Lofthouse was in. By 1951 it had begun to recover from the wars ravages. Bolton finished in the top half of the table for 6 of those 13 seasons. During Lofthouses career, Vienna played a crucial role. Nat Lofthouse was one of the post-war giants of football who had a glittering career with Bolton Wanderers, his only club, and England. The FA XI were unbeaten in their 11 matches but Lofthouse still managed to finish on a losing side. The youngest of four sons, Nathaniel Lofthouse was born in Bolton on 27 August 1925. 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. Lofthouse earned full international recognition when he was called up to play for his country against Yugoslavia at Highbury in November 1950. You would be very hard-pressed to find a sane person that had a negative thing to say about Nat Lofthouse. Mr Davies recalled the significant efforts Nat had made during the early eighties to raise money to help Wanderers avoid bankruptcy. Lofthouse returned to Burnden Park full-time in 1968 spending a mostly nondescript three-year spell as manager. 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. Elliotts pass to Baily was impressive. He netted in every round of the FA Cup in 1953, including the final, only to be thwarted by the wizardry of Stanley Matthews and a hat-trick from Stan Mortensen in one of the most famous finals of all time. Overcrowding resulted in spectators spilling over onto the touchline. On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 32 victory over Austria. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Everyone left with a scar or bruise.. [3], On 26 November 1958, Lofthouse made his final England appearance, against Wales, at the age of 33, and he officially retired from the game in January 1960 because of an ankle injury, although his final league game was not until 17 December of that year, when he suffered a knee injury against Birmingham City. Born and bred in Bolton, Lofthouse earned his. Nat's time in that role also didn't go to plan and the legend was relieved of his duties in 1972. If anything, this inspired a more violent second half, with both sides desperate for a meaningful win. 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. 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. [7] A campaign, backed by Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association and former Bolton player, was started, aiming to get Lofthouse knighted. [11] They had two children, a son, Jeff, and a daughter, Vivien. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. In July 1961, Lofthouse accepted a boot cleaner and assistant trainer position at Burnden Park. One false start for his school team aside he was drafted in as a last-minute replacement in goal and conceded seven he began exhibiting a prodigious knack for goalscoring early on. 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.". By Paul Ride. Nat Lofthouse was born on 27 August, 1925 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK, is an Actor. Herbert Chapman: Arsenal FC And Huddersfield Town Manager, Miguel Muoz: First To Win European Cup As Player And Manager, Sir Bobby Robson: More Than A Football Manager In Tyneside. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He hesitated before he emerged at my side. There was nowhere left to. Of all those conscripted into service between the ages of 18 and 25, around 10% went to work in the mines. Thousands of people gather for the funeral of former Bolton Wanderers and England football legend Nat Lofthouse. Seven minutes before the end, the climax occurred. That didn't last long though, as soon as Lofthouse was placed up front and the goals flowed. England conceded 24 free kicks, while Austria conceded 19. Nat Lofthouse had endured well against a battering from the Italian defenders, despite these suggestions of poor performance. 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. As much as he was a one-club man, Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club. [8] Nat Lofthouse was an Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. 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. Next in line was a trial for Lancashire schools. He scored both goals in the 1958 FA Cup Final, the second seeing him charge both keeper and ball over the line. 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. For the recognition of club and country, a statue stands outside Bolton's stadium. (Subs) Ronnie Allen, Ivor Broadis, Bill Nicholson, Stan Pearson, Bert Williams. Cathedral Gardens Having seen off Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Middlesbrough, Bolton were drawn to play Stoke City Stanley Matthews and all in the two-legged quarter final. Lofthouse was a one-club centre-forward who dedicated his life to Bolton Wanderers. 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. 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. Matilda is a Texan in Paris and Mark is a Georgian (the country) in New York. Lofthouse, chased by the Austrian defence, carried the ball into the area and placed it past goalie Musil for the winner. Curse of the number nine - Lion Of Vienna Suite (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. Nat Lofthouse obituary | Soccer | The Guardian In the swing of things and in its heyday, the stadium could hold up to 70,000 people (albeit in close quarters) so one boy without a ticket would not be easily noticed. 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. With him passed away a piece of Bolton Wanderers Football Club that will never return. 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. The number 9 shirt is traditionally for the club's top goal scorer, a shirt that has been cursed at Bolton for years. Entwistle, like Lofthouse, was an avid Wanderers fan and was named to the club's board in 1937. His most memorable performance,. He is third in the Premier League (old Division 1) list behind Jimmy Greaves (357) and Alan Shearer (283). That was the last moment of real glory for Lofthouse's playing career, and for Bolton as well. That statue is a fitting tribute to a man who gave his all, for both club and country throughout his life. Alchetron [3] Lofthouse went into a challenge with the United keeper Harry Gregg and barged him into the net to score. For 47 years after the program wound up, Bevin Boys were not recognized as full contributors to the war effort (despite being conscripted). . He earned the nickname by leading England to victory over Austria in Vienna on 25 May 1952. Who Was Known as the "Lion of Vienna"? - Sportsmanist 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. 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. 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. He holds this record to this day. Retiring from playing in 1960, he was made a President of Bolton Wanderers in 1986, a post he held until his death in 2011. In 1957, he assumed captaincy of the club. On foreign soil, the English brave and plucky had triumphed over technologically superior opponents against all odds. Lofthouses story wasnt as black and white as many modern accounts would have readers believe. On top of running the Castle Pub after his retirement, Lofthouse maintained a number of different positions with Bolton Wanderers. The OBE was awarded to him in 1994. Even when things were not in his favor, Lofthouse was not one to complain or pity himself. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. 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. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. A year ago today, Bolton Wanderers announced plans to immortalize the Lion of Vienna with a statue in front of the Reebok Stadium. He was a pivotal figure in one of the true golden ages of the beautiful game, ending his career as the leading goal scorer for both his club and his country, with a reputation as one of the game's true greats. Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968. The project, funded by the people of Bolton and fans of the club, is due to be completed on August 27, 2013, or what would have been Lofthouse's 88th birthday. His devotion to Alma was matched only by his love of Bolton, and true to form, that Saturday Nat got married in the morning then played football in the afternoon at Burnden Park. As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. In doing so he was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind, and finally brought down by the goalkeeper. Nat would again take the caretaker reins on three more occasions including the summer of 1971 (in between seasons) and, briefly, in 1985 between Charlie Wright leaving and Phil Neal getting the job. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. 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. 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. 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.