Before becoming Bolton's chief scout, he became an administrative manager at Burnden. Both men were among the inaugural inductees to the Hall Of Fame. Bolton Wanderers On the Trot: Internationals, The Nat Lofthouse Stand - Bolton Blogroll. Former Bolton captain Kevin Davies and then manager Owen Coyle were among the pallbearers.[16]. Needless to say, the whole country and a good portion of the 100,000 fans packed into Wembley that day were behind the battered and bruised Manchester side. This time he only managed to score a brace, the fourth and fifth goals in a 5-1 victory at Burnden Park. Outside the church, it was former Bolton manager Jimmy Armfield (1971-1974) who perhaps summed it all up best: "It's the fact that he was a one-club man. In 2003, Nat Lofthouse retired from Bolton Wanderers for a second time. As it turned out, the England team ended up on the receiving end of a brutal match. 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. Sir Tom Finney and Nat Lofthouse together at the National Football Museum Hall Of Fame awards in 2002. There was a light breeze and intermittent rain during the game. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. The wording of the epithet is indicative both of the era and the man himself. Having played his first organised game as an emergency goalkeeper for his older brothers school team, conceding seven times and upsetting his Mum by playing in a new pair of shoes (he would later redeem himself by cleaning them as good as new), he quickly moved into attack his more natural position, due to his size, and established himself as the star centre forward for Castle Hill school. He looked like a boxer at the end of a tough 15 rounds when he left the field. Elliotts pass to Baily was impressive. In front of 65,500 fans at the Prater Stadium, including hordes of British soldiers, Lofthouse gave England the lead when he smacked home a half-volley from 12 yards after being set up by Jackie Sewell. Lofthouse was buried on 26 January 2011 as thousands turned out to say goodbye at Bolton Parish Church. [10] He married Alma Foster in 1947 and they remained married until her death in 1985. Austria hit back to equalise, Sewell restored the advantage but the home team levelled for a second time. Doug Holden, another star of the legendary 1950s edition of Bolton, provided a succinct summation of Lofthouses influence on the team. Playing career [ edit] All in all, he tallied up 255 goals in 452 league games, and 30 goals in 51 cup matches. The next season, on Dec. 6, 1947 Nat Lofthouse married the love of his life, Alma Foster, to whom he would remain married until her death in 1986. From the very height of his celebrity to the very end of his life, almost everybody that Lofthouse or Lofty, as he insisted on being called met came away with memories of a genial, friendly, generous soul. 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. 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. That game launched one of the best periods of his career, which previously Lofthouse had been decidedly unsatisfied with, receiving little praise for his international efforts, and little respect from anyone barring Bolton fans. From an early age, Nat was a Bolton Wanderers supporter. There have been many claims that Lofthouse and Tommy Lawton went to the same school but in fact Lawton went to nearby Folds Road. Recalled to the national team line-up for match with the USSR he provided the final goal in a 5-0 win. Its capital cities, Berlin and Vienna, were also divided into four by the four Allied Powers (Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France). Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. Lion Of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers community. Once Lofthouse arrived Hunt moved to right-half and was later transferred to Sheffield Wednesday. In the next two seasons he continued scoring regularly with the 1955-56 campaign particularly notable. It was important not to strike the ball too soon. To be awarded the label of Lion, once reserved for realm's greatest warriors, is to be christened with one of England's most enduring symbols. In the following Sundays game with Austria, England was widely considered as an underdog. 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. please support us. However, the lead was short-lived. 