On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 32 victory over Austria. The statue's pose was chosen by the club's fans as well as Nat Lofthouse's surviving family. 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. Nat Lofthouse Hall of Fame Profile - National Football Museum The main target was Nat Lofthouse, who was struck in the neck, while Elliott and Sewell required treatment from England trainer Jimmy Trotter. Celebs . He is still Bolton's top scorer of all time. However, theres little doubt that financial pragmatism aside, his heart was always in Bolton and with Wanderers. On 22 March 1941, he made his debut for Bolton, scoring two goals in a 5-1 victory over Bury. Nat Lofthouse - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia 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.". We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Instead, Lofthouse honed his skills on the. Injured for the next match, in the quarter final game against Uruguay he equalized in the 16th minute, after receiving the ball in the 18-yard box.[which? 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. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. (Subs) Franz Pelikan, Stotz, Koller, Dekkerif(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'historyofsoccer_info-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_11',185,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Gilbert Merrick, Alf Ramsey, William Eckersley, William Wright, Jack Froggatt, James Dickinson, Tom Finney, John Sewell, Nat Lofthouse, Edward Baily, William Elliott. 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. He continued playing for Bolton throughout the war and on Saturdays would wake at 3:30 a.m. go to his mining job at 4:30 a.m and work for eight hours before going on to play for his club. He said later; I never saw the ball enter the Austrian net for the best goal of my life. In 1953, it all came together. 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. 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'historyofsoccer_info-leader-1','ezslot_12',186,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-historyofsoccer_info-leader-1-0');White shirts were worn by Austria and red by England. Due to hostilities, Lofthouse didnt make his league debut for Wanderers until the 1946-47 season. He really was the complete centre-forward. 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. 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. This match determined which of the two nations would call themselves Champions of Europe in many parts of Europe. Lofthouse was a one-club centre-forward who dedicated his life to Bolton Wanderers. Nat was the youngest of four boys. Two players were so injured they were never able to take to the football pitch again, and the final player, goalkeeper Ray Wood, was still recovering from injuries sustained. By 1951 it had begun to recover from the wars ravages. 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. As a result, Nat Lofthouse became known as the Lion of Vienna by the Daily Express newspaper. 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. In the 11th minute, Melchior hit Eckersley with a shot that struck his arm. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. His signing may well have been precipitated by Boltons stately long-time manager, Charles Foweraker, anticipating losing many of his players to the war effort. Nat Lofthouse scored his last goal for the Three Lions on Oct. 22, 1958 in a 5-1 win over the USSR. 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. The Mayor of Bolton, Alderman Entwhistle who was also a director of the club approached the youngster and asked him to sign and, along with the manager they managed to stop the local lad from leaving town although as he had already been a regular spectator at Burnden Park. 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. The Lion of Vienna sleeps. A one-club man, he played over 400 games for Bolton Wanderers and earned 33 caps for England (as well as his famous nickname). On the domestic front Lofthouse enjoyed an outstanding 1952-53 season. He hit the ground before the ball went over the line, knocked out cold for one of the most famous goals of his career. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. As much as he was a one-club man, Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club. Lofthouse wasn't very good in goal though, conceding seven goals in his first outing. Lofthouse is rightly remembered as the archetypal one-club man, but to call him that is to do him a disservice. There were England Soccer players dotted among them, their red shirts feeling like poppies in a field of corn as they were carried high in triumph to their dressing-room on the shoulders of the Dorsets, the Warwicks, the Signalmen, and the Gunners. He looked like a boxer at the end of a tough 15 rounds when he left the field. The match in question was a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nat scored 2 of Bolton's goals. From an early age, Nat was a Bolton Wanderers supporter. Bolton won the game 20 with Lofthouse scoring both goals, the second of which was highly controversial and remains a talking point to this day. Known as the 'Lion of Vienna, Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. He was the club's top scorer in 11 out of the 13 seasons between 1946-47 and 1958-59, with his highest tally in a season resting at 35 goals, attained in that final season of 1958-59. 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. Bolton born and bred, Lofthouse was signed by Bolton Wanderers as a 14 year old apprentice in 1939. Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. Who was known as the Lion of Vienna? - idswater.com Lofthouse saw his chance and took it, barging both Gregg and the ball into the back of the net. Lofthouse, battered and semi-conscious, was taken from the field but returned as a passenger minutes later, still proving fit enough to shoot an effort 30 yards into the goal. English lion Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85 | Reuters Ultimately, the Hungarians cruelly exposed Englands insecurities in May 1954 and November 1953 against Continental opposition. The funeral was held 11 days later with 500 invited guests and members of the public inside Bolton Parish Church. It was a friendly against the old Yugoslavia, with Nat scoring both England goals in a 2-all draw. Bolton's new number 9, Eoin Doyle, whilst playing for League Two side Swindon last season. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. 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. 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. On that day, Lofthouse was wearing a brand new pair of shoes, a major luxury at the time. Nat Lofthouse began playing football as a very young boy. In the first match of that campaign they travelled to London to play Chelsea matching him up against hero Tommy Lawton. 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. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. How many goals in total did Lofthouse score in the 33 matches he played for England? Lofthouse, chased by the Austrian defence, carried the ball into the area and placed it past goalie Musil for the winner. On 2 December 1989, he was made a Freeman of Bolton. 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. When he wasnt on form, neither was the team. Thankfully for Bolton, the games in which Lofthouse wasnt on song were becoming fewer and fewer. As it turned out, the England team ended up on the receiving end of a brutal match. He signed as a 14-year-old for the club in September 1939, making wartime appearances before becoming an established league star in peacetime. He was famous for entertaining the clientele with some of the many stories about his time as a professional footballer. 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. That statue is a fitting tribute to a man who gave his all, for both club and country throughout his life. It was originally scheduled to take place three days later on his birthday but the date was moved forward to coincide with Bolton's home fixture against Queens Park Rangers. Read |Sir Stanley Matthews and the story of Englands humble wizard. 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. When remembering the menial jobs he was tasked with as youth team coach following his retirement, he reflected that they meant I could stay with Bolton Wanderers. Please tick if you would like to receive information in this way. The military nature of this event was further underscored by the presence of so many British soldiers in uniform. The previous week, Nat Lofthouse was heavily criticized, but now hes the great hero, according to the headlines. In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. Not once after that did Nat protest or fight Bolton's decision. Any hopes of the Three Lions traditional end-of-season tour being a relatively sedate one had been dashed in their opening game, a frustrating 1-1 draw in Florence in which Englands Italian opponents had resorted to the, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Nat Lofthouse: the Lion of Vienna and the gent of Bolton, Remembering the disaster of 1991/92, Bayern Munichs worst season in modern history, Rio, 1989: Chilean skullduggery, hidden razor blades and Brazilian flares, Brighton and Crystal Palace: the rise of a rivalry separated by 39 miles, The madness of Liverpools first foray into European competition, The tale of Queens Park: the early innovators who became last of the amateurs, Bobby Robson, Ipswich Town and a brutal quest for the 1981 treble. Lofthouses story wasnt as black and white as many modern accounts would have readers believe. Bolton Wanderers On the Trot: Internationals, The Nat Lofthouse Stand - Bolton Blogroll. 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. 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. BBC News - Nat Lofthouse: Life of football legend 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. On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 3-2 victory over Austria . [18], list of English football's top division all time goalscorers, "Nathaniel Lofthouse - Goals in International Matches", "Bolton Wanderers and England legend Nat Lofthouse dies aged 85", "This is Your Life (1969 - 1993) @ EOFFTV", "11 football greats who have suffered with dementia", "Bolton Wanderers 0 Chelsea 4: match report", "Mourners hail Nat Lofthouse as 'credit to Bolton', "1953 - The Matthews. 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 . M4 3BG, 2023 National Football Museum. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. In September 1952, Nat Lofthouse scored six goals in an interleague game against the Irish League. The words so often used to describe how he acted in public fearless, brave, lionheart in the words of Stanley Matthews reflected a reputation as a player of almost biblical determination, but one who was privately beset by worry at various points throughout his career. They could not receive service medals and were not guaranteed a return to their old jobs, unlike those serving in the armed forces. "'He was everything a centre forward should be and was a great one-club man.". By Henry Winter 16 January 2011 8:10pm 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. He scored 22 goals in 36 games for a Wanderers team that finished 14th. 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. Posts 7,107 Likes 2 Location swindon wilts. 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. 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. Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968.
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