why was nat lofthouse called the lion of vienna

Harry sees Nat manning the bar and the two talk for a while with Gregg finally ordering a pint. Had Lofthouse not been a Bolton Wanderers player, life would have been extremely difficult for him. 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? Elliotts pass to Baily was impressive. His most memorable performance, which won him the nickname the "Lion of Vienna", was for England against Austria in May 1952. He ran a pub for a while, whilst still coaching at his one and only club but the lure of football proved too great. 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. 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. Lofthouse scored twice against Belgium in a match that ended 44. 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. Bolton were then beaten in the semi-final by Derby County. 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. And so, Lofthouse had achieved his boyhood dream, to be a Bolton Wanderers player, at age 14. We are a registered charity; For the game with Saskatoon the local team only had nine players so Lofthouse and Tim Ward of Derby County switched sides but couldnt prevent their team losing 19-1. Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter below. 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. Additionally, he and Tom Finney had the England scoring record together until Jimmy Greaves came along. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. A single man did not give up. The new forward scored twice but Lawton matched his feat and Chelsea scraped to a 4-3 win. On 22 March 1941, he made his debut for Bolton, scoring two goals in a 5-1 victory over Bury. 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. Not once after that did Nat protest or fight Bolton's decision. Seven minutes before the end, the climax occurred. 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. All Rights Reserved. We will not pass your details on to any third parties. However, theres little doubt that financial pragmatism aside, his heart was always in Bolton and with Wanderers. For as much as Bolton Wanderers shaped him, his career and his life, he too left an indelible mark on the club, defining the team's most iconic era and playing a pivotal role in saving the club during its most ignominious age. Bolton's new number 9, Eoin Doyle, whilst playing for League Two side Swindon last season. This time he only managed to score a brace, the fourth and fifth goals in a 5-1 victory at Burnden Park. by ReadTheLeague | May 24, 2021 | The Big Feature. 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. Lofthouse had thunderous, crashing shots, coupled with a burning desire to get in the right place to unleash them. He was capped 33 times for the England national football team between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals and giving himself one of the greatest. He was elbowed in the face, tackled from behind and brought down by the goalkeeper. From an early age, Nat was a Bolton Wanderers supporter. He was probably the last of the old fashioned centre forwards, leading the line with toughness, taking plenty of knocks and giving them out too. Known as the Lion of Vienna, he scored 255 goals for . The tour began with a 1-1 draw between England and Italy in Florence. Lofthouse was a constant at the head of the Wanderers goalscoring charts and his exploits, which included four goals in a win for an FA XI over the Army were finally rewarded by the international selectors in 1950 when, after scoring the only goal in the B teams win over the Netherlands at St James Park he went on the FA tour of Canada and North America. As much as he was a one-club man, Bolton Wanderers will forever remain a one-man club. Because the move came before the age of player power and agents controlling moves, Nat didn't have any say in the matter. . The ball came in and fell to Tom Finney, Lofthouses long-time England cohort and close personal friend, who expertly set his centre-forward away. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. When he awoke several moments later, groggy and with a good deal more pain than even he was used to, he was informed that he had just scored one of the defining goals of his career. Still more fans entered and the crush resulted in the death of 33 people. It was one of the first instances of a personal worrisome streak that was completely at odds with his public persona. My body became firmer and harder, I learned to take hard knocks without feeling them. Due to hostilities, Lofthouse didnt make his league debut for Wanderers until the 1946-47 season. Ridding had been prominent in Nat Lofthouse's successful rise and had led the Trotters to the 1953 and 1958 FA Cup finals, famously winning the second one. 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. I wasn't cut out to be a manager.". During his playing career, Nat Lofthouse was deservedly celebrated for his numerous on-pitch achievements. After the game for Castle Hill, Nat asked the school side's manager for more games. Lofthouse stood unmarked on the right side of the penalty area when Sewell crossed the ball. [14] They could not receive service medals and were not guaranteed a return to their old jobs, unlike those serving in the armed forces. Celebs . An estimated crowd of 85,000 turned up at Burnden Park with fans climbing in after the gates had been shut. The paradigm that would come to define a golden era in the history of one of Englands oldest clubs was now set in stone. [8] Nat Lofthouse was an Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Bill Ridding, the man that had managed Wanderers for 18 seasons, had left the club just before the start of the 1968-1969 season. Awarded an O.B.E in 1994, Lofthouse suffered from dementia in his later years and passed away at the age of 84 in 2011. Friendly internationals then held an importance that has now all but vanished, and Lofthouse's winning goal, in a 3-2 victory against a powerful team, was lauded to the . As far as the future was concerned, these results were not isolated, and these signs were already in evidence. Lofthouse was at his imperious best, plundering goals at a rate that even the sportswriters who had grown up watching the likes of, The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. He wasn't part of an illustrious academy early on, like those you see in the modern game. Lofthouses story wasnt as black and white as many modern accounts would have readers believe. 