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. In fact, there's a very funny joke from Lofthouse's time behind the bar: Harry Gregg (the Manchester United goalkeeper that Nat famously clattered over the goal line for Bolton's second goal in the 1958 FA Cup final) was driving through Bolton and decided to stop at the Castle Pub for a drink. My body became firmer and harder. Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter below. Many would travel more than a mile down into the earth for around eight hours per day of very hard, physical work. Nat Lofthouse's ashes interred alongside those of his beloved wife Andy is a UK-born, football fanatic who follows the trials and tribulations of Aston Villa and his local non-league side, Stafford Rangers. It was an unexpected win against all odds. Following his first go at managing the club, Lofthouse took an administrative manager role at Burnden Park before being appointed as the club's chief scout. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. The Lion Of Vienna | Family History UK Forum - Free UK Genealogy 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. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. 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. It was a close match, and neither side was shy about using force, a game far away from today's well-regulated affairs. On the pitch his place in the national side was gone, replaced as spearhead by Manchester Uniteds Taylor. He really was the complete centre-forward. In 1985, at the age of 60, Lofthouse became caretaker manager at the club again and became president in 1986. The funeral was held 11 days later with 500 invited guests and members of the public inside Bolton Parish Church. He signed as a 14-year-old for the club in September 1939, making wartime appearances before becoming an established league star in peacetime. For the Daily Mail, Roy Peskett described the events clearly. Who Was Known as the "Lion of Vienna"? - Sportsmanist Football hero: Nat Lofthouse - Manchester Evening News These cookies do not store any personal information. Nat Lofthouse scored his last goal for the Three Lions on Oct. 22, 1958 in a 5-1 win over the USSR. Throughout the opening 20 minutes, Austria dominated, but England responded. 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. We were introduced and I stood there tongue-tied, Nat would later recall. This was the first time the team played behind the Iron Curtain, and it was also the first peacetime match in Continental Europe with a significant away following.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-box-4','ezslot_8',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-box-4-0'); As many as 1,400 tickets were assigned to British troops, although many more were obtained through the black market. Austria equalised just two minutes after Nat Lofthouses opening goal in the 25th minute, and while England once again gained the advantage shortly after, the teams went into halftime level at 2-2. The players were taken off the pitch but, amazingly returned half an hour later to play out a goalless draw with bodies laid out along the touchline covered by coats. In September 1952, Nat Lofthouse scored six goals in an interleague game against the Irish League. Lofthouse scored all seven goals for Bolton. And in an ironic twist, for all his on-field exploits, all his goals, all his charging, bulldozing, irresistible runs forward, arguably his greatest contribution to the club came long after hed retired and after his ill-fated spells as manager, when his tireless fundraising helped rescue Bolton from financial oblivion. . There are many stories about footballers of the day who started developing at a later age simply because they were not able to afford even basic footwear and it was a gift of shoes by a family member or friend that really allowed them to get going. He hit the ground before the ball went over the line, knocked out cold for one of the most famous goals of his career. Speaking at Nat's "This Is Your Life" show, Bolton Wanderers' commercial manager at the time, Alf Davies shared just how crucial Nat Lofthouse's presence at the club was: "In 1982, we hit on some hard times and in 1982, we had just six weeks to live before the bank called time on our activities. Returning on the bus after the game he was shocked to find Tommy Lawton waiting for him. Lofthouse once said of the Preston Plumber; He was that good he could cross the ball making sure the laces were facing away from my head.. As a result, Nat Lofthouse became known as the Lion of Vienna by the Daily Express newspaper. "'He was everything a centre forward should be and was a great one-club man.". He earned the nickname by leading England to victory over Austria in Vienna on 25 May 1952. Had Lofthouse not been a Bolton Wanderers player, life would have been extremely difficult for him. "He was probably one of the best centre forwards England ever had, very aggressive and combative with great speed. There Lofthouse got the only goal of the first match. According to Bolton Wanderers, the statue proposal has received a phenomenal reception and is well on target for the scheduled due date. Nat Lofthouse - Wikipedia Having served his apprenticeship in wartime football, Lofthouse went on to become a star of peacetime football. 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. In the first match of that campaign they travelled to London to play Chelsea matching him up against hero Tommy Lawton. Lofthouse opened the scoring but Austria came back, and with the game deadlocked at 2-2, began to exert significant pressure. He then played in the 2-2 draw with Wales in November 1958 but, at 33 years old, and even though he had scored 29 times in 37 games for his club that proved to be his final cap and he ended his international career with an outstanding record of 30 goals in 33 starts. We will normally only contact you via e-newsletter. Find him, you got a winner. Named the Lion of Vienna after scoring three goals for England v Austria Nat was a Legend for Bolton Wanderers.and England. 