthouse, The Lion of Vienna was a tremendous servant for his country for eight years, bagging 30 goals in just 33 games, and for his club for over 30 years. The 1958-59 campaign provided a final high point in Lofthouses international career. A) 20 B) 30 C) 40 Wanderers gave the then 15-year-old his debut on 14 March 1941 in a wartime match with Bury again providing the opposition. Eulogies were offered by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside and Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor, a boyhood Bolton fan and former Wanderers player. The only identity was Nat Lofthouse. The match in question was a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nat scored 2 of Bolton's goals. Sources: Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Herald; Nat Lofthouse, Goals Galore, Nat Lofthouse. . In 1943, Nat Lofthouse was called upon to serve as a Bevin Boy at the Mosley Common coal mine. I could hear the hounds setting off after me but I knew it was basically down to me and [Austrian goalkeeper Josef] Musil. The sickening collision between striker and keeper left Lofthouse knocked out cold. England travelled to to meet an Austria side that at the time were considered among the best in Europe and who had the better of the 2-2 draw at Wembley six months before. After failing to score in the win over Scotland at Hampden the centre forward went on Englands 1952 summer tour. Nat Lofthouse was everything you will not find in a footballer today. A typical Saturday for Lofthouse involved getting up at 3.30am, catching the 4.30am tram to work, and working down the pit for 8 hours before the team bus took him to the match. In 1985, at the age of 60, Lofthouse became caretaker manager at the club again and became president in 1986. Contents show The 1952 tour England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. Then, in the 83rd minute keeper Gil Merrick cleared the ball from a corner and Tom Finney flicked it on to the centre forward near the halfway line. 1968 rolled around and Nat Lofthouse was appointed caretaker manager of the club. It was an unexpected win against all odds. And that, basically, was all I wanted to do. Harry Johnston (1951) and Syd Owen (1959), among others and more apparent candidates, Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney, won this award for their model-professional status, loyalty to club and country, and scrupulously fair approach to the game. Nat was the youngest of four boys. Quick off the mark, an ability to shoot with either foot, with strength and agility in the air an innate ability to be in the right place at the right time. Nat Lofthouse. In early 1947 he asked for a transfer with Tottenham Hotspur said to be seriously interested in his services but the Bolton board turned the request down and he quickly got back to business finishing the season as the clubs top scorer with 18 goals, a feat he repeated in the following campaign. For the recognition of club and country, a statue stands outside Bolton's stadium. He won that. Sculptor Sean Hedges Quinn will depict the captain leading his team onto the pitch and will be emblazoned with Nat's final words: "I've got the ball now, it's a bit worn, but I've got it.".