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. Richard Lofthouse brought up his family on a weekly wage of just 2 10s. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. [3] Shoulder charging the goalkeeper was a legitimate tactic at the time, but Lofthouse later admitted that his challenge was a foul. Two goals in a win against Bury immediately had the few hardy souls willing to brave the football during the Blitz abuzz with excitement. Despite this, England won the game in a hostile country despite suffering physical battering. 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. In the 83rd minute, Tom Finney tapped the ball to Lofthouse on the halfway line. During Lofthouses career, Vienna played a crucial role. 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. "The banks had called time on us. 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. Half a century after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), they were finally recognized as contributors to the war effort by Queen Elizabeth II. 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.. [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. Pushing the tubs made me fitter than I had ever been before. Long after his star had ascended, he could still be found riding the bus from his nearby home to Burnden Park, delighting in surprising fans who were discussing his performances on the pitch unbeknownst of his presence. He hit the ground before the ball went over the line, knocked out cold for one of the most famous goals of his career. Nat was discovered by James Entwistle, the Mayor of Bolton at the time. He was forced to retire at the age of 35 because of his persistent injuries. Nathaniel Nat Lofthouse, OBE (27 August 1925 15 January 2011) was an English professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers for his whole career. The Lion Of Vienna. The title came from a prestigious match against Austria in 1952. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during World War II, lent his name to the conscripted miners. 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. Compared to the broadsheets, tabloid match reports treat the occasion as a related event to the war. Nat Lofthouse was everything you will not find in a footballer today. In 4th position is Ian Rush on 233 goals, then David Herd on 223 goals. 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 Austrians went on the offensive to boot every English player on the pitch. It was then more than five years until he made his league debut for the club, but he eventually played against Chelsea on 31 August 1946, when he scored twice in a 43 defeat. Discover Nat Lofthouse's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. 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 featured in the 1954 World Cup side. By Henry Winter 16 January 2011 8:10pm 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. The performance certainly cemented Nats place as Englands number nine and six goals for the Football League against the Irish League further underlined it. The Bolton boys launched another attack, ending with a Ray Parry shot on goal. 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. It was an unexpected win against all odds. 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 Lofthouse had endured well against a battering from the Italian defenders, despite these suggestions of poor performance. Accepting his award from a local councilman, he was unaware that the man in front of him sat on the board of Bolton Wanderers, until he asked if Lofthouse would like to play for them. In the second half, the Wanderers looked the better team, as the thrown-together nature of Manchester United began to show. In 1952-53, he was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Tensions between the two countries were still high politically, and this showed in the stands and on the pitch. Nat Lofthouse was Bolton in a way that the modern day equivalent of Kevin Davies, however loved by the fans, could never be. Unfortunately, Bolton were not able to right their sinking ship under the Lion of Vienna and at the end of the 1970-71 season (after Lofthouse had left the post), Bolton were in 22nd place and relegated to the Third Division (an all-time low until the 1987-1988 season). Recalled to the national team line-up for match with the USSR he provided the final goal in a 5-0 win. Matilda is a Texan in Paris and Mark is a Georgian (the country) in New York. He won 33 caps for England between 1950 and 1958, scoring 30 goals, with one of the highest goals-per-game ratios of any England player. Somehow, he managed to get the shot off before colliding with the Austrian keeper. But the Wanderers policy was that if you played for them you couldnt run a pub. By the end of the match, he had done just that, and earned the title of The Lion of Vienna in the process. Ultimately, the Hungarians cruelly exposed Englands insecurities in May 1954 and November 1953 against Continental opposition. Lion Of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers community. 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. 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. [3] There was a national wave of sympathy for United, who three months earlier had suffered grievously in the Munich air disaster. Soon after Lofthouse's death a swell of support for a statue to be built in his memory started. He scored both goals in the 1958 FA Cup Final, the second seeing him charge both keeper and ball over the line. We may also very occasionally send you information about the museum via Facebook. His final match in an England shirt came just over a month later, a 2-all draw against Wales. Around 200 fans stormed the pitch after the final whistle sounded, creating a fantastic scene. 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. 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. Thanks to his size, a healthy 12 stone (168 pounds) by age 15, he was played up front in a center forward position and it was there that Nat thrived. 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. On 24 August 2013, a statue was dedicated. HE was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. 