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. The Bevin Boy program came to an end in 1948. In 1958, he achieved his crowning glory, scoring twice including a controversial bundled second which sent the ball and goalkeeper Harry Gregg into the net as Bolton overcame a Manchester United side ravaged by the Munich Air Disaster to win the FA Cup. He perhaps justified a claim to an earlier call-up by scoring both goals in a 22 draw against Yugoslavia at Highbury on his debut. Lofthouse was in. An estimated crowd of 85,000 turned up at Burnden Park with fans climbing in after the gates had been shut. Returning on the bus after the game he was shocked to find Tommy Lawton waiting for him. Lofthouse returned to Burnden Park full-time in 1968 spending a mostly nondescript three-year spell as manager. Three months earlier, United had been involved in the Munich air disaster. Lofthouse opened the scoring but Austria came back, and with the game deadlocked at 2-2, began to exert significant pressure. During Lofthouses career, Vienna played a crucial role. England conceded 24 free kicks, while Austria conceded 19. During World War II, nearly 48,000 men served in the coal mines, the majority of which were chosen at random during the conscription process, with that number including volunteers. Bolton were 3-1 up with just 22 minutes to go but their opponents, inspired by Stanley Matthews, stormed back to win 4-3. Why was Nat Lofthouse called the Lion of Vienna? Even at that time, Bolton was an unfashionable club that hadn't exactly been lighting up the league for 10 years, and Nat felt this was slowing down his career. Lofthouse had made his Wanderers debut back in 1941 aged 15, scoring. On the pitch his place in the national side was gone, replaced as spearhead by Manchester Uniteds Taylor. Despite this, England won the game in a hostile country despite suffering physical battering. In addition to their colorful rosettes, red, white, and blue rattles, and chants of England, they instilled a carnival atmosphere around the stadium, evoking the atmosphere associated with an FA Cup match. There was a tense atmosphere in both countries in 1952 when memories of recent misfortunes were mixed with a present sense of injustice and a zeal for spiritual and national renewal. The FA XI were unbeaten in their 11 matches but Lofthouse still managed to finish on a losing side. Not long after his retirement from football, Nat took control of the Castle Pub on Tonge Moor Road in Bolton. Two goals in a win against Bury immediately had the few hardy souls willing to brave the football during the Blitz abuzz with excitement. For a time it appeared that he might not re-sign with the club for the 1957-58 season but he eventually relented and stayed at Burnden Park. Lofthouse was the recipient of various honours after retiring from the game. Nat charged forward with the ball, in typical Lofthouse fashion receiving an elbow in the face and a tackle from behind. Lofthouse earned full international recognition when he was called up to play for his country against Yugoslavia at Highbury in November 1950. The tour began with a 1-1 draw between England and Italy in Florence. My body became firmer and harder. When Lofthouse was given another shot at the FA Cup, he didn't let it slip away. The poor performance of England against Italy almost certainly played a role in the games outcome against Austria. His strength and power were again prominent when he won the single honour of his career. But after Taylors tragic death at Munich he was included in the 40-man squad for the 1958 World Cup but failed to make the final 22. Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the empty lots and wasteland that were more than common around the northwest during the day. Viennas Soviet Zone is home to the Praterstadion, where the match was played. [3] Lofthouse went into a challenge with the United keeper Harry Gregg and barged him into the net to score. . In the 16 international matches played since November 1949, 10 have been won, and only two have been lost.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',182,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-medrectangle-4-0'); From Englands perspective, it was necessary to note that Austria had defeated Scotland twice during this run and achieved a 2-2 draw at Wembley. Back from national team duty, he then scored six goals in a game for the Football League against the Irish League on 24 September 1952. Lofthouse wasn't just a career Bolton man, he was a lifetime Bolton man. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. ], On 3 May 1958, almost five years to the day after losing the 1953 final, Lofthouse captained Bolton in the 1958 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. 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. Nathaniel Lofthouse OBE (27 August 1925 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Bolton Wanderers for his entire career. After a brief stint as the caretaker, Nat Lofthouse was named the full-time manager of Bolton Wanderers and stayed in the post until 1970. Read |Dixie Dean: footballs first great number nine. His most memorable performance,. Austria and England played a classic international match in Vienna, combining physical, influential English players with a technically proficient Austrian team to display steel and brute strength when needed. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He later admitted that the experience in the mines helped his football career saying that his stint; helped toughen me both physically and mentally. Lofthouse would go on to play 33 games for England, but his debut on 22 November 1950 made him 25 when he finally broke into the team. He would later serve as the Chairman of the Board on two occasions: in 1952-1953 and again from 1961-1963. Honours:1 FA Cup Additionally, the development of the Cold War affected the trip to Austria. It was a typical Bolton team, and they won in a typical Bolton fashion: the measured combination of a bit of skill with a healthy helping of muscle. Having served his apprenticeship in wartime football, Lofthouse went on to become a star of peacetime football. He did win the medal. The Lion Of Vienna. Despite Ocwirks efforts, Lofthouse was able to slip past him. Lofthouse stands eighth in the list of English football's top division all time goalscorers.[4]. Capped 33 times by the Three Lions, Lofthouse picked up the nickname 'the Lion of Vienna' after his two goals against Austria and represented England in the 1954 World Cup. 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. Indeed, he did little to dissuade attention from Spurs early on in his career, and readily admitted that had Fiorentina made good on their interest in the early 1950s, the money they were offering would have been too good to turn down. Lofthouse saw his chance and took it, barging both Gregg and the ball into the back of the net. Lofthouses early life was typical of many of those who played in the final era before wages exploded, when the sport was still very much a working mans game. All Rights Reserved. Boltons top-flight status stabilised as Lofthouse began to find his feet, and in 1950/51 he enjoyed a true breakthrough season, netting 17 times and being granted his first opportunity to prove his mettle on the international stage. As much as he was a one-club man, Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club. By 1951 it had begun to recover from the wars ravages. "'He was everything a centre forward should be and was a great one-club man.". The team was struggling, the club was struggling. 16 January 2011 #1. We will normally only contact you via e-newsletter. This was a one-off and Bolton came from behind to get the better of Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Hunt and Lol Hamlett. However, given his family's financial stance and the need to care for four boys, the young Lofthouse could not afford to pay for entry into Burnden Park to watch his beloved Whites. His funeral service was attended by more than 500 invited guests and members of the public. They overcame Southport (Lofthouse got a hat-trick), Accrington Stanley (where he scored twice), Blackpool (where he hit five over the two legs), Newcastle (three more for Lofthouse) and Wolves, where he shockingly failed to score, before beating Manchester United 3-2 on aggregate in the final. Speaking During his "Nat Lofthouse: This Is Your Life" show, Lofthouse had said of his time as manager: "I think the worst thing Bolton Wanderers' directors ever did was ask me to be manager. [5], On 7 April 1993, he appeared as a special guest on the TV guest show This Is Your Life, in which the on-screen guests included Tom Finney and Harry Gregg, while others including Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Ian Rush appeared on screen to pay tribute to Lofthouse as they were unable to appear alongside Lofthouse due to other commitments. On top of running the Castle Pub after his retirement, Lofthouse maintained a number of different positions with Bolton Wanderers. 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. That didn't last long though, as soon as Lofthouse was placed up front and the goals flowed. The key to his appeal, beyond his fantastic abilities on the pitch, was his humility. Six years later, he was promoted to the head coach position, and the following year, he took to managing the club. As he regretted later, I never saw the ball enter the Austrian net for the goal of my life.. Cathedral Gardens In the following days Weekly Dispatch, John Robertson wrote; Lofthouses first goal left me open-mouthed. Known as the 'Lion of Vienna,' Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. As a result, Nat Lofthouse became known as the Lion of Vienna by the Daily Express newspaper. I hit it when he was right on top of me. Over his international career, launched at such a late age, he scored 30 goals in 33 games, a scoring ratio that is unmatched by any England player with more than 5 appearances to this day. Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter below. Back in the England line up for the World Cup, he scored three times including one in the 4-2 quarter final defeat at the hands of Uruguay. Even after he was conscripted to work in the nightmarish Lancashire coal pits as part of the war effort (many miners volunteered for the Armed Forces in large part to escape the agonising, doom-laden drudgery of their vocation), he could still consistently put opposition defences to the sword with a combination of rugged, raw power, superb aerial ability and a remarkable fearlessness. And, by today's standards, Nat Lofthouse would make his modern day equivalents look like little kittens. On the domestic front Lofthouse enjoyed an outstanding 1952-53 season. There was then a Cup Winners Cup played between the