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. please support us. Overcrowding resulted in spectators spilling over onto the touchline. Recalled to the national team line-up for match with the USSR he provided the final goal in a 5-0 win. In the following Sundays game with Austria, England was widely considered as an underdog. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. By Paul Ride. 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. In the Daily Herald, Clifford Webb wrote; Every man-jack did a heros job, but the player who provided the really tremendous thrill for the frantically cheering English colony was Nat Lofthouse. Harry says to Nat: "that's very nice of you." He featured in the 1954 World Cup side. 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. In 1953, it all came together. As with the other definitive match of his career, the match was emotionally charged, this time due to the fact that the opponents, Manchester United, had been decimated only three months earlier in the tragic Munich Air Disaster. Read |Sir Stanley Matthews and the story of Englands humble wizard. My body became firmer and harder, I learned to take hard knocks without feeling them. 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. In what was only his seventh cap, he was already well accustomed to the no-holds-barred criticism that came with being Englands centre forward. There was nowhere left to. In April 1998, train operator Virgin CrossCountry named locomotive 47807 Lion of Vienna in Lofthouse's honour at Bolton station. If he fails again to accept changes from the clean breakaways against Italy, England will be doomed. Lofthouse was well aware of his uncertain status, saying later, I knew I played poorly in Florence [but] I wasnt prepared for the reception I received in the press.. 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. M4 3BG, 2023 National Football Museum. Owning the public house was not the most rewarding career choice to the man who only wanted to see his boyhood club do well. The wording of the epithet is indicative both of the era and the man himself. In the following days Weekly Dispatch, John Robertson wrote; Lofthouses first goal left me open-mouthed. All Id ever wanted to do.. The Bevin Boy program came to an end in 1948. For Nat, the expectations were even greater. Urbis Building The evening of Saturday, 15 January 2011, Nat Lofthouse passed away at the Bolton nursing home. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. By 1951 it had begun to recover from the wars ravages. Lion of Vienna Suite - Bolton Wanderers Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. All the while, he kept scoring for his country as well as for his club, finishing on an incredible 30 goals in 33 caps and taking the record as the national teams all-time top goalscorer jointly with Finney. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. Lofthouse played his last match against Birmingham City in December 1960 due to an ankle injury. 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. It was one of the first instances of a personal worrisome streak that was completely at odds with his public persona. His most memorable performance,. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. [13] He had suffered with dementia. 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. Harry Gregg, a survivor of the crash who would go on to be one of United's best goalkeepers ever, could only manage to deflect the shot. Why was Nat Lofthouse called the Lion of Vienna? In 1943, Nat Lofthouse was called upon to serve as a Bevin Boy at the Mosley Common coal mine. There were a number of football legends and people that the Bolton Wanderers faithful hold dear on hand to pay their respects to the legendary Nat Lofthouse. 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. Hurt scoring the winner against Ireland, Lofthouse missed the November 1953 match against Hungary at Wembley where the home team were hammered 6-3 and also suffered a wrist injury causing him to withdrew from the squad that went on a short tour in 1954 which included a 7-1 humbling at the hands of the same Hungarian team in Budapest. The only thing worse was when I said yes.' Cousin mourns UK football's 'Lion of Vienna' - NZ Herald Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during World War II, lent his name to the conscripted miners. It was much like the story told about the war that had now ended they were battered and bruised but had come out on top. Lofthouse mourned by Bolton and England | Inside UEFA That's the two words that go together and the thing about Nat was, as well, that you don't need to put his surname there, do you? Indeed, many of the stereotypes we now associate with players from the sepia-tinged era of the 1950s have their roots in Lofthouses own story. This was touched on to Lofthouse on the halfway line by Finney. Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. Please tick if you would like to receive information in this way. If anything, this inspired a more violent second half, with both sides desperate for a meaningful win. 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. 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. Speaking as a Bolton Wanderers player, I must say we get the best of everything. Despite Ocwirks efforts, Lofthouse was able to slip past him. In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind, and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. 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. With the extensive scouting networks and multi-tiered academies of nowadays simply not existing in the 1930s, Lofthouse was staring into the footballing abyss as he left school at 14.
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