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. 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. Lofthouse wasn't just a career Bolton man, he was a lifetime Bolton man. Nat Lofthouse captained Bolton against Manchester United in the 1958 FA Cup Final. 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.. 1968 rolled around and Nat Lofthouse was appointed caretaker manager of the club. Bolton born and bred, Lofthouse was signed by Bolton Wanderers as a 14 year old apprentice in 1939. Be in no doubt, the greatest number 9 and Bolton's finest son is of course Sir Nat Lofthouse. Contents show The 1952 tour England toured Europe briefly in summer 1952 and played matches against politically sensitive opponents Italy and Austria. ], 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. After that, Musil crashed into me, and we both fell to the ground. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He had even handed a transfer request in several times, unsurprisingly rejected by the club in the days before there were agents to campaign on his behalf. His very style of football embodied Bolton, an appreciation for power alongside skill which is still part of the club today. On 25 May 1952, Lofthouse earned the title 'Lion of Vienna' after scoring his second goal in England's 32 victory over Austria. My legs became stronger and when I played football I felt I was shooting with greater power.". In his autobiography Goals Galore Lofthouse was fulsome in his praise of Hunt, whose nickname was The Chesterfield Tough. 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. 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 important not to strike the ball too soon. He hung up his boots in 1961 having scored 285 goals for Wanderers. He signed as a 14-year-old for the club in September 1939, making wartime appearances before becoming an established league star in peacetime. 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. Instead, Lofthouse would famously climb the walls at Burnden Park in order to get into the ground for free. He later served as chief scout, caretaker manager, executive manager and as the clubs president from 1986. The main target was Nat Lofthouse, who was struck in the neck, while Elliott and Sewell required treatment from England trainer Jimmy Trotter. 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. 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. He was born on March 24, 1919, in Blyth, Northumberland, England. The 285 goals he scored between 1946 and 1961 still make him Boltons top goalscorer. [13] He had suffered with dementia. Known as the 'Lion of Vienna,' Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. 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. 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. For as much as Bolton Wanderers shaped him, his career and his life, he too left an indelible mark on the club, defining the teams most iconic era and playing a pivotal role in saving the club during its most ignominious age. . His lifelong dedication to the club was not work, but a manifestation of who he was. Former Bolton captain Kevin Davies and then manager Owen Coyle were among the pallbearers.[16]. 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. 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. In 1968, he spent a brief time as caretaker manager of the club and took over the job full-time on 18 December. The match in question was a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Nat scored 2 of Bolton's goals. Next in line was a trial for Lancashire schools. The total number of free kicks might seem insignificant today, but for soccer in the 1950s was significant. I would say without fear or favor the man was more important to Bolton from 82 onwards than ever he was in the 50s.". 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. By Paul Ride. ". The England camp was tense as dawn broke in Vienna, Austria, on the morning of 25 May 1952. The team nearly went back up at the first time of asking but a third-place position would not be enough for them. But you always associate Nat with Bolton. Nat charged forward with the ball, in typical Lofthouse fashion receiving an elbow in the face and a tackle from behind. The youngest of four sons, Nathaniel Lofthouse was born in Bolton on 27 August 1925. For England, the Austria game provided two firsts. Sources: Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Herald; Nat Lofthouse, Goals Galore, Nat Lofthouse. On 1 January 1994, he was appointed an OBE and on 18 January 1997, Bolton decided to name their East Stand at their new Reebok Stadium after him. Two goals in a 5-1 win gave a taste of what was the come. His father was a coal-bagger for the community's co-operative before becoming the head horse keeper for Bolton Corporation. 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. Nat Lofthouse began playing football as a very young boy. 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 . Please enter the following information to sign up. I learnt to take hard knocks without feeling them. As a result, Nat Lofthouse was nicknamed the Lion of Vienna. Nat joined Burnden Parks backroom staff several years ago, eventually becoming the clubs manager in August 1968. 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. To open the scoring, he swiveled on his right foot and hit a volley with his left foot. 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. Known as the 'Lion of Vienna, Nat Lofthouse was the epitome of the down-to-earth football star of the 1940s and 1950s. The Bolton Wanderers reached the final again five years later. Why was Nat Lofthouse called Lion of Vienna? Nat Lofthouse. 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 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. He made the best out of every situation and was often the first to say that he was happy to be earning a living by playing the game that he loved so much. 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. Thousands of England fans attended the game at the Praterstadion in Viennas Soviet Zone, as evidenced by the Path film of the game. 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. In April 1998, train operator Virgin CrossCountry named locomotive 47807 Lion of Vienna in Lofthouse's honour at Bolton station.

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