winners of the North and South tournaments. That statue is a fitting tribute to a man who gave his all, for both club and country throughout his life. Just about. The day for Bevin Boys was a long and tough one. [14] Billy Wright had defensive prowess; Tom Finney, pinpoint crossing accuracy; Stan Matthews, a mesmeric array of tricks. He had been clattered by a defender as he shot and was carried from the field. Six of their colleagues had died in the crash, including United's only goal scorer from that final, Tommy Taylor. The Reds came close several times, including a shot that went off the post, but it was Bolton's day, and in the 50th minute Nat Lofthouse sealed that with his infamous second goal. Of all those conscripted into service between the ages of 18 and 25, around 10% went to work in the mines. NAT Lofthouse, one of the most famous of all Boltonians and the town's best-loved sporting son, has died at the age of 85. He said: I would have an hour or two off to receive coaching from George and firmly believe that these private coaching sessions played a big part in my advancement. Nathaniel Nat Lofthouse, OBE (27 August 1925 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career. Despite the double strike many, including leading football writer John Thompson remained unconvinced. During the game, Nat was told to play in net, and being the kind of child that relished the opportunity to get on the field, didn't complain. Lofthouse found the step up in quality in First Division defences hard to cope with, and he briefly considered leaving the game, as well as entertaining an offer from Tottenham, then of the Second Division. ". Stanley Mathewshad his last chance to earn a winners medal. He scored a goal but was on the losing side in the famous 1953 FA Cup Final (aka 'The Matthews Final'), having previously scored in each round. Several players in the match played below their level, with Nat Lofthouse one of those.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-banner-1','ezslot_10',184,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-banner-1-0'); In the Daily Telegraph, Frank Coles wrote, One of the question marks is against Lofthouse. During the Second World War, both countries were major allies of Nazi Germany. NAT LOFTHOUSE is a name that rings through the annals of English football history like few others. The Bolton Wanderers reached the final again five years later. In the spring, he was awarded the Football Writers Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year title, a clear indication that he had achieved the status of a model professional. The 285 goals he scored between 1946 and 1961 still make him Boltons top goalscorer. [15] It was no more than Nat Lofthouse deserved. Lofthouse soon played for the Bolton Schools XI and made his debut in a 7-1 win over Bury Schools. Only two players from Manchester United's side that lost to Aston Villa in the previous year's final took the field on May 3, 1958, Bill Foulkes and Bobby Charlton, and a further two were survivors of the disaster. The performance certainly cemented Nats place as Englands number nine and six goals for the Football League against the Irish League further underlined it. Bolton Wanderers Beat Manchester United at Wembley: Bolton players chair their Captain and hero Nat Lofthouse with the cup, at the end of the match. His last appearance for Bolton came on Nov. 17, 1960, a draw against Birmingham, after missing all of the 1959-60 season due to an ankle injury sustained in a pre-season tour of South Africa. Thompson would later write: I came away with the impression that Lofthouse was game and persistent, a fine footballer, but not quite an England leader. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. Read |Sir Stanley Matthews and the story of Englands humble wizard. Lofthouse was at his imperious best, plundering goals at a rate that even the sportswriters who had grown up watching the likes of Dixie Dean and others agreed was exceptional. Lofthouse received a 10 signing-on fee and put pen to paper for Bolton on 4 September 1939 the day after Britain had declared war on Germany causing the abandonment of the Football League season. The military nature of this event was further underscored by the presence of so many British soldiers in uniform. Nat Lofthouse was Bolton in a way that the modern day equivalent of Kevin Davies, however loved by the fans, could never be. Sun 16 Jan 2011 13.15 EST The footballer Nat Lofthouse, who has died aged 85, won 33 England caps during a career spent entirely with one club, Bolton Wanderers. The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. In the first match of that campaign they travelled to London to play Chelsea matching him up against hero Tommy Lawton. Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man, but to call him that is to do him a disservice. Thread starter leefer; Start date 16 January 2011; leefer Loyal Member. It was impossible for Bolton fans to feel this way for long however, he was the club's top scorer that first season after the war, with 21 goals in all competitions. The third? The plan was for the statue to be funded by public donations, with help from the club. Boltons all-time greatest player was a gentleman throughout the league. Two goals in a 5-1 win gave a taste of what was the come. Lofthouse was battered on the field and left the field. Nat was the youngest of four boys. The same was true of his debut, which arrived in 1940, aged just 15. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. When they won a late corner, they flooded forward, leaving Lofthouse alone with a single marker on the halfway line. Discover Nat Lofthouse's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'historyofsoccer_info-leader-2','ezslot_15',169,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-leader-2-0');In 452 Football League appearances for Bolton, he scored 255 goals. His efforts did see him awarded the title of FWA Footballer of the Year, an accolade that went nicely with the moniker, his most famous, that hed earned the year before. Everyone left with a scar or bruise.. He earned the nickname by leading England to victory over Austria in Vienna on 25 May 1952. These cookies do not store any personal information. He also led his side to the FA Cup final, giving them a 2nd minute lead against Blackpool to compete a record of scoring in every round. Lofthouse was witness to a Bolton Wanderers golden age of top flight success throughout the 1930s and although the Trotters won three FA Cups in Nat's life time, he was too young to witness the 1926 and 1929 wins over Manchester City and Portsmouth. Still, the Lion of Vienna's time with the Trotters was nowhere near done as just a few years later, he became the club's Executive Manager. [12], Lofthouse died on 15 January 2011, aged 85, in a nursing home in Bolton. Mr Lofthouse, known as the Lion of Vienna, died on 15 January aged 85. Read |Duncan Edwards: the original, greatest boy wonder. May 1958. [3] In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind, and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. He is still Bolton's top scorer of all time. Between 1950 and 1958, he played 33 times for the England national football team. Although the England players have not yet abandoned hope, the home team was 2-1 favorites to win this match. Harry says to Nat: "that's very nice of you." Lofthouse Lofthouse was dubbed the "Lion of Vienna" after scoring the second goal in England's 3-2 triumph over Austria on May 25, 1952. All Id ever wanted to do.. Still more fans entered and the crush resulted in the death of 33 people. This match determined which of the two nations would call themselves Champions of Europe in many parts of Europe. Writing in his 1954 autobiography Goals Galore, Lofthouse discussed his time in the mines: "The job proved to be the best I could possibly have had. Club Chaplain Phil Mason added: "We are absolutely delighted with the work Sean has done; the image captures Nat perfectly - his strength both physical and mental and his great sense of purpose on and off the field. In 1957, he assumed captaincy of the club. Playing at number 9 for Castle Hill, a position once occupied by Tommy Lawton at that point an England star young Nat firmly establishing himself as a school hero and, unbeknownst to him, earned a reputation among local scouts as the boy with such incredible heading ability that it was like he could kick with his head. . If that wasnt pressure enough, thousands of Tommies stationed in Vienna had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of their heroes for months, with many staking weeks of wages on the dim chance of an England win. On 2 December 1989, he was made a Freeman of Bolton. Nats prolific strike rate in the war leagues left Wanderers in little doubt as to his abilities, but the cessation of the conflict and resumption of the football league ushered in a tough period of acclimatisation for club and player. Our vision is to provide everyone in the world with a free and open-access education about the history of soccer with our online content compilation. His very style of football embodied Bolton, an appreciation for power alongside skill which is still part of the club today. 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. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. Wanderers gave the then 15-year-old his debut on 14 March 1941 in a wartime match with Bury again providing the opposition. Born in Bolton, Lancashire, in 1925, Lofthouse joined the town's main club on 4 September 1939 and made his debut in a wartime 51 win against Bury on 22 March 1941 when he scored two goals. Bolton as a team were struggling to reassert themselves with their pre-war team dismantled and Foweraker retiring, and that process was made considerably more difficult by the shadow both psychological and financial cast by the Burnden Disaster, a crush that killed 33, in 1946.
Sig P226 Decocker Not Working,
Why Do They Bury Bodies 6 Feet Under,
Are Dragon Fruit Trees Worth It Osrs,
Ncis Bishop Died 2021,
What Is Intel Uhd Graphics 11th Gen,
Articles W